My 7 Month Old Isn't Eating Much Anymore

[NeoMc]

My 7-month-old Rex has never really been interested in greens. I've managed to get him to eat some kale and other greens when he was around 3 months but since then only sweet fruit like Blueberries. He was quite picky, he only ever seemed to want sweet things. Then all of the sudden (a week ago) he completely stopped eating produce I gave him and the crickets I let him have at night (morning fruits/veggies, evening crickets). He will eat 10 or so waxworms in the evenings now, but it almost seems like it bores him. I have to wiggle them around to spark his interest.

I have also noticed that rather than sit on top of the rock he always basks on, I catch him under it buried in the sand a lot. He suns himself a bit, then retreats underneath into the shade. He also tends to glass surf a lot in the afternoon until I take him out and let him play.

His poop seems fine and normal, he hasn't shown me any other strange behavior besides his glass surfing (wanting to play I think) and the hiding in the late afternoon. I was considering taking him to the vet on Monday to make sure nothing is up with him. The picky eating hasn't changed, but suddenly the things he did eat he wants nothing to do with and I cannot figure out what is up with him.

If anyone has any ideas or recommendations, please let me know. This is my first dragon (came from a leopard gecko) and he already is freaking me out. I've spoken to some "experts" as well as the people I bought him from and they all seem to think a vet visit is a smart idea.

He is 14 inches long now and seems to be healthy aside from this strangeness...

 

[NeoMc]

Update: I ordered a container of Phoenix Worms, perhaps I can maybe work him off this Waxworm obsession. Maybe he isn't sick, someone mentioned that Waxworms kinda taste like "bearded dragon candy" and it can make them act like young kids always wanting ice cream for breakfast...

 

[Janelle]

Yes, waxworms are full of fat and aren’t a healthy staple, but they seem to love them!
I would strongly recommend you getting rid of the sand. It’s very unsanitary and poses an impaction risk.
What lights do you have him under? And what are his temps? He’s a pretty dragon!

 

[NeoMc]

I was going to swap the sand out, but I haven't really gotten any sound advice for a replacement. There seems to be a problem with every type of substrate. Plus, he seems to love playing around in the sand and it would break my heart to take it away XD
I have him under a Zo Medi light, I don't recall the wattage right off the top of my head as I threw the box away (https://goo.gl/ugxZmx). I never got a chance to check his hot side, but the rock does heat up and I do see him opening his mouth on occasion to vent heat. He hasn't done this though since he stopped eating his healthy foods. I really have got to get him off this lizard bacon haha.

 

[NeoMc]

Ahh wait a second... He might be entering brumation.

 

[BeardedHippy]

He is still too young to brumate, but he is probably slowing down due to the season. As his metabolism slows he will get lethargic and lose his appetite, sleeping for extended periods. This is all quite normal and natural and it freaks everyone out when it first happens. I should add that parasites can mimic these symptoms, but given the time of year it is most likely this 'semi brumation'. A fecal check at the vets would rule out parasites, but unless he starts losing weight rapidly I wouldn't panic just yet.
Wax worms are like beardie crack, but not healthy on a daily basis. Give them a couple of times a week at most and a staple bug the rest of the time (dubias, crickets or locusts), check here for nutritional list
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html

 

[NeoMc]

Oh alright. I just called a local exotic vet and got a quote for fecal tests. Should I go ahead and double check to make sure he is just being lazy?
I just got a container of Phoenix Worms, I will see if he wants those (I HOPE)!

 

[BeardedHippy]

Phoenix worms are good, but don't be suprised if he wont eat them just yet. As I said, at this time of year appetites go out the window. Go ahead and have the fecal done, once you rule that out you can relax and just let nature take its course.

 

[NeoMc]

Alright, thanks. I'm just trying to pull him away from the waxworms craze. I already am quite attached to him, I couldn't fathom losing him to brumation for a month or two 0_0

 

[PatsyB]

Did you get your baby in for a checkup? 7 months is a little young for brumation but like Beardedhippy said, he might just be slowing down. They do get bored with eating the same thing over and over again so try to offer variety. BSFL, silkworms, dubia, crickets are all good feeders. Make sure he is eating all he wants in a 10 min period and also make sure that he is eating at least 2 hours before his lights go out for the night. Some never start eating salads like they should. Make sure you gut load dubia and crickets with the greens you would normally give to your dragon. I have a 6 year old that has always refused to eat her salad on her own. I have to trick her by putting a green in her mouth while she's chewing a bug.