Young dragon brumating

[GojiBerry]

Jeff is 8 months old and is showing signs of brumation. He saw the vet in early November where he was diagnosed with parasites and given antibiotics. A recent stool test showed this is now clear. They have done a blood test and we are awaiting the results.

Jeff is not interested in food, doesn't get out of his hide in the morning but is happy to sit on his basking rock when I put him there. He'll stay there for a couple of hours and then mooch back to a hide or his favourite corner.

Food wise he will occasionally take a waxworm or two from me but he's not interested in any more than that and he won't entertain locusts, dubias or mealworms and he positively looks away from his veggies.

The vet said he is nice and alert and certainly put up a fight when she was taking blood. I asked whether this was brumation and she said it could be; that he's on the young end but it's not unheard of for a dragon of his age to go through this.

I should also mention that our UK weather changed from warm and bright to dull and cold at about the same time so I don't know if this is what has made him change or whether it's merely coincidence.

So my question is do I assume this could be in brumation and stop getting him out of his bed in the morning and just literally leave him to do whatever he wants? This has been ongoing since early November. He hasn't lost any weight. He's 17.5" long and weighed 354g last week.

We are first time beardy owners so haven't experienced this before.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

[KarrieRee]

Jeff is 8 months old and is showing signs of brumation. He saw the vet in early November where he was diagnosed with parasites and given antibiotics. A recent stool test showed this is now clear. They have done a blood test and we are awaiting the results.

Jeff is not interested in food, doesn't get out of his hide in the morning but is happy to sit on his basking rock when I put him there. He'll stay there for a couple of hours and then mooch back to a hide or his favourite corner.

Food wise he will occasionally take a waxworm or two from me but he's not interested in any more than that and he won't entertain locusts, dubias or mealworms and he positively looks away from his veggies.

The vet said he is nice and alert and certainly put up a fight when she was taking blood. I asked whether this was brumation and she said it could be; that he's on the young end but it's not unheard of for a dragon of his age to go through this.

I should also mention that our UK weather changed from warm and bright to dull and cold at about the same time so I don't know if this is what has made him change or whether it's merely coincidence.

So my question is do I assume this could be in brumation and stop getting him out of his bed in the morning and just literally leave him to do whatever he wants? This has been ongoing since early November. He hasn't lost any weight. He's 17.5" long and weighed 354g last week.

We are first time beardy owners so haven't experienced this before.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Dragons slow down in the winter time - I would say its not brumation as that is when they go to sleep for months like 3 or they could semi brumate and sleep for a week or so and then come out - I have one that does that and one that is brumating now and is sleeping all the time - keep offering food but they will go off their food due to weather changes etc -- as long as your surface basking temps are 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and your using a long tube UVB fixture NO coils please and its properly placed for the screen on the tank and distance he should be fine- also the UVB is not expired as well - watch his behavior and follow his lead -- parasites are not a issue so thats good -

Practical tips: A healthy brumating bearded dragon

Georgina Rayner of Swell Reptiles, UK in November, 2015 Practical tips to help keep your bearded dragon healthy during brumation Reptile brumation occurs differently depending on each reptile’s bodily processes, from species to species. Environmental factors and the natural genetic instinct in...

www.beardeddragon.org

Brumation in Bearded Dragons

Written by Denise R. Bushnell in June, 2008 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...

www.beardeddragon.org

 

[GojiBerry]

Dragons slow down in the winter time - I would say its not brumation as that is when they go to sleep for months like 3 or they could semi brumate and sleep for a week or so and then come out - I have one that does that and one that is brumating now and is sleeping all the time - keep offering food but they will go off their food due to weather changes etc -- as long as your surface basking temps are 95-100 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer and your using a long tube UVB fixture NO coils please and its properly placed for the screen on the tank and distance he should be fine- also the UVB is not expired as well - watch his behavior and follow his lead -- parasites are not a issue so thats good -

Practical tips: A healthy brumating bearded dragon

Georgina Rayner of Swell Reptiles, UK in November, 2015 Practical tips to help keep your bearded dragon healthy during brumation Reptile brumation occurs differently depending on each reptile’s bodily processes, from species to species. Environmental factors and the natural genetic instinct in...

www.beardeddragon.org

Brumation in Bearded Dragons

Written by Denise R. Bushnell in June, 2008 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...

www.beardeddragon.org

Thank you for your reply. Surface temps are taken with a handgun and we have digital probes in both sides. Hot side generally sits 40C and cool at 23C. We have a long UVB which was changed early November and is placed correctly. The top of our tank is wooden so it's mounted inside. I will watch and see what happens. Thanks once again.

 

[GojiBerry]

Thank you for your reply. Surface temps are taken with a handgun and we have digital probes in both sides. Hot side generally sits 40C and cool at 23C. We have a long UVB which was changed early November and is placed correctly. The top of our tank is wooden so it's mounted inside. I will watch and see what happens. Thanks once again.

Another quick question if you don’t mind. I have been lifting him onto his basking rock a couple of times a day. Should I stop doing that and just leave him to do his own thing? Thank you.

 

[AHBD]

He should be fine , you can put him on the basking spot at least a few times a week but either way Jeff should be O.K