Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a snake owner...1 Brazilian Rainbow boa and 1 Stimsons Python. A few weeks ago my roomie decided it would be a good idea to bring home a beardie from a friend that wasn't able to give enough time & attention to it. So, needless to say I am a new caretaker of a Bearded Dragon. He is about 16 inches long and is in fairly good shape. BUT he has been kept in a 20 gallon long tank his whole life(I know that is the 1st problem). He has stopped eating completely. He ate really good his first few days here(crickets only). Now he wont eat anything! He just sleeps.I know it's not because of winter coming...I live in Southern California and it's freakin HOT. I've tried different kinds of greens, veggies, mealworms, waxworms, hissing cockroaches, and even some fruit....NO LUCK! I have been giving him a bath every few days to try to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated. I take him outside everyday to get some excercise and some stimulation. I wont have the money to take him to a vet for a couple more weeks. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I COULD TRY to get him to eat? I am worried to death about him!

Tank size is the first concern, He should have more room to run and grow than that. Second concern is can he/she see the snakes in the room? Snakes and lizards are mortal enemies, as lizards are prey animals to them much of the time. Make sure he/she can't see the other reptiles in the room/house. Also, what is the condition of the tank? If it is fouled up, he/she could be sick and no one would know it.

As far as hibernation/brumation goes, warm/cold weather has NOTHING to do with it. A beardie has an internal clock that tells him/her when it's time to sleep, and nothing can really change that. So that is definitely a concern as well.

Plan a visit to the vets as soon as you get the cash, but for now, keep encouraging the beardie to eat. It never hurts to offer food, and make sure you are keeping it hydrated irregardless.
-----
Dl

The first thing that ran through my head when he arrived here was that the tank was way too small for him. I am a firm believer in BIGGER is better when it comes to my reptile habitats! So, that is #1 on my agenda for him. No, he is in a totally different room than the snakes, and has never seen them, nor have they seen him. The tank he is in now is disinfected and cleaned out once a week (people say I'm pretty anal about that) and the temps stay pretty good. A exoterra reptiglo 8.0 and a 50 watt basking light. The basking spot is about 110 and a cool side of about 85-90 depending on how hot it is inside during the day.

I'm thinkin some room to roam would be really nice and a doc visit is gonna be my first priority.

But in the meantime...should I try to force feed him? Does the baby food on the nose trick work? Is it hard to force their mouth open to feed?

I'm already growing attached to the dude and want to make sure he has a damn good and long life. I never thought I would grow an attachment to a reptile that has legs, but it happened. I see why Beardie owners are pretty passionate about their companions!

Thanks for the help.

First off, I agree with the previous poster.

I always eliminate everything else before I jump to brumation. I also have fecals done prior too. My vet will do a fecal without seeing the animal for only $20. An appointment and fee only has to be made if the animal tests positive for something. This system works since you can never get a dragon to go when you want it to.

Brumation is most likely caused by the shorter days. Even in a lighted room the dragons still seem aware of the change in day length. This is an unusual year. All of my usual winter brumaters started last month in August. This is also reported by others on other BD forums I am a part of.

I don't believe in force feeding unless the dragon has an illness or is recovering from surgery etc. You could try superworms they seem very popular with all dragons and are often available locally. I don't consider putting baby food on his nose force feeding but would hold off anyway. The best diagnostic tool you could have would be a scale. If he doesn't eat and doesn't loose much weight then he's probably OK if he is loosing weight then a vet trip is important.

I have an adult female. I haven't seen her eat or poop in a week and she just lays in the light all day now. Her weight remains stable so I just offer her water from an eyedropper occaisionally. On the weekends I put her on the window ledge in the sun. This is what she does for Brumation. The others dig into a 1/2 log on the cool side of their enclosures.

I would also worry about the temps. The biggest problem with a 20 Long is that it is way to small for the dragon to thermoregulate. The hot side should have an ambient of 85-90 with a basking spot of 100-105. The cool side should be 75-80. This is going to be impossible in a 20L so just make sure the ambient or basking spot temps. are not too high.

Does he lay in the warmest are or the coolest area?

He has not lost any weight and he spends all his time on the cooler side of the tank. I will try to drop the temps by a few degrees over the next few days.

temperature seems to be one of the big issues. If he is listless at the cool side of the cage, he is trying to cool down. The cool end is too hot, he won't be able to cool down effectively.

First thing I suggest is get him a bigger cage. at 16" the dragon should have a 4'x2'x2' cage minimum, with floor space more important than height. If funds are really low, you can just get a large rubbermaid container...the big roughneck ones are about $15 (they go from $18-$25 Canadian, so not sure what the States sell them for). Use a clamp hooded light fixture to provide heat (should be able to buy a cheap one at a home hardware store). Provide some hides to help ensure the cool end is cool.

He may take a few days to a week to get used to the new cage, but at least you can better regulate the temperatures and give him lots of room.

The other thing I wanted to point out is those hissing roaches. Though roaches are a good feeder insect, you have to be careful with hissers since they get so big and tend to have a heavier exoskeleton than other species of roaches. I suggest holding off on giving him these for now. Try silkworms and hornworms. THese soft bodied feeder insects are easy to digest, have high levels of liquid, calcium and other great food. Just dust them with calcium once in awhile.
-----
PHLdyPayne

Oops I missed that. Hissing Cockroaches are way too big for BD's.

I agree with alot already said on thhis post. I have seen proublems as well with larger crickets with the wings, I don't think they digest well. I have seen some proublems personally with lizards reacting to snakes being present. My Prehesile Skink wasn't happy for weeks just knowing there were snakes around. He has since overcome his fears. I also know that when reptiles get sick they may favor the cooler end of their enclosure to slow down there system. I think the whole larger enclosure, vet visit are definately good beginnings. Best of Luck.

Steve