My bearded dragon is stiff and not eating. Is it dead or brumating?

Question

Hello. My bearded dragon (1 1/2 years old) hasn't eaten for about 6-7 weeks, and i am convinced she has passed away. She has gone stiff, her colour is now white, and i cant feel a heartbeat at all. Her eyes are sunken in but are open. I have read about Brumation, and from what i have read, it sounds like she has passed away, as apposed to brumating. But i wanted to get a professional opinion first. Thank you.

Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry that this is happening to you and Cleo. It can be very difficult to tell when reptiles have passed away sometimes, so I am glad that you asked. My recommendation to tell for sure would be to take Cleo in to a veterinary clinic to confirm that she has passed. Sometimes their hearts can beat very slowly (sometimes even one beat every 1-2 minutes!) so I think that this will give you peace of mind. If the vet is not comfortable with reptiles, that is okay. They need to place a Doppler probe right between the front limbs on the chest - this will be the easiest place to hear if there is a heartbeat present or not. I hope that helps, and I’m so sorry again.

My bearded dragon is stiff and not eating. Is it dead or brumating?

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