My water dragon is lethargic and not eating. Is his pond water safe?

Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Confirm proper environmental parameters. Low temperatures can affect activity, appetite and digestion in reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50 /50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20 minutes. This can warm him up and may treat or prevent minor dehydration. Offer appropriately sized crickets and mealworms as well as fresh, chopped greens and fruits. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/waterdragons.html

Check the temperature in the enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite and activity in reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes. Gently massage his abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation in case he is constipated. See your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet if your monitor does not begin eating or remains lethargic. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth.

Thanks for reaching out about Perceval and including a photo. First, check heat and other husbandry parameters, and fix any concerns. If too cold, there appetite center is depressed. Reptiles will often not eat because of other illnesses such as intestinal parasites or infections, kidney disease, dental disease, etc. A veterinary visit is recommended to help. On the photo, Perceval appears thin. Offering a Gerber's baby food (chicken, beef etc) might provide some nutrition until the primary cause is determined. Good luck.

Check the temperatures in his enclosure. It may be too hot or too cold. Either can affect his appetite and activity. Check his mouth for injury or sores. Offer a varied diet or greens, squash, mango, papaya, crickets, dubia roaches and horn worms. You can find more options for feeding online. Prey should be gut loaded prior to feeding to maximize nutritional content. Soak Marley in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes daily. This will help prevent or treat mild dehydration.

Consider a recheck with a veterinarian experienced in treating reptiles. You can find one here: http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 In the meantime, maintain proper environmental conditions. You can even increase tank temps by 5-10 degrees F to aid in recovery. Soak Falcor daily in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes. This will provide hydration. You can supplement him with Fluker's Repta-Boost. Find it in the local Petco or online. Keep his eyes clean by rinsing with sterile saline and a soft cloth. He may need different antibiotics and to have the affected area cleaned and flushed. It is never recommended to allow an ill dragon to brumate. Increasing the photo-period along with the increase in temp may bring him out of brumation, but his lethargy is more likely due to illness.

Thanks for reaching out about Bonita. Check and correct husbandry including temperature gradient (daily high and lows, warm and cool ends), UVB exposure and diet. Since this has been going on a long time, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide diagnostic/treatment plan. Try offering water and food via a syringe prior to the vet appointment. Intestinal infections or parasites, metabolic disorders (liver, kidney), other infections and more are all possible. Good luck.

A dehydrated or cold anole will not eat. Make sure ambient and basking temps in the enclosure are species appropriate. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to warm him up and rehydrate him. Offer appropriate sized prey (crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, silk worms). Nothing bigger than the space between his eyes. Gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles if he does not regain his appetite. Frequently, these little guys are infected with intestinal parasites. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/anole.html