Hey. My bearded dragon isn't eating. He's spending all day and night in the cool end of the enclosure and hardly moving. I sometimes pick him up and put him into the warm end but he soon goes back into the cold. I understand this could be brumation but he's not even a year old yet and I was told not to let beardies that young brumate? I've been trying to get him to eat but he's only picking every few days. Any help?
Beardie wont eat
- Thread starter Horsy
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I'm feeding him veggies, juvie pellets and mealworms. He wont eat crickets and mum wont allow us to have woodies. He hasn't been going to the toilet lately. He's on astroturf. Hot end is about 36-38 degrees, heating with a heat emmiter.
"veggies, juvie pellets and mealworms" probably isnt the best combination, mealworms are know to cause compaction as they have a tough shel wich is difficult to digest. and vegies alone will not be enough for a growing beardie. Has he never eaten crickets? its usually the other way round ie difficult to get them onto vegies. When was the last time u tried with crix?
He used to always eat crickets until he needed to take medication about 5 monthsago. I had to inject the medicine into the beardies before feeding him and ever since then he wont touch them. I tried about a week and a half ago because my frogs eat the crickets.
Squamata
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Hi Horsy,
Have you thought about turning the heat down a little? Maybe turn the temp down to the mid twenties. This time of year beardies usually brumate and that maybe why he is off his food.
I have over 20 adults and 15 hatchies - juvies and some are still eating, some have buried themselves and some just prefer to be down the cool end.
Try him on some woodies, or silkworms, they love huntsman spiders too!
If you are really worried take him to your local vet, but if you cant think of any reason why else he might be off his food, it could just be that time of year. BTW im in WA and that is what my beardies do. JMO
Good luck
Karen
Have you thought about turning the heat down a little? Maybe turn the temp down to the mid twenties. This time of year beardies usually brumate and that maybe why he is off his food.
I have over 20 adults and 15 hatchies - juvies and some are still eating, some have buried themselves and some just prefer to be down the cool end.
Try him on some woodies, or silkworms, they love huntsman spiders too!
If you are really worried take him to your local vet, but if you cant think of any reason why else he might be off his food, it could just be that time of year. BTW im in WA and that is what my beardies do. JMO
Good luck
Karen
Squamata
Active Member
Just another thought, i noticed that you said he hasnt pooped for a while, is he getting enough fluids? Try offering some water in a dropper or syringe by placing on the end of his nose, or spray his branches with water and see if he has a drink. Sometimes our beardies dont drink enough and can become dehydrated without us knowing, in my personal experience this is sometimes the major cause for other problems as well.
I also see that mum wont let you have the woodies, no fair for your beardie, they love them and are good for them too, you can buy some stuff called Roach off or Roach away that you paint on your tank , the woodies cant cross it and fall back into the tank. The astroturf would be a pain tho cos they would hide under it.
Also IMPO beardies really prefer to be on sand, buy some washed beach sand and use that, keep it reasonably damp tho, to help stop compaction and regularly spray the branches above to provide moisture for your beardie. Think if he is in the wild, each morning there will be morning dew on the leaves and the ground will be damp. We need to copy that so that they will be happy and healthy.
Hope this helps and good luck...
I also see that mum wont let you have the woodies, no fair for your beardie, they love them and are good for them too, you can buy some stuff called Roach off or Roach away that you paint on your tank , the woodies cant cross it and fall back into the tank. The astroturf would be a pain tho cos they would hide under it.
Also IMPO beardies really prefer to be on sand, buy some washed beach sand and use that, keep it reasonably damp tho, to help stop compaction and regularly spray the branches above to provide moisture for your beardie. Think if he is in the wild, each morning there will be morning dew on the leaves and the ground will be damp. We need to copy that so that they will be happy and healthy.
Hope this helps and good luck...
Squamata
Active Member
But most definitely worth it!!! Your beardie will love you for it!!
Squamata
Active Member
Compaction is thought to be caused by your reptile consuming its substrate, ie sand, breeders choice, and becoming constipated.
In my personal experience i have found compaction to be caused by dehydration and then injestion of the substrate. If you make sure the sand is kept damp but not excessively so and your reptile is drinking it should not be a problem. I raised 80 Western Bearded Dragons on sand this year and didnt lose a single one.
I cleaned their enclosure first, then sprayed the branches and the beardies, then fed them.
Hope that explains it for you.
In my personal experience i have found compaction to be caused by dehydration and then injestion of the substrate. If you make sure the sand is kept damp but not excessively so and your reptile is drinking it should not be a problem. I raised 80 Western Bearded Dragons on sand this year and didnt lose a single one.
I cleaned their enclosure first, then sprayed the branches and the beardies, then fed them.
Hope that explains it for you.
xander
Well-Known Member
try immersing him in warm water to see if he defecates?Have you tried dandelions,clover with him?I wouldnt feed him mealworms unless you are feeding him the white ones(soft shell)and you are gut loading them.
i think its important to offer insects their isnt enough protein and energy etc in veges. if it wont take crickets then u should probably try roaches. I know ur mum said she didnt like roaches but just one box cant hurt and she doesnt need to osee them.
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