Dragon shutdown ... dead?!

[Neill]

So this was my 2nd winter with my dragon. Got him on the 24th of December. I was told in winter time the do a shut down and not to worry. So when October came around he slowed eating, November came and it was pretty much a stop. Always in his warm spot sleeping. Then I noticed today he didn't move around in his warm spot (which he did). SO i found out today he passed.

Now i feel horrible like he wasn't in shutdown and i should have payed more attention to him. What could of happened what went wrong?

 

[Bellalee]

Husbandry could be wrong, can you tell me about your setup?

How cold was it in his tank?

Some beardies just don't thrive.

 

[Angel]

beardys are very hard to tell if something is wrong they are great at hiding illness's , alot of people do the same thing this time of year they figure there dragons are just going into brumation, the best bet to do if you think they are starting to brumate is to take them in get fecals run and exams {great to do regularly anyways so make in a yearly check up} if they come out clean then you know for sure its brumation.
I wouldnt be to hard on your self like I said the beardys are great at hiding anything wrong from you and alot of people lose there loved dragons unexpectedly. I lost my guy a few years back kinda same thing thought was just this time of year, I now know and get my girl checked. Im so sorry for your loss , * hugs*

 

[SnakeKeeper]

I am so sorry for your loss. Don't blame yourself. It definitely sounds like he was brumating, and it would be difficult to tell if there were any problems.

One of two things must have happened; either he actually was brumating but was in poor health to begin with, or the brumation behaviors were in fact symptoms.

The winter shutdown, called brumation, is a state of partial hibernation. As it is difficult to find beardie food in Australia during the cold months, they are able to stop feeding for a few months. The only way this is possible is for them to sleep 24/7 so they aren't burning calories.

In theory, brumation is perfectly safe and risk-free IF they go into brumation healthy. If any slight health problems are present beforehand, or even months before, serious problems can come up. When they brumate, they completely shut down, meaning their immune systems, too. If there were any health complications such as parasites, MBD, or a RI within six months prior to the start of brumation, they will likely come back with the lack of sunlight and an active immune system. It is recommended that beardies are taken to a vet for a full exam and a fecal test before they are allowed to brumate.

Another reason for a vet trip prior to brumation is because it may not be brumation in the first place. Quite unfortunately, lack of feeding and lethargy are symptoms of parasites, MBD, impaction, and a host of other problems. These look exactly like brumation, and if the symptoms come up during the cold months, they are more often than not assumed to be brumation.

One last thing: when was the last time he ate and when was the last time he defecated? Without the heat and UVB radiation necessary for digestion, any food remaining in the stomach or intestines will rot during and can create a serious infection.

A rundown of your setup, lights used, feeding schedule, etc, could also be helpful, as any slightly incorrect husbandry may have lead to some problem during brumation.


Again, I am so sorry for your loss. As you have geckos, you are smart to try and get to the bottom of this in the slight chance that it be a contagious disease. If you are unable to come to a conclusion as to the cause, I recommend having his body autopsied by a vet.

Don't give yourself a hard time about it. These things happen and are often times totally unpredictable. I'm sure he had a happy life with you.