Bearded dragon won't move or eat

[LinMarie]

My 3 year old bearded dragon has been laying in the same spot for 3 days. She doesn't eat very much, just a few super worms and 3 blue horn worms. I have tried to give her everything from veggies, lettuce and fruits to lizard food and she will not touch a thing. I don't know how to make her eat anything. Right now I am concerned about her not moving.

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She eats 3 blue horn worms a week

 

[Riffherper]

What conditions is she being kept in? What temps?

 

[Chris1]

Hi Linmarie,

What country are you in? Im assuming not australia since blue horn worms arent a commonely used food here,...

Could you provide us with some info on his setup?
Heat?
UVB?
Substrate?
How long youve had the dragon?

Are you aware that if its winter bearded dragons will try and brumate (reptile version of hibernation) which means food intake and movement will be pretty minimal, most wont eat at all for a few months, but will bask on occasion if heat is provided.
If you suspect this is the case, you need to make sure your dragon is healthy befoer you allow her to brumate, you also need to make sure anything in her system is digested and pooed out before you let her sleep.

 

[LinMarie]

She is in a large reptile tank with a UVB light and a heat light so she has cool and warm spots

 

[Grogshla]

what are the temps.

 

[LinMarie]

I have had her since she was a tiny baby and is 3 years old now. She is in a fairly large reptile aquarium with a heat lamp and a UVB lamp. I have a towel on the inside. I have never used sand since I got her. Started with paper towels and then towels. I give her a warm bath every 2 or 3 days and spray her in between baths. She a a wooden hollowed out half tree cave that she stands up against and crawls on. She will not eat any veggies or fruit or lizard food. She never really ate much since I got her other than crickets and now super worms. I live in Ontario, Canada and it is winter now.

 

[Shotta]

could be getting ready to brumate?

 

[Grogshla]

yeah probably starting to shut down. You still haven't answered our questions. What measurements is the tank and what are the heat temperatures. How old is the UVB might need replacing also.

 

[yellowbeard]

I live in Ontario, Canada and it is winter now.

Sounds like it is Brumating, just keep her environment as normal and stop spraying and bathing (maybe spray every 2 weeks a little on the head, see if it drinks) offer vegies once a week (see if it eats, it shouldn't) and no live food, make sure there is none in the enclosure to eat her.

I had a 7 month old who was a problem feeder (odd for beardies and small) who decided to crawl into her hole and brumate for over 3 months during winter (no food or water).
I thought I might lose her then one day in spring I walked past her enclosure and she was siting on her hot spot, so I feed her, sprayed her and she is no longer a problem feeder

 

[LinMarie]

Aquarium is 18"wIde, 38" long, 18" deep. The UVB lamp has never been replaced. I did not know it had to be. It's 3 years old. I don't know the temperature. There is a heat lamp and a UVB lamp. I don't know the wattage of the heat bulb. Am I supposed to have a thermometer in the tank? I have never used sand just a towel. She poops on newspaper or in the bath.

 

[yellowbeard]

Aquarium is 18"wIde, 38" long, 18" deep. The UVB lamp has never been replaced. I did not know it had to be. It's 3 years old. I don't know the temperature. There is a heat lamp and a UVB lamp. I don't know the wattage of the heat bulb. Am I supposed to have a thermometer in the tank? I have never used sand just a towel. She poops on newspaper or in the bath.

The UVB lamp should be replaced every 6 months (check the manufactures specs) as they usually lose the amount of UVB they can put out over time. Also basking usually needs to be within 12 inches of the UVB globe.

Sometimes you can get away with every 12 months, replacing it in spring when they come out of brumation, they don't need UVB when they brumate.

 

[LinMarie]

I will buy a new UVB lamp. I also have a heating pad under the tank for warmth. It's small so she can move from it whenever she wants a cooler spot. During brumation, should I leave her alone? I don't know much about it. Thank-you kindly for your help and information. I appreciate it very much and I'm learning things I didn't know.

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Hi yellowbeard.....thank-you for the info about your beardie...very interesting and I will keep this in mind and try the same with mine.

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I forgot to ask about the temperature during brumation......should she be cool or warm?

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How often do they brumate? She has never done this before, just once she didn't eat for 2 weeks but was still awake

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It's just after 12:00am here in Ontario Canada. Happy New Year Everyone!!!!

 

[pinefamily]

Hi there,
replace the UVB, don't put any live food in there as Yellowbeard said, and put fresh veggies in every few days. Try to vary what you put in each time, and you might find your beardie is interested in some greens over others. One of our juveniles loves his greens, the female always picks out the carrot first.
Good luck, and keep us informed how you get on.

 

[Ramsayi]

Buy a thermometer.You need to know what the temps are to be able to adjust them so that they are suitable for the type of reptile you are keeping.

 

[Grogshla]

I would buy a thermometer and place it on the basking spot. Temps should be 40-45 degrees celcius.
Replace the UVB light. It needs to have a rating of 10.0 and keep it at a place where the dragon can roughly 20cm from it.
Don't use the undertank heatmat. Disconnect it. Dragons get heat from above they aren't like snakes or geckos that get heat from below.
Just keep an eye on him and let us know how he goes.

 

[LinMarie]

I just got up and she is still sleeping. What should the temperature be while she is brumating?

 

[Grogshla]

I keep mine at the same heat all year around. Depending on the season all that is required is that I use a stronger wattage basking bulb in winter. That provides a great temp gradient. I set mine at 40-45

 

[LinMarie]

Ok thank-you

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She got up today and is just basking. She will stay like that for hours. She hasn't eaten anything for 3 or 4 days now.

 

[animal805]

Let the poor thing brumate, it is part of their natural cycle. If you keep it at the warm temps it will just fade away to nothing if it is not eating. Turn all the lights off and let it sleep for a couple of months. If it gets really cold where you are you can supply a small amount of heat using a ceramic heat emitter, they do not give off any light

 

[LinMarie]

The poor thing got up on her own. She has never brumated in the 3 years I have had her. She didn't eat for a couple weeks but never slept longer than overnight. One person says they keep the temp the same all year round at 40 - 45 and another says turn off the heat and let her sleep. Now I'm confused.