slow beardie..

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lloydy

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Hey guys,
So posted a while back on a different thread that kinda got forgotten about.

Chace, my year old CBD who just recently came out of brumation about a month ago now, (was down for about 3 months)
Still isnt eating properly.. well at all.

Over the last month he has nibbled, and when i say nibbled i mean it at some of his favourite veggies, and has probaly eaten about 2-5 roaches over this period too, which used to be his favourite.

Ive tried getting him onto some baby food, with no real good luck, he seems to lick it up a little but then end of shaking his head and rubbing his nose on the long and running off.
Tried all different sorts and flavours and still no luck.

Temps are fine, 25c on cool side, and 35c ambient temp on hot side, with a hot spot getting up to 43c midday.

Night temps arnt dropping below as 20c as im using a CHE and thermostat to monitor this.


He is fairly active still, basking, running around like a looney whenever i bring out my female for a bit and he gets a glimps of her.. (yes they are kept in seperate enclosures)

Anyone got some ideas on another way to get him to eat properly?
A vet visit in order do you guys think?

Cheers,
 
maybe you could keep the lights on all day and all night to keep him at a constant temp,and if he still dosent eat maybe try assist feeding,i assist fed a beardy for a week then she started eatig by herself again.If this dosent work than a trip to the vet would be the best thing.
hope this helps.
 
Keep the lights on all night aswell? Wouldnt that disturb sleeping patterns?

Suppose could give that a shot.
 
Hi, what lights are u using for heat & uv - wattage etc - & how far is he from the uv light?, what size enclosure, & can he see the girl/s from his enclosure?
Please don't leave the lights on all night - this would only be done if u had a seriously ill beardie with a gut impaction for example where heat meant survival.
 
Hi lloydy, I have my UV light on a timer so it switches off at night for sleep and then clicks back on in the morning at around 6am. But I leave my girls heat lamp on 24/7 at the moment, well since winter actually and I haven't switched it off. It's holding a beautiful temp!! I suggest doing that, uv definitely gets switched off for sleep but leave the heat lamp on!! Good Luck mate!!!
 
Hi Lloydy, Mine go nuts for mealworms (as a treat). Maybe you could try those. Just a thought. Good luck.
 
Hi, what lights are u using for heat & uv - wattage etc - & how far is he from the uv light?, what size enclosure, & can he see the girl/s from his enclosure?
Please don't leave the lights on all night - this would only be done if u had a seriously ill beardie with a gut impaction for example where heat meant survival.

Thanks for the reply guys,
I have an Oz Bright, 100w which is 30cm away from basking spot. Its on a timer with a normal fluro that i use for extra light which comes on at 6am and off at 7.30pm.
I have an additional light, 45w which i got from bunnings that comes on at 11am-2:00pm to give additional heat and to up the temps at 43c at basking spot, to replicate the hottest part of the day.

The enclosure is a 4ft(L) x 2ft(W) x 2.5ft(H) custom made melamine enclosure.

He cannot see the female as her enclosure is on top of his, and i guess the only time he would get a glimps of her is when i take her out to be handled.

Im not going to leave the lights on all night, im not keen with that idea.

- Mealworms, and giant mealworms i have tried with very little success, had probaly only eaten 3 over the last month or so..

Cheers,
 
Ok I must be doing something wrong? The vet I went too said to leave the heat lamp on all night in cool weather because she said it can take her a bit to warm up if it's off at night? Gees.....:|
 
By the sounds of that i think she may of just meant leave the heatlamp on - not all the lights?
 
What substrate are u using?
If u have tiles e.g., then it'd get cooler of a nighttime for the beardie. If u have a good layer of sand it absorbs the heat from the heat lamp during the day & takes longer to cool off. Being in Bris, the temps don't get to freezing, & at this time of yr are ample you'd think?
If u feel the need to keep the heat on o'night, maybe invest in a heatrock instead so there's no lights or disruption to his sleep patterns, & u can just have it on a seperate timer for nighttime instead of daytime.
I'm in Toowoomba & I've never used nighttime heat of any description, even for the bubs?
 
I remember the earlier thread, I would take him to the Vet in the next week or 2. I would get a few vials of T-rex hydrolife also to try and get his stomach moving again. Pails for scales in Ballarat has it, or you can just order it from the U.S. When my boy wasn't eating I used it and it helped. The Vet put him on antibiotics and syringe feeding of Hills diet.
 
Hey guys,
Ok so bit of an update, been a tad busy at work, etc.

So yesterday it was sunny down here in melbourne, got him outside for a few hours for some natural sunlight.
When i took him back him, instead of putting him back in the enclosure i put him on my living room floor and tried feeding.

To my suprise he took to it straight away!

Ended up eating 23 large roaches, and 5 meal worms. and was actualy chasing them around, where previous he would only let me hand feed him.
After eating he was showing great colour and just looked happier, poor guy must of been starving.

Im baffled to why he wouldnt eat in the enclosure, and for this long. im thinking it could be a dud bulb im using and not getting enough UV?

Could a couple of hours of natural sunlight helped as much as it looks like it has been?

Cheers,


p.s - subrstate im using sand, and im actualy using a CHE at night on thermostat, so temps at night are fine.
 
That's fantastic news mate, get him out for plenty of natural UV then when the weather is right and keep up the calcium on his food. I hope he continues to eat and improve. I'm glad he didn't need any further intervention. Had he been losing much weight over that non-eating period?
 
Very relieved indeed :)
Im currently building an outside enclosure over the last week or so, so hopefully over the summer time, ill get him, aswell as my female out for some natural UV.

He still isnt back to his usual self, but eating more and more each day.

He has lost a bit of weight since going into brumation, nothing to major but it is certainly noticeable.
I weighed him prior to it, and after he came out (have the weights writen down in my book) but since my scales are broken im yet to weigh him this month.


Cheers guys,
 
Thanks :)

Im sure he will, just glad that i have finally gotten something in his stomach, and im sure he is too lol

Cheers,
 
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