Sleepy and not eating

[Roxidoodle]

Our beardie is refusing to eat and is very sleepy and less active than normal. She is in a 50 gallon tank, basking temps 100-110, cooler side 75-80 and at night it’s set at 75 degrees. She came to us a year go in May and came with a smaller cage, a reptisun light which we are using (and bought a new bulb for today in case that is part of the problem) and a basking log. We have added to her bigger cage a hammock and a fabric hide under the hammock on the cool side. The setup has been the same for about 6 months except the hide and she seemed happy in there. She eats a salad every day and 3-5 super worms every 3 or so days normally but is refusing both at the moment. We weighed her today and she was 305 grams and about 19 inches long. We thought she may have been impacted but she has had 3 baths in the last week and has been pooping in the bath each time, she shows no signs of dragging her back legs or moving differently than normal. She has also been drinking a lot more water during those baths than normal. I suspect she may be having some brumation behaviors but it’s scary when she won’t eat! She isn’t in a deep sleep all the time but is definitely sleepy. She sleeps earlier at night and later In The morning and she falls asleep randomly throughout the day around her habitat. She will move for a bit and be active and then will fall asleep where she is at. I am attaching some pictures of her.

 

[Sadie]

Our beardie is refusing to eat and is very sleepy and less active than normal. She is in a 50 gallon tank, basking temps 100-110, cooler side 75-80 and at night it’s set at 75 degrees. She came to us a year go in May and came with a smaller cage, a reptisun light which we are using (and bought a new bulb for today in case that is part of the problem) and a basking log. We have added to her bigger cage a hammock and a fabric hide under the hammock on the cool side. The setup has been the same for about 6 months except the hide and she seemed happy in there. She eats a salad every day and 3-5 super worms every 3 or so days normally but is refusing both at the moment. We weighed her today and she was 305 grams and about 19 inches long. We thought she may have been impacted but she has had 3 baths in the last week and has been pooping in the bath each time, she shows no signs of dragging her back legs or moving differently than normal. She has also been drinking a lot more water during those baths than normal. I suspect she may be having some brumation behaviors but it’s scary when she won’t eat! She isn’t in a deep sleep all the time but is definitely sleepy. She sleeps earlier at night and later In The morning and she falls asleep randomly throughout the day around her habitat. She will move for a bit and be active and then will fall asleep where she is at. I am attaching some pictures of her.

What is the UVB your using? Brand and bulb - T 5 or a T 8? Where in the tank is it? top of screen or inside the tank? this is crucial ---- Basking temps should be 95-100 or so for her older dragons do not like real hot -- temps should be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer --- NO stick ons they are inaccurate --- we need to rule out the lighting in the tank before we can determine for sure brumation - keep a weight on her -- does she have another hide or only the one shes sitting on? Is it big enough for her to get into? If looks small --

 

[Roxidoodle]

It’s a Reptisun 10 T8. It is sitting on top of the screen now but we are planning to attach it to the inside with Velcro. I can lower the temp tomorrow for the basking area, we have a digital thermometer and the stick on ones both. The log is long enough to cover the majority of her body minus the tail. She has a hammock on the cool side that she often hides under and a new fabric hide we recently got that she likes to cuddle and sleep on in the cool side. The temps haven’t really changed in the last year and this just started in the last week. I was reading just now about shed, we haven’t experienced that that I am aware of, she is my daughter’s dragon, and she has some dark grayish spots on her recently. Could this possible explain what’s happening?

 

[Sadie]

It’s a Reptisun 10 T8. It is sitting on top of the screen now but we are planning to attach it to the inside with Velcro. I can lower the temp tomorrow for the basking area, we have a digital thermometer and the stick on ones both. The log is long enough to cover the majority of her body minus the tail. She has a hammock on the cool side that she often hides under and a new fabric hide we recently got that she likes to cuddle and sleep on in the cool side. The temps haven’t really changed in the last year and this just started in the last week. I was reading just now about shed, we haven’t experienced that that I am aware of, she is my daughter’s dragon, and she has some dark grayish spots on her recently. Could this possible explain what’s happening?

 

[Sadie]

Shed can cause appetite loss but not sleepiness- it's the UVB T 8's are not strong enough to go thru the screen and if there is a clear plastic cover over the bulb she's getting little to no UVB- please get the fixture into the tank directly over her basking decor approx 6-8 inches and take the cover off-- you want the bulb exposed please change out the UVB bulb in 5 months they say 6 but I recommend 5--

 

[Roxidoodle]

The cover is off of it, I will do those things but would it be normal for her to be ok with everything like that for 8-10 months and suddenly stop eating without any changes?

 

[Sadie]

The cover is off of it, I will do those things but would it be normal for her to be ok with everything like that for 8-10 months and suddenly stop eating without any changes?

She's been getting sick-- no UVB for that long of time she's now showing signs- dragons hide their illness it's their instinct - watch her behavior after you get the UVB in the tank - you should see a difference in a day or two- keep an eye on her and if those things are corrected and she's no better a vet visit is in order-- her appetite should come back.she should be more active pooping and basking-- if not something else is going on

 

[Roxidoodle]

She does poop and bask some each day, she just hasn’t been eating the last few days and is sleepy. I’ll keep an eye on her weight and get the uvb in the cage and see how it goes. Thank you!

 

[Sadie]

She does poop and bask some each day, she just hasn’t been eating the last few days and is sleepy. I’ll keep an eye on her weight and get the uvb in the cage and see how it goes. Thank you!

The not eating is because she has not been able to.absorb / synethsize her calcium that is what the UVB does plus prevent all.kinds of health issues- it is extremely important - the UVB and basking temps are the most important things in the tank

 

[Frank the baby beardry]

Our beardie is refusing to eat and is very sleepy and less active than normal. She is in a 50 gallon tank, basking temps 100-110, cooler side 75-80 and at night it’s set at 75 degrees. She came to us a year go in May and came with a smaller cage, a reptisun light which we are using (and bought a new bulb for today in case that is part of the problem) and a basking log. We have added to her bigger cage a hammock and a fabric hide under the hammock on the cool side. The setup has been the same for about 6 months except the hide and she seemed happy in there. She eats a salad every day and 3-5 super worms every 3 or so days normally but is refusing both at the moment. We weighed her today and she was 305 grams and about 19 inches long. We thought she may have been impacted but she has had 3 baths in the last week and has been pooping in the bath each time, she shows no signs of dragging her back legs or moving differently than normal. She has also been drinking a lot more water during those baths than normal. I suspect she may be having some brumation behaviors but it’s scary when she won’t eat! She isn’t in a deep sleep all the time but is definitely sleepy. She sleeps earlier at night and later In The morning and she falls asleep randomly throughout the day around her habitat. She will move for a bit and be active and then will fall asleep where she is at. I am attaching some pictures of her.

This does not have anything to do with the problem but bearded dragons need to be ina at least a 75 gallon I recommend 120 or 4x2x2