Winter Blahs?

[OzzysMom32]

Hey all! I was wondering about my baby Ozzy! I guess he isnt as much of a baby anymore as i would like to think, I believe he is around 10-12 months old. For about a month now he has been going to bed much earlier then normal, eating less and just kinda hanging around. I figured it was the winter blahs. He seems to not be pooing everyday like normal unless i put him in the bath. He is eating around 4-6 dubia a day, and as a treat some superworms. He usually eats his Spring Mix salad everyday. I am just wondering if and when i should start to worry. A few days ago i noticed he was getting up before his lights turn on (8) so i set them to come on earlier (6:45), and he was a little more active during the morning hours, chasing his reflection back and forth and acting like a ham. Sometimes he stays up a little longer but usually goes to bed around 2 or 3pm.

Out set up consists of a 10.0 Repti-sun that is only 3 months old
a 75 watt basking light that keeps it at 110 on the hot side and 80 on cool side.
He has a hide that he sleeps in with his blankie, and he is very potty trained, and only seems to go on his newspaper. He does seem a little grumpier then usual but nothing to bad. Although i have noticed that his urate is a little harder then normal and at first i thought i was because i was putting to much calcium on his salad 2x a week, so i have stopped for now, but it seems to be the same, but it has only been a few days. I give him a bath every other day.

I am not sure on his age as we got him from Petsmart in Aug and they told us he was around 3 months old, Who knows if that is true

Thanks for your help in advance. I am new to all this so i try to get as much info as i can reading the forums. You guys are alot of help!
Chriss and Ozzy

 

[CaptainVimes]

Some places say that their lights should be on for only 10 hours over the winter, to simulate the shorter winter days.

Dexter's lights go out at 7pm, but lately (past few days) he's been "putting himself to bed" before 5pm, which is basically him going and snuggling down on his cushion that I made him. When he shows signs of settling down, I bring him out because I love our snuggle time when he's falling asleep, last night he chose to snuggle into my neck again, I was lying propped up, he climbed up off my belly (where he usually sleeps, (with a blanky over him to block out the light from all the vivs, my tarantula terrarium and my laptop screen if it's on, or my mobile and perhaps the landing light)) and snuggled into the side of my neck, with his head slightly behind my neck, and the rest of his body round my neck, like a scarf :lol: , then I carefully put him on the pillow that I made him, and one of my children carries him back to the viv, (both hands under the pillow, with my spare hand, (that I'm not using to steady myself as I hobble) gently on his back, so he doesn't wriggle in panic and fall off the pillow) I then put him "to bed" and he doesn't move a muscle all night long. :lol:

2-3pm does seem a little early, but then 06:45 is early (in my standards) for his lights to be going on. That would give him 8 hours of "light" if he's putting himself to bed at 3. So only 2 hours short of what I've read that is recommended throughout the winter.

He's at nearly adult, or classed as adult age, so it could be a mild patch of brumation?

Dexter's lights go on at 08:00 (I get up at 07:00 in the week, and he only wakes up if I put the bedroom light on) so he's getting 9 hours of "daylight" before he decides that it is bedtime - if he goes at 17:00. (if it's 19:00 when he retires, then obviously he gets 11 hours) I did worry about it for a while, but I remembered that his old schedule with his old Mum was 05:00-17:00 so him putting himself to sleep at about 17:00 does seem about right. (although he had adjusted to lights out at 19:00, as he's been with me 47 days now)

Hard urate usually means dehydration, however, you say you give him baths, and he eats his salads, and his insects also contain water, so I'm not quite sure on that one... does he take water if you drip it on his nose/mouth area? When I do this with Dexter, even though he doesn't open his mouth all the time, it seems to seep into his mouth as he has to swallow now and again. I use a pipette (unused out of my Son's Science kit, I KNOW it is brand new as I nicked it the day we opened it :lol: ) and drop a single drop onto his nose/mouth at a time and wait for him to slurp it up. He now associates the dropper with a drink, and he opens his mouth in anticipation, if he's thirsty, otherwise he sits stubbornly as I dribble water onto his nose/mouth, with occasional swallowing, or if it doesn't seep in, it runs down his beard and his beard goes a very light grey, so I know that's the time to stop. A turkey baster would do the job at a push, but you would have to watch you didn't squeeze too hard, as you could end up drowning him. Another option is a cup/mug/whatever of water, and dip your finger into it, quickly lift it out and position it over his nose/mouth so the drip lands right on the end of his nose, and either seeps into his mouth or runs down his beard. Don't do too much at a time as it will get in his nostrils and he could drown from it. (humans can drown on a 5ml teaspoon of water!)

There's also the risk of "secondary drowning", which basically means that the water enters the system, and doesn't go into the lungs until after the event, then it drowns them.

(My primary school best friend died of secondary drowning when we were at the swimming baths for our school swimming lesson, she swallowed lots of water because one of the lads dunked her under and she wasn't expecting it, so didn't hold her breath, she came up choking, and looked very pale, then in the foyer, on the way back to the coach she collapsed. We stood staring not knowing what to do, whilst the swimming coach and another [presumably a] first aider got to work on resuscitating her. (mouth to mouth and CPR) She didn't come around and died right there in the middle of the foyer area of the swimming baths. We stopped going swimming for about a month after that, and the boy that dunked her got expelled.)

Sorry, rather

but I wanted to give you a "secondary drowning" scenario, so you understand what I mean a little better?

I hope I've helped with my post, if anyone is bothered by the drowning bit, then I shall remove it, I was only trying to explain how dangerous it is for any landlubber to inhale or get water in places they shouldn't.

 

[OzzysMom32]

When i drip water onto his nose he doesnt seem to drink at all! Im not sure if he swallowing or not, i will have to pay attention more carefully!
I started turning his lights on around 6:45 because several mornings in a row i found him awake sitting in the middle of the enclosure in the dark! I felt bad so i adjusted the times, Maybe i will turn it back to a later time. He does go down and get all warm and cuddly at around 2or 3 but goes to sleep when the lights turn off. So i guess i was wondering about the "hide part" Just making sure he was ok.

Thanks for the info!
Chriss