actually the best way to measure stress hormones is via fecal tests. These hormones do leave traces that can be measured in the poop, as you will almost always get false readings of stress hormones taking blood work (unless the dragon is anesthetized first, but that adds additional risks). The study I heard at the IHS, took tests for stress hormones via fecal matter....usually taken a week afterwards...(it was with snakes who have a much slower metabolism than bearded dragons).

blood sugar can be raised in many different ways, other than flight/fight triggers (stress is one of them). Sweet food definitely will raise it, though it should lower within a few hours after eating. Most fruit, especially prepared fruit such as apple sauce, has alot of sugars, even the so called unsweetened sauces can still have sugars in them...though it will be frutose instead (a naturally occurring sugar in fruit). Before blood tests, it would be best not to offer any fruit at all, instead stick to greens and vegetables (avoid sweet vegetables as well, such as sweet potato).

But blood sugar isn't the issue here, so a little high glucose that went down normally, isn't a concern.

Trying some probiotics (parazap, other probiotics, unsweetened, fat free yogurt (in small amounts, teaspoon or less, two or three times a week, for a single week) could help boost appetite.
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PHLdyPayne

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