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 #2090101


Beardieben
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 5mth old dragon

just looking for advice, i have a 5 mth old beardie(ben) who in the last few days isnt as interested in his food, hes sleeping more and trying to dig , hes active and alert in himself and is often running up and down the viv trying to get out or looks at u when u speak to him, but im worried about his food intake , have checked the temps and they are all spot on at both ends , his uv bulb was new when he arrived at 6/7 weeks, up until now he has been eating and shedding well(last shed aroudn his mouth nostrils about a week ago).
the other thing is before he didnt like being handled and ran away from u but in the last few days im able to pick him up and stroke him without any fuss , he wriggles a bit at first but doesnt hang off my finger like he has in the past.
i know he has eaten something when i havnt been looking because he has been pooping but normally when i put the crickets in hes trying to get at them before u get them in there and now he takes no notice at all, am going to get him vet checked as soon as possible , did think maybe brumating but he seems too young for that altho his behaviour is certainly similar ,

any advice would be appreciated
10/30/09  05:10pm

 #2090150


Newfgal
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   Message To: Beardieben   In reference to Message Id: 2090101


 5mth old dragon

I wouldn’t say he is to Brumate at this age, he is a little young. I have a clutch of 5 month old beardies here and they are very active, and will not Brumate this year, even in our cold weather conditions here in the North, it hasn’t slowed them down at all. I know you say the temps are good, but could you please let me know what they are? Which UV light are you using, name and brand would be great. Do you offer supliments as well? If so, which ones? And what does his diet consist of for bugs and greens? If you are taking him to see a vet, make sure they do a fecal exam to be sure paracites aren’t an issue...

Nancy
10/30/09  07:26pm

 #2092964


Beardieben
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   Message To: Newfgal   In reference to Message Id: 2090150


 5mth old dragon

sorry i havnt replied feocal was fine, vet couldnt find any obvious symptoms he was active that day and kept trying to escape being handled lol , is temps are 110 at the basking end and 80- at the cooler end he has a reptiglo 10 uvb tube , heat mat and a basking lamp(not sure on the make of this as it came with the viv as new so am going to replace it with another so i can judge the time of replacement better and get the best for him) , think hes being fussy because i popped in a couple of hoppers and they went extremely quickly into his mouth along with a couple of crix lol, have seen him eating since i posted but just not so much as normal so maybe hes just slowing down(he used to try attcking the crix before u had chance to put them in properly) , he has odd days where he wants to laze about and sleep and the next day he running around like a loon, hes also trying to dig everywhere (he has newspaper in his viv with just a bit of playsand over his heatmat to stop him burning his belly), hes actually 6 mths when i added the weeks up- oops
he eats spring greens, cress, dandelions , odd bits of apple and pear , broccoli- i like to change his greens for variety so i mix and match them often(have seen him eating these moreso lately) he also has nutribol powder to dust the crix etc

hes my sons beardie but i tend to him more than anyone , i love him to bits so dont mind
11/07/09  11:22am

 #2092985


Pedroyanna
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   Message To: Beardieben   In reference to Message Id: 2092964


 5mth old dragon

at his age he should not be getting hoppers

he’s definitally not big enough to eat them safely

beardies really shouldnt even eat them. except for as a treat

he is probably just full

make sure his temps are correct and that he’s pooping.



11/07/09  11:56am

 #2093004


Cphill58
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   Message To: Pedroyanna   In reference to Message Id: 2092985


 5mth old dragon

That’s a matter of opinion...and the temps are correct for digestion...if you read the complete thread they are stated as 110F basking / hot spot.

I am sure we would have heard the alarm sound out if there was a problem.

Just my 2 cents

Cp
11/07/09  01:12pm

 #2093244


Pedroyanna
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   Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2093004


 5mth old dragon

But a hopper for a six month old? unless that dragon is a beast or the hopper is tiny. it was probably too big for him to eat? right? or am i completely wrong??
11/08/09  02:19am

 #2093265


Newfgal
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   Message To: Beardieben   In reference to Message Id: 2092964


 5mth old dragon

I agree, hoppers should not be offered to a 6 month old dragon, they are way to big. I do not even feed those to my snakes yet, lol...Once he is a year old or older you could offer pinkies once in a while for a treat but IMO, they are not necessary at all unless you are trying to get weight on him for whatever reason...Also, you said you use the ReptiGlo 10 UVB tube which you will need to change for the ReptiSun 10 Linear tube. The ReptiGlo has been causing serious health issues to herps. He doesn’t need a heat mat either, those are really not necessary as beardies need heat from above, not below, and they tend to dehydrate...

Nancy
11/08/09  06:04am

 #2093322


Cphill58
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   Message To: Newfgal   In reference to Message Id: 2093265


 5mth old dragon

Maybe the OP doesn’t know the real age of the dragon ...or the feeder... a fuzzy could easily be sold as a hopper..

IDK ... but if it is being fed and handling the feeder without issue ...then where is the issue...the dragon has slowed down from it’s normal eating pattern ...it’s fall / winter ...brumation ...no ...but slowing down, yes.

The light may be an issue...sre the eyes swollen / shut ...damaged ...not that I have heard ...yet.
Other issues mentioned are about the tame ..or not so tame attitude and handling...

Heat mats ...are generally not needed if the temps are correct from above...but if they aren’t then they can be incorporated ..especially in the winter...

Not trying to be a snot here ....just trying to find the real issue....it eats and poops fine ..has a possible lighting issue.

Maybe a temp gun or proper measuring device would be helpful ...to really nail down the temps.

What are you measuring temps with ???


Cp
11/08/09  11:30am

 #2093334


Pedroyanna
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   Message To: Cphill58   In reference to Message Id: 2093322


 5mth old dragon

Can you post pics of your beardie and setup?
11/08/09  11:58am

 #2093338


Cphill58
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   Message To: Pedroyanna   In reference to Message Id: 2093334


 5mth old dragon

Yes a pic or 2 would be nice ...I re read the first thread ...sounds llike all the normal things going on ...what is it that you are worried about ...In one sentence you say he is slowing down ...yet digging ..and he’s active and all that ...so , maybe he is just slowing down and that would include diet too.
Obviously it was enough to make a Vet visit...but nothing showed up. I have a question ...do you offer a mix of greens ...or what we call salad...any veggies at all??

Post a few pics of your set up as pedroyanna mentioned...it will help sort out the details.

Cp
11/08/09  12:16pm


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