If applicable this could be moved to the "health" section; I am very new at posting on this site, and also worried about my dragon.
I have an ~11 year old beardie, and I've had him since his first year of life.
As I was rather young when I first got him, I wasn't always good at making sure he ate enough veggies.
He would eat them occasionally, along with crickets, but over time juggling my studies and taking care of him made it harder and harder for me to get him the variety of food suggested.
Having my family take care of him while I've been away at college has likely made it harder for him, as they don't care as much as I do about at least trying to give him greens and fruit.
These days he doesn't really move often (regardless of season), and he only voluntarily eats mealworms. As such I don't often offer him much else because it seems to be wasteful.
We have to open his mouth and give him water because he won't/doesn't drink it on his own, and he now refuses to eat all vegetables.
Not eating vegetables has led to more difficult poops, which is why we have to force him to drink. Even so, his poop has pink tinge in the white portion, and seems to take a large amount of effort to excrete. I worry that he is in pain, and I collected a stool sample today in case I need to take him to the vet soon.
I feel awful that he has never grown to like vegetables or drinking water, as I also feel it is my own fault.
I genuinely want to treat him as well as I can, and so I need to ask:
Am I so inept I should give him away to a better caretaker?
If it would let him live out the rest of his life without pain, I would want it that way even if it's sad.
If it is better for me to continue caring for him, are there any tips you could give me for helping him eat veggies?
Here is a photo of him in his terrarium:
(sorry the photo quality is bad; I will try to get a better one tomorrow when his lights turn back on)
I have an ~11 year old beardie, and I've had him since his first year of life.
As I was rather young when I first got him, I wasn't always good at making sure he ate enough veggies.
He would eat them occasionally, along with crickets, but over time juggling my studies and taking care of him made it harder and harder for me to get him the variety of food suggested.
Having my family take care of him while I've been away at college has likely made it harder for him, as they don't care as much as I do about at least trying to give him greens and fruit.
These days he doesn't really move often (regardless of season), and he only voluntarily eats mealworms. As such I don't often offer him much else because it seems to be wasteful.
We have to open his mouth and give him water because he won't/doesn't drink it on his own, and he now refuses to eat all vegetables.
Not eating vegetables has led to more difficult poops, which is why we have to force him to drink. Even so, his poop has pink tinge in the white portion, and seems to take a large amount of effort to excrete. I worry that he is in pain, and I collected a stool sample today in case I need to take him to the vet soon.
I feel awful that he has never grown to like vegetables or drinking water, as I also feel it is my own fault.
I genuinely want to treat him as well as I can, and so I need to ask:
Am I so inept I should give him away to a better caretaker?
If it would let him live out the rest of his life without pain, I would want it that way even if it's sad.
If it is better for me to continue caring for him, are there any tips you could give me for helping him eat veggies?
Here is a photo of him in his terrarium: