# Bearded Dragon not eating and sleeping in cold end a lot?



## Monica! (Apr 28, 2011)

Hi everyone

I have a 2 year old beardy who, since I moved house last Saturday, has stopped eating (only eating the occasional wax worm) and sleeping in his cold end a lot?

He has been through phases like this before but this seems to be the longest. We have also moved house before and I can't recall him doing this?

Usually he is very active, likes to come out and play with our cats during the day and basking in the sun through the windows and ate his greens, superworms and locusts daily. It is almost like he is trying to brumate but 1. He has never brumated before and 2. Is September too early for this to start happening?

Our house isn't particuarly cold, he has recently had a replacement UV Bulb (12% Arcadia)...which I change every 6 months and his hot end averages 31 oC during the day and 25 oC at night. All of this has been the same since the day I got him 2 years ago. 

He is a very good weight and usually toilets reguarly in and out of baths...his last toilet was the Thursday before the Saturday we moved and appeared normal. He hasn't toileted since but that is more than likely because he hasn't eaten.

I might be worrying for nothing but I like to check these things out with fellow beardy owners...what do you guys think? Normal, or not so normal behaviour?

Also, if it does appear that he is trying to brumate, both myself and my beardy have not done it before...how do we go about doing it?

Thanks everyone!


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## boid92 (Sep 12, 2012)

How hot is his basking spot? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~
0.1 Yemen Chameleon
0.1 Corn Snake
1.0 Crested Gecko
1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0 Golden Mantle Rosella
1.1 Cat
1.0 Staffordshire Bull Terrier
~~~~~~~~~~~~


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## Monica! (Apr 28, 2011)

It averages 30.6 oC to 31 oC!


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## Dannyk79 (Feb 15, 2012)

Monica! said:


> It averages 30.6 oC to 31 oC!


Get it turned up and should be around 40-41c or 105-110F..:2thumb:


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## Monica! (Apr 28, 2011)

I've just come home and looked...he's basking temp is set at 31 oC but the main temp in that area is 40 oC - sorry my mistake! Forgot to mention he has a heat mat too.

I put him in his hot end this morning after he slept in the cold end all day yesterday and have come home to find he is still basking! He is now out at the moment and is a lovely colour and bright eyed and looks nice and healthy - I just wish he would eat!! :hmm:


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Glad to hear he sounds a little better. Brumation is highly possible, many, including myself have noticed a difference in the past week with our beardies due to the dramatic change in weather.


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## Bennewell (Apr 5, 2012)

tomcannon said:


> Glad to hear he sounds a little better. Brumation is highly possible, many, including myself have noticed a difference in the past week with our beardies due to the dramatic change in weather.


I will second this, I have two 10 month old beardies that have slowed right down this last week.


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## Bennewell (Apr 5, 2012)

Also you realy don't want to be using a heat mat, he needs his basking spot at 40 coming from up above.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Bennewell said:


> Also you realy don't want to be using a heat mat, he needs his basking spot at 40 coming from up above.


And I second this! :2thumb:


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## sam n mushu (Jun 4, 2012)

my beardy has been off his food recently aswell today he only ate one xl locust lol

maybe it is the weather change.

my beardy wont bask under a bulb that is 100-110, he likes it 90-95 and basks under it then lol


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

sam n mushu said:


> my beardy has been off his food recently aswell today he only ate one xl locust lol
> 
> maybe it is the weather change.
> 
> my beardy wont bask under a bulb that is 100-110, he likes it 90-95 and basks under it then lol


I've just been saying on another thread that not all like it so hot and that its down to beardie preference essentially.


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## Monica! (Apr 28, 2011)

Thanks for all your replies everyone; I am more reassured that it seems he is not the only one! Maybe it is just the season change then?

No he doesn't like it too hot either...he hates bright standard coloured spot lights and only prefers the red night bulbs. If I try and change it, he avoids the basking area altogether!

He has had his heat mat for 2 years and loves it....again, I have tried to remove this on previous advice and all he does is lay on the area where it used to be and his temp drops right down too. It is placed under a log bridge in his basking end so he can decide whether or not he wants to lay on it. It has been a saving grace when I have been out of the house at work on a few occasions and his bulb has blown dropping his temp down to 20 oC - I came home to find him laying on it to keep his temp up!

So would you all say its best just to leave him to it? I have moved him to the hot end this morning (he won't go there himself at the moment) or do i just leave him his cold end to do his own thing?

Thanks everyone!


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## awh (Aug 20, 2008)

one of mine was doing the same sleeping at the cool end and staying there most of the day not moving i took her to the vet and after lots of tests it turned out she had a infection and her white blood count was high she was given a course of antibiotics and is now seems better but she is not back to herself yet 

i sometimes wish when people had a problem with a animal that they would take it to the vet, if they were ill they would go to the doctors so for animals please for peace of mind take it to the vet


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## Monica! (Apr 28, 2011)

Trust me I do take all my animals to the vet when they are poorly! However I don't think my beardy is unwell?

If you had read my threads he is bright eyed, a lovely colour, toileting well (when he has eaten) and has even done this before but not for this long...and as now he is 2 years old, so, I am more querying as to whether he is trying to brumate for the first time...and obtaining advice on this!

As others have now mentioned on here that theirs have started to slow down in the last week or so due to the changing weather and season, are you advising they also visit their veterinarian too?


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