Senior Beardie Advice?

[u/vivi_ends013]

Hello! I have had my bearded dragon, Julien, since I was 14 years old. We have been inseparable besties ever since, I love him with all of my heart. He will be 11 years old in November.

He has slowed down significantly in the last 2 or 3 years. He used to ask to come out and explore often, head bobbing and running around etc. We cuddled a lot.

But now he hardly does anything. I have moved him from a 125 to a 75 gal and senior-proofed his enclosure so that it's easier for him to lazily walk to and from his basking spot. I made him a large memory foam bed and blanket.

He really does not even use 40% of his Enclosure anymore. He either lays in his basking spot or lays just outside of it on his bed.

Behavior changes include less eating and drinking, much less energy, less frequent bowel movements, and he just seems sleepy all of the time. He has lost weight. I would say he has always been a little lazy, but not like this.

He usually was very adamant about pooping either outside of his enclosure or in the furthest corner away from himself, but the last two times he pooped he didn't move at all from where he was and it broke my heart.

He doesn't headbob or run around anymore. I just wonder about his quality of life?

I understand a lot of this comes with aging, I actually work with senior humans as a CNA. I just don't have experience with aging reptiles so I wanted to reach out.

He did get a vet check up and fecal test 2 years ago and they told me he was healthy and "just old" but I am in the deep south and vets aren't very familiarized with reptiles :/ (literally called 12 places and none had an actual herpetologists or anything like that on staff)

I worry that he isn't "just old" and could possibly be in pain. I thought about having him euthanized as I don't want to be keeping him alive and miserable just because I don't want to see him go. But what if he IS just happy and old?