He will not eat. Bearded dragon. For a few weeks. All he…

Thanks again for posting your question, I’m sorry that your bearded dragon Church is under the weather and is not eating and is acting lethargic. I have some questions that will help me get a better idea of your pet’s environment and what may be going on with them:

-Before he starting sleeping more did you notice an increase in his appetite? Is he seeking cooler and darker/shadier areas of the enclosure to sleep in?

-What is the current tank set-up, e.g.,

Temperature gradient (cool side, warm, and hottest basking temp) and humidity?

-Do they receive any access to UV light? When was the UVB bulb last changed out?

-What do you normally feed them? Do they receive any calcium or vitamin supplements?

-Have they been pooping regularly and has it looked normal?

Thanks very much for providing additional information, it is very helpful for me to try and figure out what is going on with your bearded dragon and the history information will help me to do that.

With any sick bearded dragon, it is always a good idea to start by checking that their environment and husbandry are proper for their species. Taking a physical measurement of the temperature gradient within the enclosure and measuring humidity with a hygrometer are a good idea. Making sure the UVB bulb is appropriate for the size of the space and has been changed regularly. Even if they are still producing visible light, UVB bulbs have a limited lifespan and need to be changed every 6-12 months, depending upon bulb type. Making sure diet is varied and the insects have been gut loaded with a nutritious gut-loading diet as well as dusted regularly with calcium and multivitamin powder. Therefore, I am attaching a bearded dragon care (husbandry) reference sheet that I put together. Please review it at your convenience and let me know if you have any questions.

For example, if the environmental temperatures are too low, since bearded dragons are cold-blooded, this will negatively affect their metabolism, appetite, digestion and immune function. So start by checking the temperature gradient in the enclosure and, if it's too low, adjust your basking light or get a stronger watt bulb so you are achieving the proper environmental temperatures.

In the meantime, I will give you some information about what may be causing these signs, a care sheet with recommendations about environment and diet as some common medical conditions are unintentionally caused by improper husbandry (such as too low temperatures, humidity, UVB lighting or calcium and vitamin supplementation) and some suggestions for home care and support of your ill bearded dragon or while you are awaiting a visit to the veterinarian.

Thanks. That humidity is too high and temperature is too low. That is a worrisome combination that might predispose your bearded dragon to skin or respiratory infections.

Temperature is very important for keeping your dragon healthy with a gradient of temperature from cool or warm. Daytime temperature range with a cool side at 77-80F (25-27C), a warm side at 85-90F (30-32C) and a very warm, focal basking area of 95-105F (35-41C) for adults and juveniles. A nighttime temperature range of 70-75F (21.5-24C) should be provided. 30-40% humidity is recommended.

Was he eating vegetables as well? As an omnivorous lizard, by 1 year old they should be eating 70% of their diet as vegetables, mostly leafy greens. So he just started getting calcium recently? Any multivitamin supplements?

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.

During brumation, which is a normal, seasonal decrease in activity, typically during the Australian winter, appetite is depressed, though their weight should remain fairly stable during this time. That's why I was asking about his appetite prior to the decreased energy, they usually eat more prior to brumation. Also they tend to seek out cooler and shadier areas of the enclosure. But during brumation they should look pretty normal and should not lose weight, so weighing your dragon regularly, at least weekly is a good idea. If you notice weight loss more than 5-30 grams or if you see any visible signs of illness such as sunken eyes, discoloration, blackened beard, wrinkled skin, lumps/bumps, etc. then this is not brumation.

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.

Some abnormal causes for appetite depression include inappropriate environmental temperatures (usually too low), mouth rot (infectious stomatitis), trauma, sickness (viral (Adenovirus/Atadenovirus), bacterial, respiratory infection, parasitic (coccidia, pinworms), nutritional (metabolic bone disease)), indigestion or maldigestion, and gastrointestinal impaction.

The bot***** *****ne is that if your 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, weight loss, 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.

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.

So I am concerned that if he hasn't been getting any calcium supplements previously that he might have low body calcium and that can lead to a condition called metabolic bone disease. But there are a number of conditions that can cause both lack of appetite and lethargy so a trip to a local reptile veterinarian for an assessment is recommended. They can do an examination, check for signs of underlying disease such as metabolic bone disease or a respiratory infection, and prescribe targeted treatment for the underlying ailment.

In the meantime, keeping him warm and well hydrated is important for home care, especially if he's not eating on his own and is weak or lethargic.

So the easiest way to increase temperature is to either move the basking bulb closer to the basking spot or to use a higher wattage basking bulb. If 100w is insufficient, then you may need to use a 150w bulb. Or you can try a different type of bulb, halogen vs incandescent. Or you can add a supplemental heating source such as a ceramic heat emitter.

Ways to lower humidity:

-Move water dish away from heat source or heat lamps

-Decrease frequency and amount of misting

-Increase ventilation and air flow in the room and the enclosure. Use an air screen on the tank. If using vent holes in the enclosure, ensuring they are on opposite sides of the tank and top vs bottom will help encourage air flow.

-Use a room air conditioner or a dehumidifier in the room the tank is housed in. If using an AC make sure you check that tank temperature stays in the ideal ranges, 75-85 gradient and 85-105 basking area.

-Check the room humidity and consider moving the tank to a different part of the room or home that has lower ambient humidity.

-If none of these work, you can purchase a silica gel dehumidifier for use inside of the tank (for example: Eva-Dry Wireless Mini Dehumidifier).

So they really need to eat a diet that's heavy in green leafy vegetables, very little fruit as that's high in sugar and low in fiber. The care sheet I shared with you has more specific advice about diet, UVB lighting, supplementation, etc.

And feeding mostly mealworms isn't a good idea either as they are high in fat so that interferes with calcium metabolism and they have rather indigestible exoskeletons which can lead to constipation or even GI impaction. So feeding a variety or vegetables and insects is important for proper health.

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 or awaiting veterinary care:

-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 85-90F (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 (30-32C). 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.

-To prevent or treat dehydration, especially when/if they are not eating, you can give your bearded dragon a soak in a shallow dish of warm water (85-90F or 30-32C) for 15-30 minutes once or twice a day. The water should only be shoulder depth and please monitor them while in the bath so their head doesn't submerge. Dry them off after the bath so they don't cool off too much from evaporation.

-Limit handling. If they are ill or injured limit handling and limit time out of the enclosure. If you must lift or remove them from their tank, go slowly and support their weight from underneath with your palm.

-Make sure you always wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling your bearded dragon or any cage furniture.

-Make sure the enclosure is clean as built up waste, dust and other irritants can predispose your animal to infection. Cleaning the enclosure more thoroughly at least once monthly with a reptile safe disinfectant is recommended. F10 Veterinary Disinfectant is a good option, safe with reptiles and comes pre-diluted and ready for use in a spray bottle. You can also consider lining the tank with disposable unbleached paper towels or newspaper while they are ill to make cleaning easier. The papers should be changed out daily or more frequently if they become soiled. Also, since they defecate into their water bowls often, cleaning the water bowl daily with soap and warm water before refilling it and weekly disinfection of the bowl is a good idea while they are ill (normally, it's okay just to do a daily rinse and refill of the water dish with 1-2x per week washing/disinfection).

-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 assist feed them an insect (I recommend removing the head first to prevent injury to the bearded dragon) or syringe feed them a replacement formula like Fluker’s ReptaBoost, EmerAid Intensive Care Omnivore, Oxbow Animal Health Critical Care Omnivore. Or you can make a slurry out of Repashy Superfoods Beardie Buffet Omnivore Gel Premix 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 these ones:

How to assist feed an insect video by hobbyist Curtis Lasane (2:50 to 3:50 in the video). Note, I recommend if assist feeding insects to a lethargic bearded dragon, that you dispatch the insect first by pinching off it's head.

https://youtu.be/96rfaETGLKY

How to syringe feed (slurry, water or medicine) video by exotic pet veterinarian Dr. Laurie Hess:

https://youtu.be/38BbTokTwjI

-Calcium and vitamin supplementation. It is important to still offer calcium and vitamin supplements if they are eating. This is usually done by gut loading insects with a diet that provides a good source of calcium and vitamins as well as dusting insects with powdered calcium and multivitamins. There is more specific information about how to properly supplement your bearded dragon in the care sheet I have shared with you.

If they are weak because they are experiencing a severe calcium deficiency related to Metabolic Bone Disease or dietary insufficiency, or they are not eating, you can buy a liquid calcium supplement at the pet store and give them a few drops into their mouth once a day and this should help, but this isn't a replacement for a veterinary evaluation and treatment or proper diet and routine calcium supplementation.

Fluker's Liquid Calcium Reptile Supplement

If they are experiencing signs of hypovitaminosis (A or D) or they are not eating, then you can buy a liquid multivitamin supplement at the pet store and give them 2 drops for every 50 grams of body weight. If they are not eating, you can give this supplement every other day for a week before decreasing to twice weekly. The supplement can be placed onto a food item before feeding or dropped directly into their mouthes if they are not eating. Once they are back to eating or no longer have signs of a vitamin deficiency, this liquid supplement should be stopped in favor of multivitamin powder dusting of food and gut loading of insects, as described in the care sheet I shared with you.

Fluker’s Liquid Vitamin (Reptile Supplement)

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. If you have any questions about the general bearded dragon care sheet that I shared with you please let me know. Thanks.

Providing water with a dropper is a very good idea. You can do warm water soaks plus give them oral water (room temperature) with a syringe if they are not eating or drinking on their own. 1-2 mls slowly a few times per day.

So I do recommend making an appointment to have Church evaluated by a local reptile veterinarian but I do think you need to amend some of your husbandry as well such as diet and supplementation. Now while he's sick you should just offer him favorite insects and other food items but when he's feeling better he will need a more omnivorous diet.

Okay great. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. I do sincerely ***** ***** and Church my best and hope he feels better soon.

Thanks for using JustAnswer.com

Sincerely, ***** *****

So there is no trick. He is not eating because he is not feeling well. Once the underlying cause is treated, he will feel better and eat. And make sure the tank temperature gradient is proper, they need appropriate warm for proper digestion and metabolism.

Nutritional insects include black soldier fly larvae (soldier worm larvae, Phoenix worms), superworms, earthworms, Dubia and cockroaches and the occasional wax worm, mealworm or silkworms (limit them due to their high fat content).

Personally I really like the black soldier fly larvae, they are naturally higher in calcium but Dubia roaches are also good.

For prolonged appetite loss you can assist feed whole insects or syringe feed replacement formula. I gave you more information about this a little earlier.