yoshi wont eat

[louby13]

hi can someone help me as beginging to worry yoshi is approx 6 mths old hes never been a big eater max we can get out of him a day is like 15 repitowrms and a couple of crickets....any way over a wk ago now poss 2 he shed the top of his head and nothing since and his appitite lessned, and this is now the 2nd day he has not eaten a thing- he ate through his first shed this is the second

his temps are ok ( ive consulted here before)
nothing has changed in his viv -

hes pooing and regulary and its not looking out of the norm and im making sure he is hydrated and he is looking ok alert etc
its getting cold at night coz this be somethin is he getting too cold at night ( not going below 60) and he wasnt basking so we have taken his hidy hole which he uses for bed and put it back at night.

he was eating shedded meal worms and he wont even touch them we were giving him some wax worms coz he wasnt eating and a bit of a treat- could he be on a come down from his new addiction to wax worms.

finally this is a bit strange he will be dark as anything take him out his cage and he lightens up put him back in and dark again- but like i say we havent changed anything.

is it worth taking him to the vets to make sure he is ok xxx will he starve himself x

 

[omar2000]

while these could be signs of illness,He might just be bruminating,Im no expert but i read a really good article,let me explain.For those who are not experienced in the hobby, and who keep Bearded Dragons as pets, one of the greatest sources of worry is when, for one reason or another, our beardies refuse to eat for long periods of time, or become increasingly inactive and lethargic.

When this happens with no warning, as it frequently does, all sorts of terrible things run through our minds, especially when this behavior goes on for more than just a few days. Do they have an impaction? Do they have some sort of an illness that isn’t readily apparent? Do they have parasites? Are they under some sort of stress? Do they need to see a vet? Is it my fault that they’re not eating? What am I doing wrong????While all of the above, along with inadequate temperatures, and improper UVB lighting, may be causes of their lack of appetite and lethargy, what if none of the above apply? What else is left?The answer, in many cases, is a behavior that is perfectly natural to a Bearded Dragon, but which many inexperienced owners know little to nothing about. The purpose of my explanation, therefore, is to shed some light on the periods of time in a Bearded Dragon’s life when they become dormant and almost completely inactive, not taking in any nourishment, and ignoring their world as time passes by.Just as with mammals, when in the wild there are certain times of the year when temperatures drop, and food becomes difficult to find for Bearded Dragons. The many insects that they use as a source of protein die off, and most vegetation that they consume goes dormant during the winter months, and so will not provide them with the much needed nourishment that they need.

Also, most Bearded Dragons will not drink from standing water, as they don’t recognize it as something that they CAN drink. Instead, most Bearded Dragons will take in water by lapping morning and evening dew from leaves and plants in their environment, in order to keep themselves hydrated. Once colder weather arrives, the morning and evening dew is replaced with frost, which is a poor source of hydration for them.

When faced with these problems to overcome, Beardies will burrow under things, or bury themselves in the soil, in order to keep from freezing, and their bodies will draw in moisture from the soil, through their vent, during their winter sleep, to ensure that they remain adequately hydrated enough to survive until Spring.

Also, a Bearded Dragon’s body depends on warmth from the sun in order to digest their food, and break it down into the nutrients that their bodies need, so when temperatures drop, Beardies, in the wild, would not be able to digest their food, even if they did find a food source to sustain them. Therefore, when the hours of daylight get shorter, the sun doesn’t shine as brightly, and the temperatures become colder, they brumate, in order to survive.

In order to ensure their survival, Bearded Dragons have evolved with the ability to voluntarily slow their metabolism down to nearly a standstill, which will enable them to eat and drink nothing for long periods of time, without losing more than a few grams of weight, and while maintaining their overall health. This has become instinctual to them, over time, and so many Bearded Dragons do brumate, even while in captivity, even though we provide them with warm temperatures and and a steady source of food.

You may be thinking that, since we now provide them with everything that their bodies need, year round, why do they still brumate? Over hundreds of years of evolution, their bodies have adapted to the harsh conditions in the wild that they live in. We can’t expect that the way that their bodily functions work are going to change in the mere 20+ years during which we’ve brought them into our lives and homes, and domesticated them. To expect that their bodies and instincts are going to change in that short space of time, just because their lives have become easier for them, because of our providing for their needs, would just be an exaggerated sense of self importance on our part.

 

[louby13]

hi

thank you for that but hes only 6 mths old isnt that too young x

 

[omar2000]

some times,the bruminate when they are young, even though it unusual,that doesn't mean he's unhealthy,but if your worried that much,then go to vet and get it over with

 

[omar2000]

don't worry, im sure u take good care of yoshi and i hope hes OK :laughing6: