Thin and lethargic Dragon

[Stygma]

My beardie, Nel, has been looking very thin and emaciated recently. He's also very lethargic in comparison to my other dragons. I feed him as many Supers as he'll eat but usually he doesn't eat more than 8-10. More recently (as in the last two feedings) he hasn't eaten ANY worms, but still ate all his greens. I was hoping someone might have some insight into his behavior. I don't think it's parasites, but you never know.

 

[herpfreak]

It would be worth a fecal check to see if it is parasites. A declining appetite, weight loss, and lethargy leads me to believe that it is.


Could you answer these questions? If he is sick this will help us to identify what the problem is.

How old is your dragon?
How long have you had your dragon?
How long is your dragon?
What is the sex of your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

 

[Stygma]

How old is your dragon? - 1 year and six months, approximately.

How long have you had your dragon? - About a year.

How long is your dragon? - 17 Inches from nose to tail.

What is the sex of your dragon? - Male

What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? - 36X18X18 Exoterra enclosure.

What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? - Washed and Sifted playsand.

Do you use UVB lights? - Yes, I use a 100W Powersun (old model)

How old is your UVB bulb? - 4 Months

How close can your dragon get to the UVB? - About 10 inches away.

Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? - I use a 100W SunGlo to get the temperatures up.

What are the basking temps? - 108F at the basking point.

What is the cool side temp? - 85, give or take a few degrees

Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? - Digital w/probe

What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. - Superworms, Crickets and the occasional Hornworm.

How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? - Once a day at mid-day

Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? - Yes.

Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? - RepCal at every feeding, HerpVit twice a week.

Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? - Yes

Do you bath your dragon? How often? - Once every two days.

Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? - He's got a small 'waterfall' in the cool end of the enclosure that he drinks from regularly. I clean it often.

Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? - Nope.

Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? - Yes, but that was about 7 months ago.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Okay, first off , go ahead and back off on the calcium to 2 times a week.
Second, have you tried other feeders besides the supers ? Say for instance Phoenix worms, or roaches ?
Third, looks good ! Though I would actually start bathing 3-4 times a week in 90-100*F water, up to shoulders, tail under water, as that is the best way for them to rehydrate.

Janie

 

[herpfreak]

Run your fingers along his belly. Do you feel any hard lumps?

Looks pretty good. As zebraflavencs said, your beardie only needs calcium twice a week.

Adult beardies have stronger digestive systems and aren't in the same danger of impaction as young beardies, but it can still happen. If you feel any hard lumps on his lower stomach, he is probably impacted.

How much salad is he eating?

 

[Stygma]

I'm aware of all this. I've felt his stomach already. There aren't any lumps, and he's not sitting with his legs out or anything. I always bathe him in water that is between 90-105F and make sure it's deep enough because as Janie said, he needs the hydration. He's eating plenty of greens, he's just avoiding insects. As for feeders, Phoenix worms are too pricey, and I can't find roaches around my area; I'm limited to what the stores provide. I'll cut back on the calcium for now, but I'm getting conflicted stories. Some are saying that he should be supplemented every feeding, and others are saying twice a week. I suppose the best answer would be to just take him to get a fecal done.

Thanks all.

 

[herpfreak]

Hmm. :? You're doing everything right, the only thing that comes to mind is parasites. But I could be wrong.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I recommend calcium for adults 3 times per week, & vitamins 1 time per week.
Since he is an adult, he only need around 50 feeders per week. So, you are to the point to where you can back down on the number of feeders. It is your decision how you want to do it. You can feed him a few feeders per day, or designate 2-3 days per week for his feeder days with greens & veggies on all days, or at least offer it to him even if he doesn't eat it every day it is there in case he does want it.
I would increase the oral fluids right now. Remember, their digestive system is somewhat slower when they are adults so the superworms tend to take a little longer to pass through than crickets or roaches would. They have more shell to them.
You could get a fecal as well, just to check to make sure there are no worms or parasites present.

Tracie