Not eating!

[beardie_love]

Charlie and Baby haven't eaten today. NOTHING, not even their salad! Today was the other day for Charlie, so only salad today. He usually munches on his salad. I mean, I even put his favorite in, STRAWBERRIES! Not even a nibble. So I tried giving him worms, and wasn't the least bit interested. Baby, usually goes nuts for crickets. Nope, not today. She ate ZERO today. Even yesterday at her second feeding, she didn't eat. Same with Ace, nothing for his second feeding.

The only thing I think could be wrong (but I don't know why?) is the heat being hotter than usual. Could this be it? Baby and Ace's basking spot is usually about 105 ish. For the past 2 days (since the weather has heated up like crazy), well, Ace's basking spot went up only a few degrees, and Baby's went up to 120*F. Is that too hot? I thought it was, so I moved her log to the warm side, and only put a little piece of cork bark in her basking spot, to lower the basking spot so that the temp goes down. The temp is now around 115*F.

ALL OF MY BEARDIES HAVE BEEN GAPING TODAY AND YESTERDAY.

Charlie on the other hand, never refuses his worms. Except for today. His basking spot isn't even super hot, it's like 95*F. And yet he's gaping.

I've been freaking out for the past 2 days. I really want to know what's wrong. :'( It was so embarassing yesterday in the reptile store - I was crying because I was really worried about my beardies. :-[

 

[lexi]

There's nothing embarrassing about being a good beardie mama ;D Nothing makes me cry, EVER, except two things: thinking about my Dad's death and worrying about my pets. It shows how much you care about them and how seriously you take their care, so there's no need to be embarrassed.

About the basking spot... 120*F is probably a bit warm, and 95*F isn't quite warm enough. I would say, no lower than 105*F and no hotter than 110*F (although some say up to 115*F).

Are they starting a shed, perhaps? When was the last time they pooped? Gaping is good, as long as they don't have their mouths open constantly... if they're gaping to regulate temperature, you're fine, but beardies are supposed to breathe through their nostrils, so if their mouths are open all the time it indicates a possible respiratory infection.

 

[zebraflavencs]

I would suggest a long soaking bath for both of them.. High temps can dehydrate.
I also agree with Lexi's suggestion to bring down the temps a bit.
Hope this helps out.
Janie

 

[beardie_love]

Thanks Lexi, I guess I really do care A LOT about my pets.


Baby and Ace are going into shed, but not Charlie. They all poop daily, but Charlie sometimes does it every other day. But the thing is, they have never acted like this before! What I'm confused about, is why they are all gaping at the same time, with all different temps? And how can I lower the temps? I can't go out and buy a lower wattage bulb ugh... And the lamps are sitting on a mesh top, so I can't exactly adjust the height. But I do have lower wattage bulbs, but they're only the household ones. I want to use them, but I haven't got a new fixture for the my Repti-Sun yet..

Janie, I will surely soak them!

 

[ladyknite]

As the weather outside changes, the inside does too. Humidity varies, temps flux and spike at times. All these things affect gaping. If you hear any odd wheezing sounds, then i'd contact the vet. If not, adjust your wattage and observe them for 2-3 days for adjustment.

 

[lexi]

Thanks Lexi, I guess I really do care A LOT about my pets.


Baby and Ace are going into shed, but not Charlie. They all poop daily, but Charlie sometimes does it every other day. But the thing is, they have never acted like this before! What I'm confused about, is why they are all gaping at the same time, with all different temps? And how can I lower the temps? I can't go out and buy a lower wattage bulb ugh... And the lamps are sitting on a mesh top, so I can't exactly adjust the height. But I do have lower wattage bulbs, but they're only the household ones. I want to use them, but I haven't got a new fixture for the my Repti-Sun yet..

Janie, I will surely soak them!

Shedding can affect their appetite (usually it decreases when they are starting or going through a shed). Some people say their beardies don't eat at all during this time, but I have found that mine just don't eat as much as they normally would.

They're gaping at different temps because they each have their own unique internal systems... put very simply, gaping for a beardie is like panting for a dog or sweating for a human. Even though humans have essentially the same internal make-up, we all sweat at different times/temperatures, so that isn't so unusual.

As far as lowering the temps, there are a couple of ways to do that... one would be to buy some chain at a home supply store (like Lowes or Home Depot) and hang the bulbs from the ceiling so they are above the tank a bit more. Or, you could get a rheostat, which regulates the wattage of the bulb so it pumps out less heat. They're kind of spendy, depending on where you go (ours was $35) but they are very handy for adjusting temps.

Pooping is a good sign ;D Like Janie and Gina said, keep a close eye on them and soak them to make sure they're good and hydrated.

 

[beardie_love]

Lexi,

Now I'm not so worried about them now! Today was a good day because Charlie and Baby finally ate. ;D Baby didn't eat as much as she usually does, but she ATE! Yay. And today, the weather was pretty cold, so the temps weren't too high. As for adjusting the lamps, I had a fabulous idea! And probably cheap too (I think the chain way would be cheap as well but I don't want to exactly make holes in the ceiling, being in an appartment, you know ;D). So instead of buying those lamp stands as I was originally going to buy when I got the money (they're $30 each!), I'm going to buy a 1x4 or 1x2, cut it to size, and attach a bottom (with a staplegun or something) for balance, and just attach my clamp for my lamps to them. ;D This sounds like a good temporary solution until I get my Repti-Sun up and working.

 

[lexi]

Awesome I'm so glad to hear that!

I know zero about construction-type stuff, so I'm going to assume you know what you're doing with your makeshift lamp stand and say go for it Keep us updated on how they're doing.