Central beardie not eating

[fangsmum]

My 8 year old beardie has been eating less and less over the last few months. He is less active (not that he was ever very active) and wont climb anymore so I have put him in a smaller cage which he had lived in for years, so he can be warmer. He has never pooed frequently and this hasn't changed. He has never drunk water so I have always sprayed him. He used to eat crickets (hand fed) but refuses to now, just eats a bit of salad. He was quite large but has lost a fair bit of weight. I recently replaced his UV light. Middle of cage is 28 degrees, basking spot much hotter. Is he just getting old or should I be doing something?

 

[Chris1]

8 isnt that old, they can live to 15 years,..

have u tried getting him out in the sun for a while?
maybe the cahnge of scene/excitemnet might perk him up?

if hes not eating well is he getting all the nutrition he needs?

could he be eating less because of a sore tooth/mouth/throat/swallowing problems?

id take him to the vet for an overall check up if you are worried, and u have a right to be worried if hes not eating much.

 

[fangsmum]

He does perk up a bit when I take him out but it hasn't been sunny lately. I'm concerned about his nutrition because he's not getting calcium powder now or protein from the crickets. I've never taken him to a vet and don't know one who knows herps - I'm in Marrickville - do you know a herp vet around here? (I don't know if its OK to give that info on the forum or not - I'm new to this).
Also, how can I tell if he has sore tooth/mouth etc. I've never forced his mouth open, he's been such a big healthy lad up till now.

 

[Chris1]

can u get to crows nest?
theres a great vet there,....David Vella at the Northshore vet clinic. 9436 4884
close to teh trainline incase u dont have a car,...

you could boil and mush up some pumpkin, add his calcium and a tiny amount of vits and feed with a syringe,..just so he doesnt waste away.

if u want to force his mouth open use a snow pea of something with an edge that wont hurt his lips and look for something that looks either sore or icky, they can get periodontal disease, mouth rot or just general rotting teeth like we do.

 

[fangsmum]

Thanks very much Chris1. I really appreciate your advice. The only thing I learnt from trying to open his mouth is that you shouldn't stick your finger in a dragon's mouth. Ouch! Hurts as much as a snake bite.
He didn't take too much convincing to eat some mashed pumpkin mix without needing the syringe but kept his eyes closed the whole time I fed it to him. I'll keep that going every day and see if he picks up and take him to the vet if he doesn't improve in a few days.

 

[Chris1]

lol, id say hurts more than a snake bite if they get u properly!

glad to hear u got some food in him, hope he perks up soon.