Sick bearded dragon?

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M

marth

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 15, 2007
160
0
0
w MI
Hey everyone,

I was wondering if you could give me advice on my bearded dragon, Ryuu. She is almost 2 years old, and I think something's wrong with her.

It's February, and really cold here in Michigan. My husband and I keep Ryuu in her cage in our bedroom, and she's been in semi-hibernation for almost two months.

However, she has been acting strange lately, like moving around her cage and up/down her ramps at night. She also is climbing over her rocks, and contorting in really uncomfortable positions throughout the night. She always was good about sleeping before this, and it's only been going on for about a week.
She also is really unusual about being handled. She normally likes to be picked up, and she will even cuddle you if she's cold, but recently, she's been hissing when we even walk by her tank.

I put a bowl of water in her cage today, because I thought she might be thirsty, and she drank the whole bowl in about 2 hours...I just refilled her bowl and sprayed water on her food.

Is this normal behavior? She has never acted like this before.
 
The bottom of the tank is about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The top shelf basking type area is maybe 85-ish, and the cave part under that is around 75. We did have to get her a cheap walmart heat lamp, and that makes her tank a bit colder than normal.
 
wait, the warm part of her tank is in the 95-100 range.
 
Why do you say she has been in semi hibernation? A litle lowering in winter temps can help in breeding but you are only keeping one bearded dragon as a pet and not as a breeder and as such she doesant need lowering in temps wich can cause a drop in her inmune sistem defences. Maybe a vet check wouldnt be a bad idea
 
Ok, but we haven't changed the temperature of her cage at all, it's always been around that. I'll see if my husband can put some stronger lights in there when he gets home today.

Also, another question. There was a lady who is a "reptile specialist" (she has had a lot of lizards and snakes) who told us that Ryuu would die before she's two if we don't breed her because of egg binding...is this only true if there's males around? When I looked it up online it said that if they're kept where males are around...the hormones or something would make them produce eggs.
She is about 18 months old, so I guess that's when they're ready to breed, but we have kept her by herself...so it's not a problem, right?

And the semi-hibernation thing, the magazine that we got with her said they sleep more and eat less in winter because they hibernate...is that wrong?
 
She will develop eggs no matter what. Sometimes its not an issue and they will just be obsorbed back, but sometimes reps and get egg bound. Which your very well could be. Try adding a nest box in the tank and see what happens. But it sounds like a trip to the vet is needed
 
Ok, so as soon as my husband gets paid (probably tomorrow) we'll try to schedule a visit.
How do I set up a nest box? We have no dirt right now because of snow, can I use something like towels or shredded paper?

And also, i don't know if this will help, but I have some pics of her and her tank that I can put up.
When I went to check on her a few minutes ago, she bit me...she's never done that before.
 
yeah lizards will lay eggs no matter what though i dont think it matters if they are bred or not i think they can still get egg bound either way, this is actually how my cham died (well at least its how i think she died i didnt know about this condition until after she died and it seemed to fit) :( this was still when i wasn't that experienced and didn't know what to do but she layed a bunch of eggs and then im guessing one got stuck because then she got really lethargic and her tongue turned yellow n lost its stickiness, she lasted about a week like this before she finally passed :cry:
 
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