scared, lethargic and not eating beardie- Came on suddenly

Question
QUESTION: Ive had Brutus- a bearded dragon for 8 months, he was probably already a few months old when we got him.
He has a powersun/zoomed uva/uvb 160w, it gets the basking temp up to 105, he has a cool area at 80. 40gal breeder.
He has been in great health since about 5 days ago. He was active, handled daily, let out to walk around, bathed every other day, (if not daily) and ate well.
Ate 30-40 crickets once a day (dusted) _ and a salad with the proper greens- mustard greens/collard greens..etc.. with veggies- peas/ carrots/ sweet potatoe etc.
treats include grasshopers and waxworms-
He pooped once a day, he went through some smelly poop periods but lately had been fine.
About 5 days ago he started acting really odd, he would turn black at seeing me, puff out and even hiss.(he has NEVER done this) I started leaving him alone so i wouldnt stress him further. yesterday I was just putting my arm in the tank until he was comfortable with it. today he let me pick him up and was fine.
Beyond the sudden anxiety/fear he hasnt been eating (4days). the last couple days hes become more lethargic.
He was hiding under things but now just lays out flat. Prior to this behavior he was quick to eat. when he saw food he would snatch it from me right away, now its like he doesnt even see the food.
So
- Wierd behavior
-Lethargic and not eating
-- Any idea why these things happened suddenly?
One other thing to add that has possible relevance is about 4 weeks ago we stopped turning on the night light(zoomed). I noticed he wasnt sleeping at night and thought it might be too warm. The temp gets down to 70-75 with out the light and he sleeps soundly now. Im wondering if this is brumation becuase of the change in temp? (used to stay 80-85 with night light)
Thanks

ANSWER: Hello Robin,

Do you have any pictures of Brutus?  
How long ago did you start using the Powersun 160watt bulb?  How close is it to him?  
What are you measuring the temperatures with, a stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?
The 40 gallon breeder is fine, size wise.
Where are you getting the grasshoppers?  You are in the US, correct?  
He could be reaching puberty and his hormones are becoming higher right now.  Though, they normally do not become aggressive towards their owners.

I need to know how long you have been using the Powersun, & how close it is to him.
No, this is the time of year when they are coming out of brumation or starting to anyway.  That is fine that you went ahead and cooled it down a little at night for him, they do tend to sleep better when they are a bit cooler.  

Is he eating at all now?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Brutus   QUESTION: He's had the powersun since day one ( since June 2010) the light was just replaced about 2 weeks ago because the other one just wouldnt turn on. (replaced with the same light)
The basking spot is probably 6-8in away... not sure --but the temp has been measured with a digital probe.(105deg)
The grasshoppers were bought in a jar from a petstore (and yes Im in the US)
-The aggression towards me was definetly a surprise. I could tell he was scared. THe aggression has stopped though. --I think it had more to do with him being startled.
He is loosing weight. It wasnt until last night that I was able to hold him, his stomach feels smaller and there is skin building up.
( I dont think its brumation anymore because I heard they dont loose any weight)
I included a picture
* I took him out this morning and he seemed okay...however he continues to be easily startled. Its like he day dreams or spaces out..then suddenly sees your hand thats been there the entire time and gets startled.
(You'll probably be able to tell he has a shed coming... he was in the process before all this started...)

ANSWER: Hello Robin,

So you have the Powersun 160 watt 6-8 inches from him?  Is this correct, & the basking temperature or spot is only 105??  are you sure?  
That 160 watt light needs to be 18 or so inches away from him, for safety.  
No, Brutus should not lose weight during brumation at all.  He is beautiful, by the way.
Please let me know about the light placement.  
Is he doing better this evening?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Thanks, from Brutus   QUESTION: Hi, I appreciate your help and input
though I think I've discovered the problem.
He was in view of another bearded dragon and apparently this was stressing him out. They can no longer see each other (( I didnt realize they could see each other in a mirror thats in the room)) and he is doing much better.. not getting startled, turning black, being aggressive.. so on.
However he is still not eating. I did some research about stress and I read that it might be a while before he feels comfortable to eat again.
Any advice?? Im obviously concerned about him not eating.
I put his salad in there every morning... should I be giving him baby food? or something else.. I dont like force feeding.. I think that stresses animals out more.. unless its last resort.
Or should I give it a few more days... will he even be ok if he doesnt eat for a couple days?
So as far as the light goes... I was totally off. The first one we had was a little closer only because over time it wasnt as stong...but this new one is about 15in away

Answer
Hello Robin,

That could be a huge thing involved in his behavior!
Was the other lizard a male or female?  It will affect the appetite.

I am so relieved to hear that the new light is 15 inches away!  I was pretty worried with the distance on that one.  That will be fine then, no problem at all.
If he is just not eating you can give some baby food yes, it will help keep him from losing too much weight right now.  Just drip it onto the end of his nose & he should lick that off pretty easily then.  

Their hormones can really affect their overall behavior!  I hope he is doing better.

Let me know if I can be of more help.  Thanks.

Tracie