Hello new bearded mom here need feeding help please.

I received a junior beardie for Christmas from my kids. They purchased it from PetSmart.

First night home we fed him crickets and a few other nights. Also gave him the pellet and freeze dried worms and crickets.

That first night he scarfed down the crickets eating almost ten same thing for the following nights. He also would eat pellets, freeze dried fruits, not so big on the freeze dried bugs.

After approximately the first week everything changed. He now only eats a few crickets and maybe a meal worm. He is not big on salads of any kind. Barely eats his pellet food.

Not sure how to get him to eat. The pellets etc are in the cage all the time. Crickets and worms we try to feed him in the morning and evening. There is water in all the time but he barely touches it but loves to be spritzed.

He is active and alert. Comes to the glass when I come in or at least pays attention to what I am doing. When out he likes to run around and explore. Often lays on me and goes to sleep or just watch the room.

What am I doing wrong? Any other information I can give to help answer this I will. I have read through the forums and don't see much on this with answers.

Please, please, please help.

Hi Melissa, is he possibly going in to a shed ? Sometimes that cuts down their appetite for a bit. Can you list the exact type + brand of lights that you have , and can you post pics of the beardie as well as the set up ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then hit XIMG

AHBD":181mcl52 said:

Hi Melissa, is he possibly going in to a shed ? Sometimes that cuts down their appetite for a bit. Can you list the exact type + brand of lights that you have , and can you post pics of the beardie as well as the set up ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then hit XIMG

Click to expand...

I will do that tonight after work. I don't believe he is going into shed but I am a new owner. He already shed once about a week after I received him.

Hi. Also I'd stay away from freeze dried crickets, and fruit. Babies really don't eat much salad or fruit. 80% is suppose to be protein. Live food is best. Freeze dried is not nutritional. Good feeders are crickets, Phoenix worms, silk worms and dubia. Mealworms are not good as they cause impaction.

AHBD":2jfo2vtt said:

Hi Melissa, is he possibly going in to a shed ? Sometimes that cuts down their appetite for a bit. Can you list the exact type + brand of lights that you have , and can you post pics of the beardie as well as the set up ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then hit XIMG

Click to expand...

Sorry got side tracked with work. I will get pictures up tomorrow.

destiny1998":mromatax said:

Hi. Also I'd stay away from freeze dried crickets, and fruit. Babies really don't eat much salad or fruit. 80% is suppose to be protein. Live food is best. Freeze dried is not nutritional. Good feeders are crickets, Phoenix worms, silk worms and dubia. Mealworms are not good as they cause impaction.

Click to expand...

Thank you. Yes we found out about the meal worms being bad after the fact. We have dubia on their way and should get them Monday. He/she really has no interest in crickets or meal worms. We try to feed toothless several times a day. Sometimes he will eat one or two crickets sometimes not even that. Always has the food pellets in the cage which he eats on occasion. I try salad and things from the approved list but he won't touch it. Yes I know they prefer live. We are hoping that the dubia get a better reception.

AHBD":20lrxyio said:

Hi Melissa, is he possibly going in to a shed ? Sometimes that cuts down their appetite for a bit. Can you list the exact type + brand of lights that you have , and can you post pics of the beardie as well as the set up ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then hit XIMG

Click to expand...

Pictures are uploaded hope you can see them.