Bearded Dragon not eating?

[Julirs]

OK-Since I am only about 9 months into the Bearded Dragon thing-I really need some help (Darci!)! Lucy, female, about a year old, has stopped eating for the past few days. Her temps are good, her UVB lighting is good, supplemented properly, no MBD, usually a good greens and cricket/Super eater. The last day or so she is a bit less active, maybe looks like she has lost some weight. Her throat may be a little puffed out more than usual, but nothing drastic. Any ideas? I think we are going to the Vet tomorrow.

 

[ballin]

Well maybe vary her diet, beardies will get bored of the same old after a while

 

[Rachgreens]

When was the last time she defecated? sometimes my beardies will randomly stop eating, and then start again after going to the bathroom. If so its slight impaction, but this happens alot with beardies, not as huge as a problem than with chams.

 

[Julirs]

She took a mega-poo 2 days ago. I think I will give her another warm bath and see what happens.

 

[Julirs]

Well-I just swam her and she took a mega-poo in the kids tub! She feels better!

 

[Rachgreens]

haha nice...there such weird funny guys
have you tried feedin her again yet?

 

[Julirs]

I did offer her a Super-but she did not want it. I usually feed her in the morning, so we will see what happens.

 

[Rachgreens]

Good luck, if she refuses that try to force feed some lettice, it uses to much effort to spit it back out so they usually keep it down

 

[jojackson]

Force feeding is not required and lettuce is of little value anyway, this will acheive nothing, sorry.

A healthy yearling can go without food for a week no problem. Never force feed any reptile unless its that or death, last resort, its way too stressful and mostly unnessesary.

Check on water/hydration, moving water can inspire some dragons to drink more readily,
avoiding the slow down in digestion when they dont. Check temps too.

Is it possible the lizard is gravid? Not eating after a certain stage, or/and slowing feeding, basking more are all normal in this case too.

 

[prettykttkat]

Does her poop look normal, smell normal? I only ask because you said she had mega poo Coccidia is very common in bearded dragons(they even have their own strain of it) and this sometimes causes them to stop eating. When you take her to the vet get a fecal check done too just to be sure she does not have it or any other protozoa over growth and/or parasites.

 

[Julirs]

A fecal we will get then- The size of what she let lose in the tub made me think that she just really needed to go, even though it had not been that long. She is mostly a greens eater, she eats mustard greens, endive, romaine, squash, a little carrots. She does far prefer Supers over crickets.

 

[jojackson]

This kind of digestive rate is normal for beardys, Most lizards will 'hang onto' food to extract the most possible nutritional content before expelling it. Pooping in baths is normal too. Enjoy your dragon.
P.S carrot should be offered very seldom, its very difficult to digest. Also make sure its always finely shredded, not chunks, this will assist with the rate of digestion.

 

[reptilebrett]

What are your temps as if its not warm enough they can't digest, also do you have a heat rock, if you do throw it away. Beardies like it hot my temps usually hit 95-110 on average.

 

[laurie]

What are your temps as if its not warm enough they can't digest, also do you have a heat rock, if you do throw it away. Beardies like it hot my temps usually hit 95-110 on average.

I agree with getting rid of the heat rock or any bottom heater. But wow 110??? I have bred dragons for years and I would never let mine get that hot. the 95 is good but the 110 seems like it could cook them. My uro's are the only things that ever hit 110. How long have you had dragons? It is always interesting to know what other do with their animals. What kind of temps do you use for babies?

Otherwise i think your dragon is fine Juli. Maybe a fecal will be good, but a dragon is a lot hardier than a cham. No need to rush to the vet, just give it a few days and watch her. I bet all will be fine if you let nature take it's course.

 

[Julirs]

I do not and would not use heat rocks-those things are dangerous. Baby Beardies can be kept up to 110, but for adults you want to back that down a bit. Lucy is eating here and there-just not like she used to. I am about to put her in the tub for a swim-I will take pics...

 

[jojackson]

Baby Beardies can be kept up to 110, but for adults you want to back that down a bit.

What??? 43c/110f is too high, you will end up with dehydrated and cooked beardie babies. Belly heat (uth) of around 35c/95f is good for them.
Adults should be fine with 110 basking spot, but ambient air temp at the warm emd should be around 30-31c/86-87f

 

[Julirs]

 

[Julirs]

What??? 43c/110f is too high, you will end up with dehydrated and cooked beardie babies. Belly heat (uth) of around 35c/95f is good for them.
Adults should be fine with 110 basking spot, but ambient air temp at the warm emd should be around 30-31c/86-87f

Jo-I just rechecked several breeder sites and they say babies and juveniles 105-110 and many say 95-110 for adults.

 

[GooglezNvincent]

This thread has a very big range in husbandrys and i am pretty sure they all work. We all need to realize that husbandry can work even if it is not exactly the same as yours, it varies from person to person and place to place. Good info though.

 

[laurie]

If we all did things the same way life would be dull and no progress ever made. I guess as long as we are all ok with what we are doing and the animals are ok with it then it is all good.