Beardie potential health problems

[jake chetney]

My beardie is a year and a month old at this point and for the past month or month and a half he has been acting very lazy, slow, chilling in areas with shade only, hasnt been as active to eat usually where he usually goes crazy when i bring food, he still poops, usually every 6 or 7 days, he used to eat everyday but now im starting to feed him every other day, he eats fine still but i have to bring it to him when he usually has a spot he’s always waiting at. So my question is is he sick or is this brumation signs, i highly dont want to believe he’s sick, he’s eating fine just isnt as active and a brumation in early spring sounds weird but i wanted to hear expereinced members opinions. A few things i want to mention
- His basking bulb is a zoomed powesun UV 160W, hes had this for the entirety of his 13 month life
-here are some pics of him to see if anything looks physically wrong (I havent seen any changes with him ever)

 

[JumpinJellyfish]

The UV from the bulb may have decreased to a too-low amount if the bulb has been in use for 13 months. If so and you're able to, try replacing it and see if he perks up.

 

[jake chetney]

The UV from the bulb may have decreased to a too-low amount if the bulb has been in use for 13 months. If so and you're able to, try replacing it and see if he perks up.

Ok ill try that thanks.

 

[Halgerl]

Sounds like brumation honestly. Beardie hibernation. They get very sluggish and it’s recommended to allow them to sleep and keep their tank warm and dark. Might be too late since you said he has been like this for over a month. In the future during cold or winter months if he starts to act sluggish try and allow him to have a dark environment to brumate

 

[jake chetney]

Sounds like brumation honestly. Beardie hibernation. They get very sluggish and it’s recommended to allow them to sleep and keep their tank warm and dark. Might be too late since you said he has been like this for over a month. In the future during cold or winter months if he starts to act sluggish try and allow him to have a dark environment to brumate

Thats what a close friend of mine who has had a beardie for a few years now told me which i agreed with because his change in behavior was very sudden, as in happened in one day. However I ask, how do i keep the tank warm without the light on? I do have a heat pad in there already and he stays there about half the time, the other half hes in a shady, chilly corner. Thanks

 

[Halgerl]

Thats what a close friend of mine who has had a beardie for a few years now told me which i agreed with because his change in behavior was very sudden, as in happened in one day. However I ask, how do i keep the tank warm without the light on? I do have a heat pad in there already and he stays there about half the time, the other half hes in a shady, chilly corner. Thanks

What I have is a heat BULB. It’s like a light bulb but doesn’t produce any light, just heat. I have one so my beardie’s tank doesn’t get too cold at night since my room tends to be on the cooler side. I recommend buying one of those, covering him in a blanket and putting the heat bulb over his tank in a lamp just like you would with a regular heat light.

 

[jake chetney]

What I have is a heat BULB. It’s like a light bulb but doesn’t produce any light, just heat. I have one so my beardie’s tank doesn’t get too cold at night since my room tends to be on the cooler side. I recommend buying one of those, covering him in a blanket and putting the heat bulb over his tank in a lamp just like you would with a regular heat light.

Ya a ceramic bulb i have one for another lizard i own, so next time this behaviors occur i will do so, thanks.

 

[Oscarella]

My beardie is a year and a month old at this point and for the past month or month and a half he has been acting very lazy, slow, chilling in areas with shade only, hasnt been as active to eat usually where he usually goes crazy when i bring food, he still poops, usually every 6 or 7 days, he used to eat everyday but now im starting to feed him every other day, he eats fine still but i have to bring it to him when he usually has a spot he’s always waiting at. So my question is is he sick or is this brumation signs, i highly dont want to believe he’s sick, he’s eating fine just isnt as active and a brumation in early spring sounds weird but i wanted to hear expereinced members opinions. A few things i want to mention
- His basking bulb is a zoomed powesun UV 160W, hes had this for the entirety of his 13 month life
-here are some pics of him to see if anything looks physically wrong (I havent seen any changes with him ever)

My beardie went through that not long ago and she was eating and pooping, but very lethargic and I was worried terribly, but it was also brumation and she's back to her normal spastic self

 

[Smitty]

Glad this came up today
My man is doing the same.
a few days ago he was his usual self, now the past 5 days he wants to sleep, barely opens his eyes and refuses to eat.
I am HOPING that this is normal behaviour and he's not sick
I have a 75W basking bulb and a t5ho uv tube , as well as a ceramic bulb for night time (no light just heat)
he is staying as far away from the heat as he can and not eating,
hope this is brumation. I have read that brumation may occur in early spring as this is Australia's start of winter/colder season ??

 

[Smawg]

My beardie is a year and a month old at this point and for the past month or month and a half he has been acting very lazy, slow, chilling in areas with shade only, hasnt been as active to eat usually where he usually goes crazy when i bring food, he still poops, usually every 6 or 7 days, he used to eat everyday but now im starting to feed him every other day, he eats fine still but i have to bring it to him when he usually has a spot he’s always waiting at. So my question is is he sick or is this brumation signs, i highly dont want to believe he’s sick, he’s eating fine just isnt as active and a brumation in early spring sounds weird but i wanted to hear expereinced members opinions. A few things i want to mention
- His basking bulb is a zoomed powesun UV 160W, hes had this for the entirety of his 13 month life
-here are some pics of him to see if anything looks physically wrong (I havent seen any changes with him ever)

Mine is doing the same thing,brumation type thing going id say. what kind of dirt is that? & it looks like salt or glass mixed in possibly? Do you use BOTH uva & uvb light? are you keeping him cooler at night so he can digest his food good? what do you feed him? try something new & see if he runs to it. can be bored of the same food, good idea to get new bulbs, just because they stay on does not mean they are doing there job still. ya know what I mean. you chew your gum for as long as you want but the flavor will run out. do you give him baths by chance? what kind of housing do you have him in? might be possible that the lights are bothering him. Id only use the ceramic lamps at night if its needed, he needs the uva & uvb during the day

 

[Drogo]

I'll just add... while it may not be anything major, people shouldn't hesitate to bring them in to an exotic veterinarian for an overview. I did this for my first time a couple weeks ago, and after speaking to a vet and having him look at her for 20-30 minutes, it costed me $1. I'm not saying all vets cost $1, but don't let the fear of the cost of a vet visit deter you from seeking a second opinion. Call around, you may be surprised how reasonable some places are.

I was starting to worry because my beardie has also been sleeping a lot and as a result, not eating as much, which means she wasn't getting all her calcium and UVBs. The vet said she looked pretty normal, but could be lacking calcium due to the excessive sleeping I mentioned.

After the vet visit, I removed her sleeping cave from the enclosure, so that she is always getting some of the UVBs from her light, even if she isn't being very active. The vet also provided 2 plastic syringes so I could help her calcium intake. Sometimes I will mix some calcium powder with a little water, then shoot it into her mouth with the syringe (easier said than done) if I notice she hasn't eaten lately. When I give her the calcium squirt, she usually perks right up and goes into the bulldog stance while she analyzes what she just drank.

The vet also recommended a product for me to try, which is Oxbow Critical Care. It is available on Amazon and can get shipped overnight. It is a dry pack of all the nutrients they need, and can be mixed with water and squirted into their mouth via a thick syringe. I'm not saying your situation calls for this, but it's a nice product for bearded dragon owners to know about in case of any emergencies.

 

[jake chetney]

My beardie went through that not long ago and she was eating and pooping, but very lethargic and I was worried terribly, but it was also brumation and she's back to her normal spastic self

Thanks for the response