My Uromastyx is lethargic, not eating, and panting. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My 20 year old Egyptian Uromastyx has not ate the last 3 days or moved from one spot. He is staying under the heating lamp and just sleeps. He is breathing hard or panting. I haven't changed anything in his environment or diet. I've never seen him behave this way.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 9th, 2017
Uros may go off food due to food preference, low cage temps, illness or seasonal changes. It is not uncommon for them to go 5-7 days without eating occasionally. The respiratory symptoms may indicate infection or illness thus an exam with an experienced herp veterinarian would be recommended first to diagose and teat illness. In the meantime, confirm adequate temperature. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored Pedialyte for 15-20 minutes. Offer a variety of foods to stimulate his appetite. Try Gerber Stage one baby food. Choose a fruit or vegetable flavor and offer it through a syringe. Do not force feed him though.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on December 8th, 2018
Thanks for reaching out about Boris. If husbandry (temperature, humidity, UV radiation) is appropriate, one should consider nutrition or illness of some kind. Try soaking in shallow warm water to stimulate drinking and defecation. If he continues to remain inappetant, red/yellow/orange colored vegetables/edible flowers will sometimes stimulate appetite. If this does not improve things, a visit to a reptile veterinarian is needed. These are my favorite reptile as pets. Good luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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My Egyptian Uromastyx has not been eating for the past couple weeks. Sometimes he eats a small amount of the lentils i give him, but will rarely ever touch the greens. He has also not been in shed for a good 2 months now and i'm worrying about him. T
Thanks for reaching out about Boris. If husbandry (temperature, humidity, UV radiation) is appropriate, one should consider nutrition or illness of some kind. Try soaking in shallow warm water to stimulate drinking and defecation. If he continues to remain inappetant, red/yellow/orange colored vegetables/edible flowers will sometimes stimulate appetite. If this does not improve things, a visit to a reptile veterinarian is needed. These are my favorite reptile as pets. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
I just got a Uro lizard about 2 weeks ago from a neighbor and now he will not eat I gave him a water bath
Thanks for reaching out a about Flapjack. There are multiple reasons for anorexia including intestinal parasites/infections, metabolic disease (liver, kidney), malnutrition, poor husbandry, stress and others. Check husbandry first, as uromastyx like it hot. You can try offering a meat flavored baby food via a syringe to give calories, and also to offer water. A veterinary visit is needed to assess Flapjack and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My chameleon is very lethargic, showing signs of dehydration, even after having water, and is refusing food.
Check the temperature in the enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite and activity in reptiles. Soak or mist him with a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Look in and around his mouth for any signs of infection or injury. This may include redness, swelling, discharge or bleeding. See your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles for an exam if you see anything suspicious. Likewise, if symptoms persist or worsen, see your veterinarian. Unfortunately, the symptoms described are non specific with multiple potential causes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our 5 year old Bearded Dragon seems sick. We’ve had him since birth. He’s always loved to eat meal worms crickets and greens. He’s very picky on the greens we’ve never been able to get him to eat any other fruits or veggies. Few months ago he started
Check the temperature in the enclosure. Low temps can affect activity and appetite in reptiles. You can soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for about 20 minutes every few days to prevent or treat mild dehydration. In case he is constipated, you can gently massage the abdomen, front to back, during the soak. You can supplement his diet with Fluker's Repta-Boost ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/flukers-reptaboost-insectavore-and-carnivore-high-amp-boost ). Find it in the local Petco. Continue to offer fresh, chopped greens and prey. Place them in a shallow cup to make it easy for him to eat. Survey the area in and around the cage for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises, strong vibrations, high traffic or cold drafts. Reduce or eliminate any if found. Consider a tank surround to limit his view in case something he sees is causing him stress or making him angry. If symptoms persist or worsen, he will need to be physically e
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My Timor monitor is being very lethargic today and won’t eat. My monitor was acting normal yesterday but like I said it is acting very lethargic today. Any advice would help
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a tortoise (8months) and the last few days he has lost his appetite, become less active, struggles to open his eyes and keeps openning his mouth
First, check the temperatures in his enclosure. Low temps can affect activity and appetite in reptiles. Next check for elevated humidity levels. Too much can predispose him to a respiratory infection. The symptoms reported may indicate an infection or a nutritional deficiency, maybe both. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating tortoises. If he has a respiratory infection he will need prescription antibiotics. In the meantime, increase temps by a few degrees to aid in any recovery.Give him a good long soak (at least 30 minutes) in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte/DioraLyte.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a crested gecko and he has been very lethargic lately. He's not eating, not climbing, and spending most of his time on the ground.
Anytime a reptile becomes excessively lethargic, you must check the ambient and basking temperatures. Low temps can dramatically affect activity and appetite. Set daytime temps between 78 F and 82 F . Night temps can drop into the low 70s F. A small basking area set at around 80 F should be provided. They are nocturnal, so don't expect a lot of daytime activity. Offer a variety of appropriately sized prey (crickets, dubia roaches, etc.) as well as a commercial gecko diet. You may need to hold prey in front of him or tap his nose to elicit a strike. Do not attempt to force feed him. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Gently stroking his abdomen during the soak may produce a bowel movement if he hasn't been defecating. The soak will treat or prevent mild dehydration. If he continues to exhibit this behavior or does not start eating, have him examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My Water Dragon is lethargic, Loose/Snotty stools all over the enclosure, sleeping a lot and not eating and losing weight.
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
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
So, my bearded dragon, Toothless, recently has not been eating as well as normal, and is acting a bit strange. I don't think it is impaction, or anything to do with the food itself, but it worries me a bit. Could it just be some sort of brumation?
Brumation is possible, however if he is kept at a constant temperature and photoperiod, this is less likely than anything else. If he allows, check in and around his mouth for signs of injury or infection (redness, discharge, bleeding or swelling). If necessary have him examined and treated by your herp veterinarian. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This can warm him up and rehydrate him. Massaging his abdomen during the soak may stimulate defecation if he is constipated. Once medical causes have been ruled out, you can revisit brumation and treat him accordingly. Most beardies will stop eating during the brumation cycle but will still need to remain hydrated. This can be done with a 10 minute soak twice weekly during brumation.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I have a baby tortoise of a few months, I'm not sure about the breed, but have been told it is an angulate tortoise. He is very weak, in such manner that his front legs aren't moving, he pushes himself around with his hind legs. He is not eating or d
It does appear to be a juvenile angulate tortoise. His behavior and symptoms may indicate a respiratory infection. This species does not do well in humid environments. An exam with your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles would be strongly recommended. Any me pet should be examined by a veterinarian within 72 hours of arriving home anyway to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. Antibiotics may be indicated if respiratory infection is diagnosed. You can soak him daily in a warm 50 50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Offer dark leafy greens and provide sufficient heat and UVB lighting. Additional care and diet information can be found at the link below. http://www.chelonia.org/articles/cangulatacare.htm
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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