I need to vent I've been researching information and talking with people. With the exception of when someone NEEDS to do this for a medical reason - I'm so saddened and upset at people saying to not feed them for a day, seeing youtube videos where people say they feed the 5x a week, or that you only need to feed them once a day (I realize when they are adults their feeding changes, and you can put out a salad once a day - but the 1x day comments were for baby dragons!).
I can't bear the thought! I really can't! We missed ONE afternoon feeding and I felt SO bad (now, I realize that not everyone can do that - so I'm not talking about that third feeding. He has just come to enjoy that immensely).
We did start out with 2x/day. We didn't know 3x a day was necessary,and honestly, he wasn't hungry for that third feeding when we first adopted him. I think he was just so use to petsmart, and I really think he needed time to understand he didn't have to sneak to eat One day, he went down to his food dish and waited, and that was when he wanted more during the day - from then on he gets fed 3x / day.
What is amazing is it REALLY DOES make a difference. His little tummy can only hold so much at a time. When we fed him 2x/day, he'd eat around 15 crickets (now around 25 each feeding). That number didn't lessen with the 2 feedings - he just at just as many during a THIRD FEEDING. And, the one day we missed a feeding, he didn't eat more to "make up for it."
I'm just so saddened that people would only feed baby and juvenile beardies 1x/day - and all beardies only 5x a week "or so." He's SO hungry when we feed him! I couldn't bear not to feed him!
His growth was definitely being stunted when we adopted him, because of the way he was fed in the pet store, and the way he couldn't eat because of the other bearded dragons It took 2 weeks for him to overcome that, and once he did, his appetite began to grow and he has been growing in leaps and bounds ever since!
Sure, it was SO cute when he was itty bitty - but you know, he's every bit as cute and lovable as he grows! And I love to see him become stronger! He can now climb the stairs He did that for the very first time the other day. It was SO cute!
Okay, rant over. I feel better now, because I'm sure others here will share how I feel (well, I hope, anyway).
I can't bear the thought! I really can't! We missed ONE afternoon feeding and I felt SO bad (now, I realize that not everyone can do that - so I'm not talking about that third feeding. He has just come to enjoy that immensely).
We did start out with 2x/day. We didn't know 3x a day was necessary,and honestly, he wasn't hungry for that third feeding when we first adopted him. I think he was just so use to petsmart, and I really think he needed time to understand he didn't have to sneak to eat One day, he went down to his food dish and waited, and that was when he wanted more during the day - from then on he gets fed 3x / day.
What is amazing is it REALLY DOES make a difference. His little tummy can only hold so much at a time. When we fed him 2x/day, he'd eat around 15 crickets (now around 25 each feeding). That number didn't lessen with the 2 feedings - he just at just as many during a THIRD FEEDING. And, the one day we missed a feeding, he didn't eat more to "make up for it."
I'm just so saddened that people would only feed baby and juvenile beardies 1x/day - and all beardies only 5x a week "or so." He's SO hungry when we feed him! I couldn't bear not to feed him!
His growth was definitely being stunted when we adopted him, because of the way he was fed in the pet store, and the way he couldn't eat because of the other bearded dragons It took 2 weeks for him to overcome that, and once he did, his appetite began to grow and he has been growing in leaps and bounds ever since!
Sure, it was SO cute when he was itty bitty - but you know, he's every bit as cute and lovable as he grows! And I love to see him become stronger! He can now climb the stairs He did that for the very first time the other day. It was SO cute!
Okay, rant over. I feel better now, because I'm sure others here will share how I feel (well, I hope, anyway).