brumation?

[stevedragon]

Hi,
I have a bearded dragon who is about 8 1/2 years old. He's never gone through a brumation period, but i'm wondering if he might be now. He hasn't been interested in food for about 6 weeks. At first, he just stopped eating crickets and very little salad. Then he stopped showing interest in wax worms, which were always a favorite. He'd still eat meal worms though. Now, he doesn't eat many of the worms either, and seems to have some trouble even if interested. I took him to the vet about a month or so ago. The vet thought he looked fine and did a blood test. Everything checked out fine. Unfortunately, since he's not eating, i have no fecal sample to test.
I've been bathing him regularly and feeding him Ensure through an eye dropper (per the vet's instructions). He spends a lot of time on the cool side. Other than that and not eating, he generally looks fine.
Any thoughts? Is this just old age?
thanks for any help.

 

[renich]

When was the last time he pooped?

It's hard to say if it is brumation or not. It is possible.

If the doc ran tests and they looked fine, it could very well be old age. 8 1/2 is getting up there in years for domesticated bearded dragons.

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Have you weighed Him?
is he loosing weight?

 

[stevedragon]

it's been a while since he last pooped -- over a month. he was weighed at the vet and had lost just a little weight, but nothing alarming. Since he's mainly just been getting the Ensure i've giving him, it would seem like he'd be losing even more weight, but he looks fine. feels about the same as usual.

 

[renich]

How often are you bathing him?

 

[stevedragon]

several times a week, roughly 4.

 

[renich]

Wow, that is a very long time to go without pooping.

The only thoughts that come to mind is that wax worms are high in fat and should be offered as a treat and mealworms don't offer any nutritional value and the outer shell could lead to impaction. But if he is 8 1/2 and has been thriving on these things, I'm not sure what to think.

Have you had him his entire life?

 

[stevedragon]

Yes, I've had him since he was about 3 weeks ago. he's had a steady diet of crickets and greens his whole life. Wax worms and meal worms have only been occasional treats.

 

[crypticdragons]

Thats not a odd thing as dragons will only poop out as much as they take in. Honestly to me it sounds like possible brumation. But you still need to get the animal seen by a vet (typically just a fecal sample but you may not be able to get a fecal) to make sure he is a'ok as signs of parasites and signs of brumation are quite close to being identical.

Now i will point out that it is odd for a dragon of 8.5 years to suddenly decide to brumate (after 8.5 years of not doing it). Thats why i strongly suggest a vet visit. Cause at that age a wrong move in care could prove more or less fatal.

 

[ladyknite]

just been getting the Ensure i've giving him

not a good alternative. It contains milk proteins and PREbiotics, not PRObiotics suited for a reptile system.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be found in various foods. these healthy bacteria stimulate hunger impulses and assist in digestion.

Prebiotics are non-digestible foods that make their way through our digestive system and help good bacteria grow and flourish. Prebiotics essentially assist probiotics in maintaining healthy bacteria.

I suggest some canned pumpkin to get him to go poop for that fecal sample. By today's rule of thumb..he's getting up to Old Man status, and it's best to ensure his health on that road.

good luck.......keep us posted

 

[stevedragon]

thanks for all the help. He did visit the vet about 5 weeks ago or so. It was the vet who recommended Ensure (he's a pretty well respected herpetologist). He couldn't find anything wrong, but i'm not sure if blood tests would pick up any parasites. He's never had an issue with them before, and nothing's changed in his setup. I'll try the canned pumpkin.

 

[renich]

They can pick up parasites from a bad batch of crickets.

 

[stevedragon]

My dragon finally pooped! I'll take it in to be examined. Over the past couple i started feeding him collard greens and dry bearded dragon food by putting in his mouth (in his lips, then he'd open his mouth to take it in).

 

[renich]

Yippee, he pooped! Let us know what the results are.

 

[stevedragon]

the results were negative. So still no answers. the vet wants to do a biopsy or another blood test. Or they said i could wait till spring and see if he gets back to normal. in the meantime, i'd keep feeding him as i've been doing.

 

[renich]

A biopsy? Well, I'm glad the results were negative. And by no means am I a veterinary professional, but I find a biopsy a bit extreme at his age. And that is my two cents.