bearded dragon healthy?

[millie turiccki]

hey guys, so my one year old beardie, henry, won’t eat or bask at all. he’s been like this for the past week. he recently shed his head and now his beard and feet have gone the pale white colour so i presume he’s going to shed them as well. it has got a lot hotter in the uk and so the temperature in his basking spot has gone up but it seems as though he’s completely avoiding it. i’m going to buy a 75 and a 60w basking light to take the temperature back down to 30 degrees celsius as it’s at 34 now. he’s active and comes out of his viv often but just isn’t eating his salads (he loves the insects still) or basking. he also hasn’t pooped in about a week but if he’s not eating he won’t feel the need to poop or bask i suppose? could really do with some advice.

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[Brandon Stanley]

Hey! So I have two beardies (Cupcake and Kiroshima) they are both half the age of yours but one thing you mentioned he hasn’t had a healthy BM in like a week, I would say that it is probably the main reason he’s not eating as much and secluding more of the time then not instead of basking. His internal temp is probably getting hotter because of the build up. I know what applies to humans definitely doesn’t apply to all animals (especially beautiful beards =D ) but the basic things still apply and I know that when I have severely constipated patients that have not had a bowel movement in a while tend to have have a temp way more often then not because part of the body’s internal way to regulate temp (cold blooded or warmblooded) animals are adding heat when they eat and as they become blocked up more and more they are susceptible to infection (which causes fever and icky feelings even slight fever. Also that BM holds that heat and without it getting pushed out continues to hold the heat in the gut where it’s stagnant. One thing I have found useful when my beard man got blocked up was the obv a warm bath and if he will still eat a cricket, soak the heck out of it in olive oil. He had successful BM within 24 hours. He hid all day and stayed in the dark colder area but then once he released he continued normal routine crickets, greens, staying out of his hides all day. And maybe pull back on the heat lamp some make it higher or further from the cage. If they totally avoid an area then yea it might be too hot-or cold depending on where your located! I hope henry gets back to his normal self and I am sure he will sorry for the narrative, (I’m used to writing them on people everyday lol) Take care and stay safe!

[Zoodulcis]

Greetings,

I completely agree with Brandon. I would add on question about cause. Is it possible that your beardie is suffering from impaction? Is he on a sand substrate by any chance? I’m not sure that lowering the temperature is the best course of action, but do make sure that he has a place to get away from the maximum heat under the basking light when he needs to. Let him choose. If he is sick or impacted, low temperatures can add to his stress and lower his immune system. As long as he is active and eating insects, there is not a huge amount of worry. But do keep an eye on the BM thing. If he stops eating as well it means there’s simply nowhere for the food to go. The olive oil may help with that, but if he becomes lethargic and inappetent, you may need to get him to the vet and get him examined for blockages or other problems.

[millie turiccki]

thank you for the reply! it has been almost two weeks since he had a BM. i’ve bathed him everyday for almost a week and still nothing. i don’t have him on sand, i have him on carpet but because he has been hiding all day everyday even after a meal he has not basked so i think he hasn’t digested his food properly. he is still active and comes out regularly. he just hasn’t had a BM in a while, hasn’t really eaten his veggies for a couple of weeks and hasn’t basked. it more than likely is that he is constipated. his temps are 31 degrees at the hot side and around 26-28 degrees at the cool end. he is completely avoiding the area and last basking willingly on sunday and that’s it. also he gets around 15 bugs a week, is this enough for a one year old beardie? so, today, should i give him a dubia roach dipped in olive oil and see if that helps anything? thank you both so much for your reply.

[Zoodulcis]

You can give him at least 3 roaches in oil. Also, stick with roaches for a bit and avoid crickets, definitely no mealworms. The more chitinous the food items shell, the harder it is to digest.

Where in the UK are you?

[millie turiccki]

i’ve mainly been feeding him roaches and locusts but i’ll stick to the roaches then. i’m in northamptonshire and it has got a lot hotter. we’ve been blessed with the sun but unfortunately my boy, henry has not taken to it too well 🙁

[Zoodulcis]

I live in Colorado and the temperature here today will be 90 degrees F. I’m getting ready to take my goats for an early morning hike to get them some exercise before the heat of the day. What we won’t do for our animals!!

[millie turiccki]

i know they really do get spoilt. hahah. would you mind answering if 15 bugs a week is okay for my one year old beardie. he gets around 7 twice a week.

[millie turiccki]

also should i still feed him hugs even though he’s not basking to digest them. i don’t want to keep feeding him if he is already bunged up, i would prefer to have him have a BM before i feed him more. i just don’t know.

[Brandon Stanley]

Hey! sorry for late reply has he had a BM yet? have you tried the olive oil? I think that 15 bugs a week is maybe a little underfeeding him in the protein area. Does he eat greens daily? And yes you are right I would not give him any more till he has passed the Poo. I hope that he is doing better but if not I am sure you have taken him to a vet! Also, massaging his lower abdomen area a couple of times a day really might help stimulate the nerves and muscles as well. Hope the best let us know!

[millie turiccki]

no he hasn’t had a BM yet 🙁 my poor guy. i tried olive oil over the weekend and still nothing. i will up his intake of bugs once he starts pooping again. he used to eat greens daily up until a few weeks ago he just refuses to eat them but we will work on that. i do massage the right side of his stomach in the bath but that doesn’t do anything. his stomach does not feel hard in any way like he is impacted and he isn’t dragging his back legs like he’s constipated. thank you for the reply!

[Zoodulcis]

Until he poops, I wouldn’t worry about the number of bugs. Sounds like it’s time for a vet check for sure. Then you may want to use worms as a source of protein for a while. Avoid mealworms though, too chitinous. Hornworms would work. Then up his intake to about 20 crickets per week and see if he consumes them all promptly. If he does, it’s OK to give him a few more until he starts to refuse to eat the whole meal within 1/2 hour or so. Please let us know what the vet says.

[millie turiccki]

okay i will try to get him to a vet but he isn’t actually registered to one since we got him right before lockdown and the exotic vet wasn’t taking any more people. i will continue to give him baths daily and maybe some more olive oil. do you know anymore tricks to get him to poop? i’ve heard baby food does the job. he can’t be too constipated because he is still willing to eat bugs and he doesn’t feel hard around his stomach. it’s been almost 3 weeks though.

[Zoodulcis]

I’m not sure about baby food, but I have heard that canned pumpkin works wonders across most species. Even dogs and cats. Other forum members have had some luck with that.

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