I have a bearded lizard that is not eating and is lethargic.

I am sorry to hear that your bearded dragon Jacari is under the weather. Loss of appetite and lethargy can both be concerning. Can you please tell me a little bit about what he's doing (or not doing)? Do you think Jacari might be beginning to brumate?

Brumation is a normal seasonal decrease in appetite and activity that evolved as an adaptation in the Australian winter. With brumation, activity and appetite may be low, but the animal otherwise looks normal. They may hide more and bask less. They will also defecate less frequently because they are eating less and slowing down.

The following website has some very good information about brumation in bearded dragons:

https://www.everythingreptiles.com/bearded-dragon-brumation-explained/

Your bearded dragon should not lose much weight during brumation, only about 5-30 grams. So it is a good idea to weigh your bearded dragon.

There are a number of reasons why your bearded dragon may not be eating a normal amount of food. Some of them are transient and may be normal while others are more concerning and warrant a veterinary evaluation.

Bearded dragons may not eat normally due to emotional or physiological stress. Changes in environment such a new tank or changes in décor, or changes in lighting, temperature or diet might trigger temporary disinterest in food. Dragons kept with other dragons may be bullied by a more dominant individual. The stress or physical intimidation may prevent a more submissive dragon from eating. Close observation of interaction between dragons is important and this may require separate feeding bowls, tank partitions or even separate housing.

Improper lighting (too little visible light or UVB light) or temperature can negatively impact appetite since dragons are visual eaters. As cold-blooded animals, bearded dragons require sufficient temperatures for proper digestion. I am attaching a bearded dragon care sheet with recommendations on temp, humidity, lighting, diet, etc. Please review it at your convenience and let me know if you have any questions.

Before and after shedding, appetite may be down. Shedding is energy intensive and potentially itchy and uncomfortable so while they will commonly not eat during the shedding process, their appetites may be depressed just before and after shedding as well. Appetite will also slow down in bearded dragons as their growth rate slows down, such as a transition from baby to juvenile or juvenile to adult.

However there are some abnormal causes for appetite depression include mouth rot (infectious stomatitis), trauma, sickness (viral (Adenovirus/Atadenovirus), bacterial, parasitic (coccidia, pinworms), nutritional (metabolic bone disease)), indigestion or maldigestion, and gastrointestinal impaction.

The bot***** *****ne is that if your adult bearded dragon is otherwise acting and looking normally and the appetite depression is temporary then it may be normal. However, if the bearded dragon is displaying any other signs of illness such as weakness, lethargy, sunken eyes, skin discoloration, abnormal defecation or urination or the depressed appetite persists more than a few days, a visit to a local veterinarian with experience in reptile medicine is warranted.

I know I have provided a lot of information, so please take your time and let me know if you have any questions or if there are any other observations about Jacari you would like to share with me.

If he is showing any other signs of concern as discussed above or the lethargy and loss of appetite persists but does not seem to be associated with normal or transient causes like brumation, then a trip to a local veterinarian with reptile experience is a good idea.

To find a local veterinarian with reptile experience, here is a useful website you can use to search for a local reptile veterinarian:

https://arav.site-ym.com/search/

(please note this site may not work on older browsers like Safari)

These veterinarians are active members of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians, which means they have interest and experience in treating reptile patients.

It’s especially important with a sick bearded dragon to make sure that their tank is clean, food is fresh and prepared hygienically and that the temperature is appropriate and that your UV-B bulb is in proper working condition. Here are some additional recommendations of how you can support your bearded dragon while they are under the weather:

-Healing and normal metabolism are linked to proper environmental temperature. Provide a daytime temperature range with a cool side at 77-80F (25-27C), a warm side at 85-90 (30-32C) and a very warm, focal basking area of 95-105F (35-41C) for adults and juveniles and a slightly warmer basking spot 95-110F (35-44C) for babies. A nighttime temperature range of 70-75F (21.5-24C) should be provided. 30-40% humidity is recommended.

-Keep them warm. If your bearded dragon is not moving around much on their own, or are unable to move around at all, place them in a location in their enclosure where the temperature is warm but not super hot: 85-90F. This will ensure proper metabolism but they won't overheat or chill at this temperature range. Do not put them on a hot rock or under the basking light hot spot if they cannot move off by themself, as they might get overheated or burned.

-Limit handling. If they have an injury or metabolic bone disease (which puts them at increased risk of injury due to weakened bones), limit handling and limit time out of her enclosure to avoid injury. If you must lift or remove them from their tank, go slowly and support their weight from underneath with your palm. Do not grab the injured limb and try to have the limb supported when they are lifted to avoid the weight of the limb pulling down on the injury.

-To prevent or treat dehydration, you can give your bearded dragon a soak in a shallow dish of warm water (90F) for 15-30 minutes once or twice a day. Dry them off after the bath so they don't cool off too much.

-Offer food, even if not eating. If your bearded dragon is having difficulty reaching or getting to their food, put the food dish next to them or you can also hand or tong feed them. Place an insect gently against their lips and if they are hungry, they will bite at it. If not, don’t force it.

If needed for prolonged appetite loss, you can syringe feed them a replacement formula like ReptaBoost by Fluker's but go slowly and don't feed too quickly to prevent choking. If you’ve never done this before there are some good online videos that you can watch first such as this one by exotic pet veterinarian Dr. Laurie Hess:

https://youtu.be/38BbTokTwjI

-Calcium supplementation. It is important to still offer calcium and vitamin supplements if they are eating.

It is also a good idea to re-evaluate your current husbandry practices as some common disorders, such as metabolic bone disease, are unintentionally caused by deficiencies or imbalances in diet, UVB lighting and calcium/vitamin supplementation. Therefore, I attached the bearded dragon care sheet that I put together as a reference.