Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 3-4 month old beardie has lost her appetite and is not eating much... What can be some reasons for this? Should I be very concerned?

i would get a fecal done, parasites can cause appeite loss, what is your setup like? lighting? temps? substrate? hydration? do you dust her food?

>>My 3-4 month old beardie has lost her appetite and is not eating much... What can be some reasons for this? Should I be very concerned?
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reiko
photos

it the cricket on her head is about twice the size she should be eating and they can get impacted, paralized or other problems from ingesting too large a prey. Is she going to the bathroom okay?

Also what are her temps both basking surface and cooler areas.

thats an awefully big looking cricket for that little dragon.......
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reiko
photos

right now the basking temp is 95 degrees

and the cooler temp is 78

*Sighs* what do I do about impact? vet? .... how much does the vet usually cost... I'm living on my own and going to college so you can imagine that I don't have much cash to spare.

the basking has to be 105-115 for him to properly digest his food, he needs the ambient temps up on the cool side also, 80-85

How long has it been since he pooped or ate? soaks will help, nice long warm soaks, not hot, just luke warm, rub the tummy gently towards the vent. mineral oil can also help to get things moving, just 2-3 drops from a dropper or syringe without a needle, and keep him well hydrated.

>>right now the basking temp is 95 degrees
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>>and the cooler temp is 78
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>>*Sighs* what do I do about impact? vet? .... how much does the vet usually cost... I'm living on my own and going to college so you can imagine that I don't have much cash to spare.
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reiko
photos

He started not eating yesterday and started having trouble pooping the day before i think...

how long can he go on like this?

start giving him nice long soaks rubbing his tummy towards his vent, he can go a few days, but its hard to tell what is wrong over a forum, if he is really looking bad, i would get him to a vet, is he basking? still alert and moving about? you can try giving him those few drops of mineral oil, it can really help to move things through, you can buy it at the drug store or grocery store. I wouldnt feed him anymore of those large crickets, downsize, nothing any bigger then the space between his eyes should be fed, smaller is better. and its very important to get those basking temps up, he cannot digest his food without those temperatures
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reiko
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how far SHOULD the basking area be up?

it needs to be 105-115, i beleive they need a gut temp of at least 103 to digest properly, it has to be in the 105-115 range with ambient cool side temps of 80-85... if you need a higher wattage bulb just go and get a regular bulb from the hardware store, even the 99 cent stores carry bulbs, a run of the mill clear house bulb will do if you need one with higer wattage.
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reiko
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yayyyyy!!

he pooped already!!!

just keep him hydrated by dropping some water on his snout and make sure you dont feed him anymore large crickets, those temperatures are also VERY important to him, let us know how you make out.
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reiko
photos

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reiko
photos

it the cricket on her head is about twice the size she should be eating and they can get impacted, paralized or other problems from ingesting too large a prey. Is she going to the bathroom okay?

Also what are her temps both basking surface and cooler areas.