# Force Feeding lizards



## James..94 (Apr 25, 2009)

Hi all,

Just wondering whether it is possible to force feed crickets to bearded dragons
and if so how do you do it

Cheers James


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## LadySnake (Apr 25, 2009)

Try placing fingers gently over nostrils till it opens it's mouth and putting a cricket in it's mouth. It should then start chewing on it's own.


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## Bearded_Lady (Apr 25, 2009)

Alternatively you can apply gentle pressure around the edges of the mouth, which encourages them to open their mouths. Sometime when i do this i also gentle press down at the bottom of the beard and this tends to help. Then as LadySnake said put the cricket in its mouth and it will chew. If you don't want to be as invasive, you can mash the cricket a bit between your finger so that some of the juices and yummy innards are exposed. If you rub this along the snout, this can encourage a licking response and then with a little pressure the lizard will take it into its mouth.


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## Lollypop (Apr 25, 2009)

Hi James - is this the same little one that wasn't eating? If so, is it eating at all?


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## James..94 (Apr 25, 2009)

Thanks i will try both methods


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## Lennys (Apr 25, 2009)

whats the temp in ur enclosure?


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## James..94 (Apr 25, 2009)

Heated end top 30's, cold end varies on the day


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## Jason (Apr 25, 2009)

use a suringe and baby food, that will give it some energy and help get it going.


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## JasonL (Apr 25, 2009)

Bearded_Lady said:


> Alternatively you can apply gentle pressure around the edges of the mouth, which encourages them to open their mouths.QUOTE]
> 
> yep, did that to a shingleback once that took offence to my thumb and turned it black...
> IMO, the best and easiest way to open a reptiles mouth, is to use a soft plastic cable tie to gently pry the tip of the mouth open, the soft plastic won't do any damage to the teeth, but it's best to have a third hand, one to hold the cable tie, one to hold the lizard and the other the hold the food ready to be placed in. I use a vice to hold the cable tie. With BD's, they will usually eat the food on their own once it has been placed in their mouths.


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## Lollypop (Apr 25, 2009)

Jason said:


> use a suringe and baby food, that will give it some energy and help get it going.


 
I was thinking the same thing, especially if it's the same little beardie. What size are the crickets you're feeding? If it's still a bit scared of them, have u tried putting the crickets in the fridge for a couple of minutes prior to feeding - slows them right down. How'd you go feeding it otherwise?


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## BlindSnake (Apr 25, 2009)

Another way is to have one hand come down from above to the head in quick and threatening way to make the BD go in defence mode and open its mouth to look big a nasty. Then with the other hand just pop the crickets in its mouth.


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## bigi (Apr 25, 2009)

Jason said:


> use a suringe and baby food, that will give it some energy and help get it going.


 
i had a hatchie snake that wouldnt eat once the vet used and recommended ; hills a/d food
high in protein, using a bird syringe stainless steel tube feeder thingy, Not sure if suitable for lizards but its and idea


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## Jason (Apr 25, 2009)

bigi said:


> i had a hatchie snake that wouldnt eat once the vet used and recommended ; hills a/d food
> high in protein, using a bird syringe stainless steel tube feeder thingy, Not sure if suitable for lizards but its and idea



yep a crop feeding syringe and some sloppy high protein food will go down best. easy less stressful and can be delivered very quickly to the back of the throat. 

making your animal feel threatened to get it to open its mouth is a very bad idea! why on earth would you want to stress out a problem animal anymore then you need to?


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## BlindSnake (Apr 25, 2009)

I would think that restraining and then forcing a syringe down its throat would be more stessfull than makeing it do what comes naturally.


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## Lollypop (Apr 25, 2009)

With the syringe (minus needle of course!), u just drop a bit on the beardies nose, just above the mouth, & smear a little of this to both sides of the mouth area without being invasive.
It may take seconds or minutes, so patience is a virtue, but as soon as they lick their nose, which they invariably do, it's a matter of holding the syringe & sqeezing it so the food flows slowly but consistently, which they then keep licking.
It's not about shoving it down their throat, but being gentle & patient so their appetite is stimulated over 2-3 days & they start feeding on their own again.
Always offer live food first before syringe feeding, & if they don't eat any or as much as you'd like, then go the syringe feeding.
Sugar free apple or chicken baby food is a winner, & vets have the A/D canine/feline cans of food that u just add water to (preferable not much & warm) to make it easier to syringe feed.
Syringe feeding reptiles I've found can get very messy, so a rag to wipe your beardies mouth at the end is recommended.
Hope this helps, & clarifies the meaning of syringe feeding of Beardies


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## James..94 (Apr 26, 2009)

Thanks everyone

yes lolypop it is the same beardy he ate for a bit and then stopped hasn't taken anything since


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## Lollypop (Apr 26, 2009)

I'm sorry. Did u get your cool side temps down a bit? 
Go the baby food, or if u have a vet nearby, ask if they stock the A/D food - you'll only need one can, & if u go the baby food, just buy one bottle of each. Keep the unused stuff in the fridge, then just heat it up slightly in the microwave before feeding - just barely warm, not at all hot.
James, if your cage setup & lights are good, are u maybe handling him too much, or is he in a high traffic area that's noisy or somehow scary? Just ideas.
Maybe try small woodies rather than the crickets?
Please let us know how u go with him. Don't know whether it's worth worming him as well - I'd be tempted, but I think with his age I'd be getting a poo sample tested by the vet first, u don't want to irritate his guts if there's no reason to.
Keep up the soaks, at least twice a day when he's not eating.
Like I said, keep us posted - Kathy


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## Jewly (Apr 26, 2009)

I bought 2 little Central Bearded Dragons and 2 Pygmy Bearded Dragons around May last year and one little CBD just failed to thrive. I force-fed it baby food for months but it still never grew and in the end, under Vet advice, I had it put down. This little guy never ate on his own. I was told that some animals just aren't meant to live and that in the wild these animals would die shortly after birth.


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## Lollypop (Apr 26, 2009)

Oh that's sad:cry: 
Can't we try & see if it's an environment or husbandry thing first though??


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## -Peter (Apr 26, 2009)

I do what JasonL does then pop a tube in the mouth. I then use the crop needle and syringe down the tube. That way the lizard doesn't bite on the metal crop needle.
I use AD Presciption Diet and boiled egg made into a smooth paste mixed together. Others use the tinned food mixed with protein powder. I haven't tried that yet. I used Nutrigel before but I wasn't thrilled with it.


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## James..94 (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks everyone i went to the local chemist and bought a syringe thing and use it to put some baby food on his nose and when he licks it i put a cricket on his tongue

Thanks for all the replies


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## Lollypop (Apr 27, 2009)

Glad to hear it. I'd perservere for 4 - 5 days with the syringe, remembering to offer live food first (remember the fridge trick, or swap to woodies if need be). By then his appetite should be stimulated enuf, hopefully.
Any problems after this, & I know it's expensive, but I'd be off to the vet for a faecal & blood tests, especially with the problems you've already had.
Hope it won't come to that though
Expect to hear an update in a couple of months on how fat & healthy he is, & what a great eater!


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