6 days in and in tears

[Angelaelebron]

This has been the biggest rollercoaster, stressful 6 days ever. Long story short, my son wanted a reptile, we researched and went with bearded dragon. She is his Christmas present, and just about the only one he got because of the expense. I have been helping 100% with care and have fallen in love with our little lady, but it hasn’t been easy. Just feels like she is going downhill. She is getting skinnier by the day, and hasn’t been eating much at all. Every time we go to feed her, it is just becoming more and more frustrating. She has pooped every day we have had her,except yesterday. She started off by eating about 7 crickets or so and a couple roaches the first 3 days, then on her 4th day she ate nothing but one cricket, yesterday nothing but a wax worm (only gave it to her out of desperation for her to eat something), and today.. nothing. I tried crickets and salad this morning & then when that didn’t work I made a smoothie out of mustard greens, squash, vitamins and calcium. She did enjoy that and drank up quite a bit of it by me feeding it to her like water and licking it up. Then she pooped and was fairly active. I had to leave for the day with the kids and do some activities and leave her be, when I came home she looked good, in her basking spot very alert. I thought for sure she would eat, but once again I get nothing. No interest at all.. she just stares at them, and is completely still until I take them out. My son is crying that she is going to die, I’m super scared and sad and worried about her & just at a loss of what to do. I keep hearing relocation stress and to try to relax, but at what point does not eating go from the normal stress to sickness? She seemed so perfect when she came home & ive done everything I can to set her up for success. She is in a 40 gal tank, her basking spot is 107, cool side around 85, uvb is reptisun t8 10 and mounted in the center, under the mesh and overlaps her basking spot. I measure with a probe thermometer, I have been alternating between calcium with D3, without and vitimans on the food that she has ate. I make sure she drinks a little every day, she has had one bath. She has had a little shed. She has reptile carpet on the bottom of her tank. I’m adding some photos. These were all taken today. The first is her latest poop, second is when she first woke up and third is right after her smoothie. Anyone know what to do?

 

[Angelaelebron]

This is her right now, does her mouth look okay? She does keep opening and closing it like that periodically. At first I thought it was the cute way she basks but alongside the not eating I’m not sure?

 

[baldegale14]

This is her right now, does her mouth look okay? She does keep opening and closing it like that periodically. At first I thought it was the cute way she basks but alongside the not eating I’m not sure?View attachment 19430

as far as i can tell youre doing everything right, continue with the smoothie and maybe add some bugs to it, and the mouth is venting, its how they regulate their body temp


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[Angelaelebron]

as far as i can tell youre doing everything right, continue with the smoothie and maybe add some bugs to it, and the mouth is venting, its how they regulate their

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ill definitely keep doing that, but I’m just wondering does anyone know when it goes from relocation stress to somethings wrong? Tomorrow is her 7th day and I just feel like she should be settled by now. She isn’t skittish at all & knows her way around her tank, she seems happy so why won’t she eat? I know she does this to bask but sometimes she will open and close randomly when she isn’t, I was curious if anyone knows if her mouth looks okay/normal?

 

[mamaof2dragons]

her mouth looks normal, keep up with the smoothies that will help. if your really worried take her into an exotic veterinarian and have them do a fecal smear to rule out parasites. Truly she looks good and your doing everything right.

 

[Angelaelebron]

her mouth looks normal, keep up with the smoothies that will help. if your really worried take her into an exotic veterinarian and have them do a fecal smear to rule out parasites. Truly she looks good and your doing everything right.

Thank you, I am feeling much better today and a little more reassured she is okay. I’m wondering if I can just take her sample in without bringing her. I have been hesitant on the vet visit this early because she isn’t even settled in yet so I don’t need to set her back any more with a stressful vet trip. I’m going to wait it out until next week, before I rush to the vet. I do plan on eventually having her checked out though to make sure all is good.

 

[BeardedHippy]

she looks fine and you are doing everything right (basking spot could do with being between 110 and 115 but otherwise all good). You say she is getting skinny but she looks ok to me from the pics. Even baby dragons feel the change in season and will slow down and eat less, its what they do before they are able to brumate. Do not be suprised if she sleeps a lot too, its normal. She is at least eating something and pooping daily which is good. Her appetite will return, have no fear. Parasites are the only thing that can mimic these symptoms, so that is the main reason for a vet check.
Keep offering food, even if it goes uneaten, eventually her metabolism will speed up. You can keep up the slurries if you want, but its pointless forcing her to eat if she doesnt want to. I would do it only if her weight loss is dire.

 

[Angelaelebron]

she looks fine and you are doing everything right (basking spot could do with being between 110 and 115 but otherwise all good). You say she is getting skinny but she looks ok to me from the pics. Even baby dragons feel the change in season and will slow down and eat less, its what they do before they are able to brumate. Do not be suprised if she sleeps a lot too, its normal. She is at least eating something and pooping daily which is good. Her appetite will return, have no fear. Parasites are the only thing that can mimic these symptoms, so that is the main reason for a vet check.
Keep offering food, even if it goes uneaten, eventually her metabolism will speed up. You can keep up the slurries if you want, but its pointless forcing her to eat if she doesnt want to. I would do it only if her weight loss is dire.

I did another little slurrie today with roaches added, she seemed to want it. Licked it right up, about 2 ML and seemed pretty pleased after. She pooped again today, so that is staying normal. She is moving around just fine and seems comfortable. Still being stubborn with not eating though, I keep trying and she shows no interest. I ordered Phoenix worms that should be in next week, still going to keep trying to push the crickets and roaches everyday, but maybe something new will do the trick. Sometimes she looks real skinny to me and other times I feel like she looks fine, maybe just the way she’s sitting. I at least know she’s getting something in her with the little smoothies so it has helped ease my mind some.

 

[Angelaelebron]

I decided to make a vet appointment. She will be seen Monday morning for a checkup and to run a fecal test. In the meantime just making sure to keep offering food & water. Thanks everyone for your tips & advice.

 

[Janelle]

She is such a little cutie. Let us know what they say.

 

[Angelaelebron]

She is such a little cutie. Let us know what they say.

I will! she also ate 2 crickets on her own this morning, I know it’s very little but an improvement. Hoping she’ll go for more tonight. I’m still taking her into the vet Monday regardless, but I’m feeling way more optimistic than I was 2 days ago.

 

[Angelaelebron]

Just a little update. She saw the vet Monday and got some B12, he said she is healthy & ran her stool and found nothing unusual. He does not think she is sick, but thinks she is just highly stressed. Trying to just leave her be for a bit and offer her food 3 times a day. Poor thing. Hoping she eats soon.

 

[Janelle]

Glad she’s ok. She’s had a lot of excitement the past week!

 

[JasperMoon]

You’re doing just fine with her & she looks great! We went through the same thing with my daughter’s Bearded Dragon! We thought for sure she was gonna die, we had a really difficult time getting her to eat too. My dragon was a little older when I got him & not quite so difficult so I’ve come to the conclusion that babies are just hard to get going. Both our dragons are happy & healthy now & my daughter’s difficult, not wanting to eat dragon turned into a dragon with an insatiable appetite! She even went through a period of time when she actually became a little too chunky, LOL! So keep doing what you’re doing & I bet she’ll come around. Our dragons are now just over a year old but I definitely remember the difficult & stressful time we had with my daughter’s dragon so I totally understand.

 

[Angelaelebron]

Sadly, our little lady passed away today. She struggled to eat the entire time I had her. I thought we had a breakthrough yesterday, I got her to eat 7 crickets and had been giving her reptiboost. Then this morning she began acting limp and hardly moved. I was holding her, just as my son came home from school too and she ran off my hand on the bed (in my mind for a second I was ecstatic she was moving) but then she started spinning in circles sideways and then just collapsed and that was it. I am heartbroken. My son and I just started balling our eyes out. Thank you to everyone who helped me on this site, it has been a rough roller coaster these past couple weeks, but I learned so much and realized my love for beardies. Especially this one. I will miss her.

 

[Janelle]

I am totally shocked! I am so, so sorry! What a heartbreak! I thought for sure she was just settling in and would be just fine. I hope you’ll get another one soon?

 

[Angelaelebron]

I thought so too I’ll be looking into another but not from the pet shop. I don’t think she had a good start before me. I went in there the other day and they only had one out of the ten left and it looked sick and skinny. I’m just heartbroken. I really wanted to watch her grow & thought if I gave her the right care, she’d come out just fine.

 

[JasperMoon]

OMG I’m so sorry!! I thought for sure she’d be fine especially since even the vet thought she was healthy. She looked great to me. Well I know there is another Bearded Dragon out there who would love to have a home with you so I hope you’ll get another. They really are fantastic, one of the best little creatures ever.

 

[JasperMoon]

I thought so too I’ll be looking into another but not from the pet shop. I don’t think she had a good start before me. I went in there the other day and they only had one out of the ten left and it looked sick and skinny. I’m just heartbroken. I really wanted to watch her grow & thought if I gave her the right care, she’d come out just fine.

Makes my heart just sink when I hear about dragons that aren’t being taken care of properly. Some pet stores are just terrible. . My daughter & I both got ours from pet stores but hers came from a local family-owned business & the Petsmart I got mine from seems to be pretty good. I visit the dragons whenever I go in there & have never seen any that look unhealthy.

 

[Janelle]

I thought with your care she'd come out just fine, too. Even the vet said she looked great. There must have been some deep-seated something wrong. She hid it well, poor little thing. I'm so glad you're looking into another. You have so much to offer, such a good home. Don't forget to sterilize everything before you get another, just in case it was something infectious. Again, I am so sorry for you!!!!