Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys,
I was just curious if it is normal for a beardie to be pretty lethargic during the day....My boy pretty much just sits up in his hammock all day or under his hut....He really isnt eating or pooping much either. He is on reptile carpet, so an impaction really isnt possible. He is an 18 inch 10 month old male. Anyone have any ideas, I just cant tell if this is normal.

Just because he's on reptile carpet doesnt mean hes not impacted. What are you feeding him? Size of food? how much does he eat? cage temps? Pooping? This info would help.

In the mean time, try soaking him in warm water for 10-15 minutes at least once a day.

-----
**Am I the only one that gets frustrated when I cant find just plain old white paper towels?? I dont want any dorky lookin flowers in my snake or dragon cages! Its the little things in life that bother me....**

1.1 Bearded Dragons - Chong & Cheech
0.1 Anery Motley Corn - Fluffy
0.2 Labradors - Booger, Maggie
0.1 Cat - Hardcore

He is eating silkworms, again, no chance of impaction there, and spinach/romaine/kale and different fruits. He gets calcium without D every day, Calcium with D once a week, and vitamin spray 3x per week, and is about 4 inches from his UVB light when in his hammock. His basking spots are range from 90 to 105 degrees, and his ambient is at about 82 degrees. He only pooped once this week, and I have been soaking him daily. He just never gets out of his damn hammock!

Hello,

Try changing his UVB bulb. I believe you mentioned that he has a ESU slim line? I cannot stress enough how much that bulb SUCKS. When I first got into dragons, I made the mistake of getting that bulb for Gordo. After doing some reading, I switched the bulb to a repti-sun 5.0 and the difference was incredible, he really perked up almost right away. Also, dust with the calcium at least once every other day....and I don't know what vitamin spray you're refering to, but I would go with a powder base one, like Herptivite. I don't think that the calcium and vitamin sprays are very good.

He's probably not pooping because he's not eating very much. I would definitely change his UVB light, to a repti-sun 5 or 10 or a repti-glo 8.0, and try some herptivite. I bet you'll see a difference.
I would make these changes, and if there's still concern, it never hurts to go to a vet.
Good luck.
-Nicky
(P.S.- Make sure you're not using Spinach and Kale as staple greens, as they make it hard for proper calcium absorbtion. It's ok in moderation.)
-----
Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
-Alice In Chains

2.1 Bearded Dragons: Gordo, Layne, & Chiquita
2.4 Cats: Zeus, Remi, Kiki, Delilah, Sadie & Cheyenne
1.0 Betta: Mr. Purple

Hey there,
did I mention that I have an EXTREMELY picky lizard. He wont eat any greens other than Romaine and Spinach! He only occasionally eats kale if I mix it in, and then only by accident. Usually if he gets a mouthful of it he shakes it out all over the place. He is fricken impossible with the veggies, he didnt even start eating them until about a month ago! Wont eat squash, wont eat hibiscus blossoms, any kind of Kale, endive, parsley.....likes blueberries and bannana though (which i feed sparingly)....

Have you tried collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard or turnup greens? Escarole is also a good stable green. If your dragon is picky, chop the greens very fine and mix them well. The smaller the pieces the more difficult for him to pick out just the pieces he likes. I also agree that spinach is very bad to feed, as it has oxates that bind calcium, meaning his body can't use the calcium he injests.

Also, increase his basking temp a bit, it's a bit low. Also, make sure the light intensity is high and change the UVB bulb as well. I would also raise it higher than 4" from the hammick, as 4" is too close, too much risk he can touch the hot bulb and burn himself.
-----
PHLdyPayne

His UVB bulb is fluorescent, so it doesnt heat, that is why he is allowed to get within 4 inches. Additionally, I do chop his greens very small, he just eats a little, and if he ecounters something he doesnt like, he quits eating them for days ( I have had to throw away so many bags of greens because of this). I have tried dandelion greens, he didnt really seem to mind them, only problem is that they are difficult to come by for some reason here. His pickiness makes me crazy (and is irritatingly expensive) because he only likes something for about a week at a time, then he is done. Currently I am having that problem with him and silkworms.....he couldnt get enough of them, now he wont touch them! It is enough to make me want to spank the little bugger
His vitamin spray is ESU carnivore vitamin spray. It doesnt supply calcium as far as I know, only soluable vitamins and fiber, as well as carotenoids....His calcium in in powdered form.