Year old bearded dragon not eating

[T_rex]

Hi, my bearded dragon, Rex, is 1yr and about 3months and hasn't eaten in about a month. I'm pretty sure that it's not brumation/hibernation because he's been active and running around. He still takes baths and drinks water but refuses food. I wasn't worried for the first couple weeks because I've heard that they go off feed and he didn't seem to be losing weight or getting sick. Now it's been about a month and he sort of looks a bit thinner, so I was wondering what other people's takes were on force feeding and if anybody else had had something like this happen to their beardie. I looked online and saw that it could be a problem with the uvb light so I went and got a new one about a week ago, but he still won't eat.
Enclosure:
- 3'x2'x2' melamine enclosure
- Reptisun 10.0 uvb strip light
- 100 watt house bulb as basking light
- Basking spot temp stays at about 105-107 Fahrenheit
- Cool side stays at about 83 Fahrenheit
Diet(before he stopped eating):
- Crickets 3 times a week
- Superworms 4 times a week
- Kale 3 times a week
- Cucumbers 3 times a week
- Carrots 3 times a week
- Zilla bearded dragon pellets 4 times a week
- Calcium w/ D3 with his vegetables 4 times a week
- Herptivite with his vegetables 2 times a week
- Waxworms and fruit as treats

 

[KrissyLeigh]

Hi, my bearded dragon, Rex, is 1yr and about 3months and hasn't eaten in about a month. I'm pretty sure that it's not brumation/hibernation because he's been active and running around. He still takes baths and drinks water but refuses food. I wasn't worried for the first couple weeks because I've heard that they go off feed and he didn't seem to be losing weight or getting sick. Now it's been about a month and he sort of looks a bit thinner, so I was wondering what other people's takes were on force feeding and if anybody else had had something like this happen to their beardie. I looked online and saw that it could be a problem with the uvb light so I went and got a new one about a week ago, but he still won't eat.
Enclosure:
- 3'x2'x2' melamine enclosure
- Reptisun 10.0 uvb strip light
- 100 watt house bulb as basking light
- Basking spot temp stays at about 105-107 Fahrenheit
- Cool side stays at about 83 Fahrenheit
Diet(before he stopped eating):
- Crickets 3 times a week
- Superworms 4 times a week
- Kale 3 times a week
- Cucumbers 3 times a week
- Carrots 3 times a week
- Zilla bearded dragon pellets 4 times a week
- Calcium w/ D3 with his vegetables 4 times a week
- Herptivite with his vegetables 2 times a week
- Waxworms and fruit as treats

Hmmmm. How strange. Your husbandry sounds good. Was his poo normal before he stopped eating? Everything else look ok on him? He won't even eat his 'treat' food?

 

[T_rex]

Yeah, his poo seemed normal before he stopped eating and he won't eat his treats. Otherwise, he did have a problem with tail rot over the summer, could that have contributed? It seems to have gone away, but maybe should I get it checked by the vet?

 

[KrissyLeigh]

Yeah, his poo seemed normal before he stopped eating and he won't eat his treats. Otherwise, he did have a problem with tail rot over the summer, could that have contributed? It seems to have gone away, but maybe should I get it checked by the vet?

I'm not sure... I'm going to let someone more experienced try and help you, mine had never stopped eating like that. When I first got him I did force feed him with a syringe and he started eating on his own pretty soon. So that's an option, but if he gets really stressed while you are trying to force feed him it may not be beneficial. Other than that, I would try and coax him into eating some of his favorites - hold a super wiggly waxworm or hornworm in front of him, that sort of thing. Good luck, I hope he starts eating again!

 

[cold blooded]

Be careful feeding Kale as a staple. It is high in oxalates which can cause thyroid issues. Better staple of greens are Collard or Dandelion greens in long term.

For your issue I am not 100% convinced he is not going into brumation since it's that time of year. I would not fuss with him much/ let him do his thing while monitoring with a keen eye for any "alarms" which would be things like dehydration or rapid weight loss. As mammals we are very concerned when something doesn't eat for so long, but reptiles are so much more efficient than us and can go months with little to show for it.

 

[T_rex]

Be careful feeding Kale as a staple. It is high in oxalates which can cause thyroid issues. Better staple of greens are Collard or Dandelion greens in long term.

For your issue I am not 100% convinced he is not going into brumation since it's that time of year. I would not fuss with him much/ let him do his thing while monitoring with a keen eye for any "alarms" which would be things like dehydration or rapid weight loss. As mammals we are very concerned when something doesn't eat for so long, but reptiles are so much more efficient than us and can go months with little to show for it.

Thanks so much, I'll just wait for a while and keep a close eye on him. Is there a certain amount of time that I should wait before going to the vet, to beat the warning signs? Also, thanks for the advice on kale, I'll try mustard and collard greens in the long term.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I would just try different foods to see if you can peak his interest..In the link below several of our comments you will find links for lists of food items and how often you can feed etc that might be of help....
Keep a record of his weight to see if he's loosing and how much..
When was the last time you had a fecal test done to rule out parasites..
It's always best to vet them they can look fine and all of a sudden take a decline..

 

[T_rex]

Update: Rex has been sleeping for the past couple of days now so I think it was brumation after all. Thanks so much for all the advice though, gave me some peace of mind, and good advice on the greens.