Beardie not eating?

[LiamR]

I've had Cooper for 3 months now, he's been eating daily until recently. His faeces seem the same, temperatures are correct, I give him crickets, dragonflies and mealworms with calcium power D3 spread on top. He has also been tested for parasites series of times before I even got him, anything wrong? Or is he just leaving a day out on food?

 

[PatsyB]

Mealworms are not good to feed them because the shells are too hard to digest. I would avoid feeding any bugs that are wild caught because you don't know where they came from. They may have ingested pesticides.

It's very odd for a 3 month old to go off food. When you say the temps are correct, do you mean the basking temp is 107 degrees and the cool side is 80? Are you using a tube UVB? You said he was tested for parasites before you got him, that really doesn't help now. Every bearded dragon carries a low amount of parasites in their system. When exposed to stressful situations like a new home, those levels can increase to a dangerously high amount. Usually when you bring a new one home, it's recommended to have a fecal test done about 3 weeks after, once they have time to settle in.

I would have him tested again to make sure everything is okay.

 

[LiamR]

Mealworms are not good to feed them because the shells are too hard to digest. I would avoid feeding any bugs that are wild caught because you don't know where they came from. They may have ingested pesticides.

It's very odd for a 3 month old to go off food. When you say the temps are correct, do you mean the basking temp is 107 degrees and the cool side is 80? Are you using a tube UVB? You said he was tested for parasites before you got him, that really doesn't help now. Every bearded dragon carries a low amount of parasites in their system. When exposed to stressful situations like a new home, those levels can increase to a dangerously high amount. Usually when you bring a new one home, it's recommended to have a fecal test done about 3 weeks after, once they have time to settle in.

I would have him tested again to make sure everything is okay.

I think he's going through brumation. Not eating and as soon as I got home, about to go asleep, this isn't really something he'd do in the afternoon, he's more hyperactive then. I told my friend and he even suggested it was brumation, soon as he's fully tame, has to go and brumate on me. Also, Cooper is 6 months old, got him when he was 3 months old lol.

 

[LiamR]

EDIT: He is also in a dark area, so I put blankets on him and he fell asleep. Has to be brumation.

 

[PatsyB]

3 month old beardies don’t brummate. There is something else going on.

 

[LiamR]

3 month old beardies don’t brummate. There is something else going on.

He is 6 months old, but yes they do brumate. For us, in NZ it's winter so it would be time for them to do it. Every Beardie is different, such as some under 1 year old brumate, not usually though.

 

[PatsyB]

99.9 percent of the time dragons don't brumate under a year old, it's the same in every country. 99.9 percent of the the time dragons under a year old do not brumate. They are still growing, they still need lots of protein even at six months (they aren't adults until 18 months). I really hope you are right in this case and your not neglecting something serious that is going to kill him.

 

[LiamR]

I put a grasshopper down and it was gone, (this was 2 days ago) but even though if it was brumation, Cooper would still come up to eat if he were starving.

 

[LiamR]

Patsy, I still want to check this with you if it is even brumation (or signs on brumation). Cooper is lethargic, he won't accept food, he is in a dark area and he slept earlier (such as at 6:00 PM). Tell me something I didn't include and I will correct you, although if I can't, I will see the vet immediately, thank you.

 

[Hdrydr31]

This young of a dragon is not going thru brumation..I would get another fecal done and get him checked by a vet asap.. something serious could be going on that could be deadly if not caught. I will say this from personal experience as I just lost my 3 year old last week, she wasn't eating, lethargic.. I made a vet appointment last Monday Izzy died in my arms while at the vet!! I had no clue she was that sick as I thought since she hadn't brumated this past winter perhaps she was wanting to take a nap..

 

[PatsyB]

You never mentioned what kind of UVB you are using and how old is it.

 

[LiamR]

Nevermind, he's not in brumation, I gave him a warm bath and it preferably warmed his blood up. He's eating and he's all good again, thanks for your replies!

 

[LiamR]

EDIT: If he doesn't eat tomorrow, I'll bring him to the vet just in case.

 

[PatsyB]

So if a warm bath perked him up, you should double check and make sure your temps are right. 6 month still need a high temp of 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

[LiamR]

I know the cool side is right from my perspective and from my thermostat. Although the heat side usually stays to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), anything past that temp, he'll gape. Unless he just stays on the basking rock for a long time.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I know the cool side is right from my perspective and from my thermostat. Although the heat side usually stays to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), anything past that temp, he'll gape. Unless he just stays on the basking rock for a long time.

They are supposed to gape when under their heat that is the sign that they like the temp in that spot, that's how they regulate their temp..

 

[LiamR]

They are supposed to gape when under their heat that is the sign that they like the temp in that spot, that's how they regulate their temp..

So then that's still a good temp to keep it at, right?

 

[LiamR]

So then that's still a good temp to keep it at, right?

Hold on, I thought gaping was just another term for sweat, though he does still gape at 35 degrees Celsius, that goes with anything higher of course.