DRAGON WONT EAT,OR MOVE OR SMILE OR DO MUCH AT ALL

My Dragon wont eat and just sleeps all day and night.has been goin on for a couple a months,allowed for winter but now its warmer he still not doin much,any ideas ? Crying or Very sad

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:35 am Post subject:

1)what type of dragon is it?
2)how old is it?
3)how big is the enclosure?
4)what are you using for heating/uv? whats temps?
5)what are you feeding it?
6)is this unusual behavior for the dragon?
7)How long have you had it?

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:46 am Post subject: eating

he's about ten months old.4 foot tank,basking lamp one end ,uv in middle.hasnt always been this way had him since he was tiny.used to be quite active and a pig.winter came and even though his tank is heated he stopped eatin and dug a hole and stayed there.diet was/is meal worms assorted greens,crickets superworms.been trying everything to entice him to eat but he not interested.getting to the force feed stage i think or is that not advisable.our vet here doesnt know too much about reptiles unfortunately

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:59 am Post subject: Re: eating

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:56 am Post subject:

I seem to remeber that he was a central beardie. What are the temps in the tank at the basking spot and at the cool end? As Goretex asked it would help if we knew the type of basking lamp being used as well.

Rick

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:38 pm Post subject:

yeah he is a central,basking lamp is exo-terra 75 watt sunlamp.....uv two uv one 13 and one 26 watt exo terra,they are the twirly ones that fit in the hood.i think the temp under the basking light is around 105 farenheit.and cool end is around 80 ,cooler in his hiding spots and where he digs

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:59 am Post subject:

Any sign of an eye discharge? The compact lamps have a history of causing eye problems so I'd be thinking of changing them back to normal tubes and getting his eyes checked for conjunctivitis, if that's what it is he should bounce back once he can see properly again.

Rick

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject:

NAH ,his eyes are fine, when he opens them lol

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:43 pm Post subject:

Hmmmmm being lethargic isn't a good sign at all.

Maybe a vet check is in order

Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 6:50 am Post subject:

In that case I think we've covered the usual items, so as Goretex says a vet visit looks like it's indicated. At least get him to do a fecal float and check for worms and coccidia. If he's really not confident with reps he could go on-line on one of the vet discussion groups and ask for assistance.

Rick

Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 1:07 pm Post subject:

Keep us updated

Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:09 am Post subject: sun

put him outside in the sun yesterday he seemed fine running round exploring but still hasnt eaten ?

Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:55 am Post subject:

This could indicate that your lighting inside isn't bright enough for him. I'd still be getting a fecal float done as in my experience parasites are a regular cause of appetite loss.

Rick

Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:57 pm Post subject: UPDATE

Well,after a couple of months of not eating and digging holes and hiding in them,the other morning I dangled a meal worm in front of him and bang,down tha hatch it went.he had a good feed and has eating well since.He is also active ,alert and looks like he is back to normal.The only thing different I did was turn his uv off and he was fine.I now put him outside for an hour or so a day for his uv requirements and just have his basking light on in the middle of the day for a couple of hours.Thanks for your help guys I dont know what was wrong with him but he now seems fine Very Happy

Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:31 am Post subject:

So it does look like a lighting problem. Try ditching the current UV and substitute a new tube just to see how he goes. You still need to keep his enclosure temps up most of the day not just a couple of hours in the middle of the day.

Rick