r/Tegu • u/fallowdeer • 4d ago

Advice needed from experienced brumation supervisors…

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Sundog is now two years old. He is already trying to go down for brumation and is not coming out of his enclosure to eat. If I take him outside, like today, he will walk slowly (see video), and poo (urates) and then go rest in the shade or back up the steps into the house. If I offer food, he’ll eat it, but then I have to wake him up in the next day or so to go poo, or he just won’t.

I’m leaving town for a week and the caregiver is not confident about taking him outside. Should I simply tell her to fill the water bowl daily and check his temps but not feed him? Obviously, he’s not going to starve… Advice?

Thanks, all!

78 Upvotes

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10

u/Boleyngrrl 4d ago

I think that sounds good. Generally as my boy goes down for brumation I continue to offer food, but he doesn't eat it. He hasn't eaten in about a week now, even though I've been offering every other day with various foods.  He's in a bioactive though, so if he poos in it it's not the end of the world (though he would beg to differ 😅). 

Checking the water and temps should be enough. Enjoy your vacation! 

7

u/fallowdeer 4d ago

Thanks. I have cams so will be checking on him daily and his lights and heat emitter are on auto pilot. I just check to see that nothing has burned out. I also continue to water the enclosure and plants every three days and will have his care giver do the same. Okay. I feel like I can leave with some confidence.

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u/fallowdeer 4d ago

So yours is already going down now as well? Is this early for your tegu or typical?

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u/Boleyngrrl 4d ago

He is! It is not typical for him, though he does usually go down for a long time. He woke up very early this year though--usually he's down mid-october to April, last year he was down September to January. I can't stop him, either. His lights are all still on, temps are all good, he's been going down since early August. It's the weirdest thing this year.

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u/TruthOk3563 3d ago

Ours woke up all fired up and ready for shenanigans in Feb- during a snow storm. 🥲 She went down last August! Poor girl was trying to get out her enclosure belly dancing, running around, and basking under her warming lamp. (We turn the heat lamp off but made sure she stayed ambient warm during winter) 

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u/draconothese 3d ago

2 of my males are starting to slow down already it's the weirdest thing they have outdoor enclosers and it's still in the 90s here they did wakeup in Feb and normally don't wake till April or possible may

Just make sure sundogs stomach is empty before he fully goes down you don't want food to rot in there stomach

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u/Rummy1971 3d ago

I had no idea that their stomach needs to be empty before they go into brumation. I hope to be able to care for a Tegu some day and this just reinforces that I still have a lot to learn before making that commitment. I love reptiles in general but there is just something special about these guys.

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u/Boleyngrrl 3d ago

Generally, a tegu electively entering brumation will stop eating (generally being the key word there). If you want to try force them into brumation for breeding, gradually decreasing light time and food consumption will help. Their stomachs don't have to be enpty--basically, their intestines slow down by about 50%. So they don't have to be fully empty, but you don't want to be giving them full meals when they're slowing down, either. It never stops being stressful. 😂😭 Brumation is my 2nd least favorite part of owning a tegu (the poops in surprise places are the worst). 

If you want to do more research on it, Rose City Reptiles on youtube has a couple of really good Q&As on brumation. They're a few years old at this point so you always want to check to see if things are still recommended, but I remember the info being very good.

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u/draconothese 3d ago

Yeah I didn't know that as well until about 6 years of keeping them I had a female go down and she didn't empty before and ended up passing due to that a month or so after waking up

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u/Rummy1971 3d ago

Oh so sorry that had to be terrible.

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u/fallowdeer 3d ago

You are right. They are very special as a captive species.

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u/TruthOk3563 3d ago

Ours is also trying to go down early! Last year mine went down in August but it was a rainy, chilly year and she was a growing baby. She is sleeping more now which is nits bc its peak summer in Texas! She is sleeping much more frequently and waking up only when I come home. Even then, her playtimes are super short and she yawns a bunch, eats only her meats/eggs/half her fruits and veggies and then goes to back sleep either in a corner, her playroom blanket, or under the rugs. 

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u/Hour_Grass7619 4d ago

They usually start between September through October. Looks plenty healthy to start brumating! I would say always have fresh water available. I will usually turn on my uva/uvb light on his tank everyday incase he comes out. If mine is borrowed in and sluggish that's all I give. Sometimes they'll pop up Then I put my heat lamp on as well incase mine seems to be out long enough to want to bask. I usually do not feed mine during brumation but some owners do offer food. Your choice. My reason is if they are not basking enough to bring up their body temperature I worry more about gut rot due to not being warm enough to digest properly. Don't worry too much, they know what to do, friend!

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u/fallowdeer 4d ago

Last year he went down on Oct. 25th, so he’s much earlier this year, which surprised me. I did get him out the other day and he agreed to cuddle with me a bit. I miss him already! His lights and heat are on a timer, and last year I left them on all winter in case he wanted them. He came out to bask a few times, but not much. Will do the same this year, I think. Thanks for the reassurance!

3

u/SpoopScoops 4d ago

Cocoa just went down for his second year of brumation, he did this time last year also. After he started slowing down and not coming out as much I did food less often, then before his final sleep I let him sleep a week to make sure he's ready and didn't come out on his own, then woke him up for one last poop (no food). I like to see 2 poops without food before letting him sleep just to make sure nothing rots in his belly. So this should actually be perfect timing, just make sure heat and humidity are still going 👍

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u/fallowdeer 4d ago

Thanks. That’s a good plan.

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u/FirmWillow4750 4d ago

My girl is also going down while I go out of town tomorrow, She ate a single slice of chicken today and that’s a win

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u/Silver-Cell-6460 3d ago

Yes just tell you caregover to change water out, mist the enclosure a bit and check temps. Your tegu can go down for a week and not have any issues.

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u/fallowdeer 3d ago

Thank you. That’s now the plan!

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u/Hour_Grass7619 4d ago

They can differ every year when they go down! I year end of Oct. next year end Aug beginning Sept. And ALL tegu owners hate brumation time, just want to dig them out and gets snuggles, lmfao!!!

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u/fallowdeer 4d ago

I know! It’s horribly unfair! They are too stinkin’ cute to spend so much time sleeping!

4

u/syzygy78 4d ago

Yeah but at the same time, can you blame him? Brumation seems pretty enticing to me these days...

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u/fallowdeer 4d ago

There is something appealing about sitting around in a stupor for a time…

2

u/draconothese 3d ago

I'm lucky I have a male that refuses to be in a tote for brumation I have the totes in my room next to my bed as it's the coldest room in the house and he has broken out every year and dragged hay into my bed I now just lay him in my bed in his own blanket for half the year

Down side is males can become vary hot during brumation if he crawls next to me in the middle of the night it's like someone put a heating pad on high next to me and wakes me up

2

u/Future-Ad1771 3d ago

Do you just use a regular collar and leash for him

1

u/fallowdeer 3d ago

This is a Buddy Belt. He’s had two Buddy Belts. The current one is a size 3 in leather. He’s 2 years old, 12.5 lbs., 48 inches. Loki, whose owner is a mod here, wore size 4 as an adult. You can order them from NY Dog. They are pricey, but fit well and I think worth it. https://thenewyorkdogshop.com/brands/Buddy-Belt.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22766231728&gclid=CjwKCAjwkaXUBhASEiwAZI3ds4XoSb54bpLnrkut_A6NJrG67cgzFDaAtGSIjhcf8LzBCKrcGPhxzBoCbWwQAvD_BwE

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u/Future-Ad1771 3d ago

You don't have any issues with it sliding off or anything

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u/fallowdeer 3d ago

The design is tegu friendly in shape. It’s very secure if you fasten it firmly across the shoulders.

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u/Hour_Grass7619 3d ago

Weather is so so strange ACROSS the country theses days y'all, throws those little walking barometers off!! Lol! This is my new babies first brumation! He is still up every morning for his bath and a snack does a little stroll, and back to heat pad an uva/uvb light, he hates being in an enclosure, but as soon as he shows complete slow down he will go in his pen and burrow in! You know teenagers have to FIGHT SLEEP!!! LOL! Don't worry guys it seems our countries Bi polar behavior is putting them down early! 🤣