HELP! Juvenile beardie NOT eating at all!

Hey guys!

I'm reaching out here because i'm very concerned about my bearded dragon.
the problem is that it has not eaten well in about a week. last time I saw her eat was about 2 days ago and she only had one single cricket. I truly dont know what to do.

i thought it was the UVB, i had a coil instead of the tube but a week ago i changed it. she had squinty eyes and was not very active for a little while but her eyes seem to have gotten better. it didnt help her appetite though.

I changed UVB to Reptisun T5 tube, I have a 75W bask spot light, I measure the temps with dial thermometers and also an infrared digital thermometer gun. 105F in basking side, 80F on cool side. he has a hide on the bask spot. absorbs heat pretty well. I leave him fruit, collards, and even tried waxworms sprinkled with calcium, she just will not eat. the bones in her hips are starting to show, and she'll be sleeping most of the time. Last poop she took was a little bit runny, but that was to be expected since she did not eat anything and I've just been giving her water with a spray bottle.
(maybe it could be dehydration too? since I left her to drink for the little pool of water that i had in her viv but she only did it once. i just shortly started giving her water myself, probably about a week and a half ago). ive had her for a month and a half now and Im very worried. shes about 4-5 inches long, so I know this cant be brumation.
someone please help!


( YOU CAN SEE HIP BONES)

Hi there!

Oh no, light didn't help, huh? (And did we discover little Gustav is actually a lady? :shock: )

Anyway, probably a silly question, but did you make sure there is no plastic cover over the T5 bulb? If there is, it's filtering out all the UVB. Is the basking spot high enough that baby can get within 12 inches of the UVB bulb, and are the basking bulb and UVB next to each other so she's soaking up UVB and heat at the same time? Also, if you have the ceramic heat emitter, try keeping her warm overnight, around 80 degrees, to help boost her immune system, maybe she can try and fight off whatever is bothering her...

You could try starting her on some baby food. Get chicken or turkey for protein, just make sure it doesn't have any added ingredients, all natural. Mix it with a little of her calcium and some vitamin supplements to make sure she's getting the most out of it, and try feeding it to her in a plastic syringe. Hopefully she will lick it right up. And definitely keep her hydrated.

I assume her crickets are no bigger than the space between her eyes, but is there any way she could be impacted? No loose substrates, or couldn't have eaten something she wasn't supposed to? Gently rub her tummy and make sure you don't feel any weird lumps.

Have you had a fecal test done? It's possible she could have parasites that are making her upset, but if her poos are well-formed and not obscenely smelly, it's probably not the case.

Well, try getting some food in, that's the most important part. Hopefully she'll like the baby food and start to get some energy and appetite back...

Let us know how it goes!

fuchsiaSkies":2qihofym said:

Hi there!

Oh no, light didn't help, huh? (And did we discover little Gustav is actually a lady? :shock: )

Anyway, probably a silly question, but did you make sure there is no plastic cover over the T5 bulb? If there is, it's filtering out all the UVB. Is the basking spot high enough that baby can get within 12 inches of the UVB bulb, and are the basking bulb and UVB next to each other so she's soaking up UVB and heat at the same time? Also, if you have the ceramic heat emitter, try keeping her warm overnight, around 80 degrees, to help boost her immune system, maybe she can try and fight off whatever is bothering her...

You could try starting her on some baby food. Get chicken or turkey for protein, just make sure it doesn't have any added ingredients, all natural. Mix it with a little of her calcium and some vitamin supplements to make sure she's getting the most out of it, and try feeding it to her in a plastic syringe. Hopefully she will lick it right up. And definitely keep her hydrated.

I assume her crickets are no bigger than the space between her eyes, but is there any way she could be impacted? No loose substrates, or couldn't have eaten something she wasn't supposed to? Gently rub her tummy and make sure you don't feel any weird lumps.

Have you had a fecal test done? It's possible she could have parasites that are making her upset, but if her poos are well-formed and not obscenely smelly, it's probably not the case.

Well, try getting some food in, that's the most important part. Hopefully she'll like the baby food and start to get some energy and appetite back...

Let us know how it goes!

Click to expand...

Hey! (my gf and sister told me from the very beggining that id give it a name and then it would just happen to be the opposite sex, they won that bet! haha!)

and yes I have the tube and the bask light right on top of her basking spot so if she sits there she should be getting both. and I checked again there is no plastic cover on the tube! she's been eating small crickets, but some were a little larger so it could be the case. I started yesterday but i'll be bathing her and rubbing her belly. her last poops were kind of smelly also, and the last one was runny.

could you give more information on the baby food please?

thank you again for the help, second time around now! truly appreciate it.

also, I have not had a fecal test done, that was my last resort to see if she really had any parasites that could be causing all of this to happen.

She looks very thin. I'm sorry, it is hard she is so little.

Get a little Rubbermaid or clear plastic container and try filling partially with warm water and bathing once or twice a day this also can help with hydration. Even 5-10 minutes. Sometimes if you dribble a drop or two on their nose they will drink. Make sure the water is not too hot and doesn't go over her head. I have had success mine likes roasted squash, you can try organic baby food squash it is naturally sweet so they like that. Perhaps a tiny bit of fruit like strawberry or raspberry to tempt her. Not a lot because it can make runny poop. Definitely needs a vet to take a look.

Glamamama":1jvmwsi8 said:

She looks very thin. I'm sorry, it is hard she is so little.

Get a little Rubbermaid or clear plastic container and try filling partially with warm water and bathing once or twice a day this also can help with hydration. Even 5-10 minutes. Sometimes if you dribble a drop or two on their nose they will drink. Make sure the water is not too hot and doesn't go over her head. I have had success mine likes roasted squash, you can try organic baby food squash it is naturally sweet so they like that. Perhaps a tiny bit of fruit like strawberry or raspberry to tempt her. Not a lot because it can make runny poop. Definitely needs a vet to take a look.

Click to expand...

hey! yeah ive been bathing her, also giving her fruit but will not eat. i tried salad with strawberry mixed in it and she kinda ate the greens a little but it was just one bite and then she was done. i made a vet appointment so theyll be looking at her on monday, hopefully all goes well. thank you!

It stinks, you worry and then you know it is gonna be $$$. Gotta do it. Hopefully he/she has some suggestions or ideas about what is going on. Meanwhile you can try a dropper with a bit of food. Keep us updated

:lol: Poor little Gustav-ina? Haha!

So with the baby food, like I said chicken or turkey is good because it's already got protein that she'll need, but you can most definitely use vegetables like squash or green beans. Store-bought is fine, just make sure you check the ingredients and it doesn't have any added salt, sugar, seasoning, etc. If it's pretty thick, you can always add water to it as well to get it to the right consistency for the syringe.

If you want to DIY it, just poach a chicken breast until it's fully cooked (duh! :lol: )(or butternut squash or whatever you decide), no seasonings, chop it up and throw some in the blender with a little water (start with a little and add more as necessary), and puree the crap out of it until it's a good consistency to push through a plastic syringe, which you can pick up at any drug store, sometimes near the baby medicines. Try and find a syringe with a fairly small tip, since she's itty bitty, and make sure it's plastic in case she bites it. (If you're feeling adventurous, you can always make a slurry in the blender with vegetables and her favorite bugs!)

Then you want to mix in just a very small pinch of her calcium powder and her multivitamin, then load up your syringe. First try putting a small drop on the tip of her nose, and see if she's willing to lick it up on her own. If so, Yay! Keep at it until she's eaten her fill. If she doesn't go for it, gently roll a finger down the edge of her 'beard', and sort of pull the edge of her mouth open a little bit, and try and get a drop past her lips. This is best done at the corner of her mouth as opposed to the tip of her snout, as it's easier to get her lips to part there and she's much less likely to aspirate since you're not shoving it right in the front of her mouth. Once she tastes it, she will hopefully be more willing to eat more when she realizes it's food! Keep trying this several times a day (every few hours if you can manage it) until it seems she's had her fill.

Worst-case scenario, she's not gonna want to eat anything, in which case you might have to try and gently force small amounts into her by kind of wedging it between her teeth. If you have to do this, just make sure you're still staying at the corner of her mouth and doing tiny amounts at a time so she doesn't choke or aspirate. I really hope she just ends up licking it on her own!!

There are also some other products out there like Reptiboost, or Carnivore Care, or other things for ill dragons, but I do not know a whole lot about the commercial products, so I'll leave them to someone else that's more knowledgeable. (And there are lots of those around here! )

Smelly and runny poos are a pretty good indicator of parasites, so great that you're getting to the vet. Make sure you snag one of her poos before you take her to the vet if at all possible!! She'll probably get stressed out having to travel to the vet, and stress naturally raises parasite levels, and you'll want to get the most accurate test results for the fecal. If it is parasites (which are pretty common since dragons are eating live food), they are fairly easy to treat, so don't worry too much. Just some meds and some thorough cleaning to take care of it!

I hope something works soon, let us know how it goes!!


***EDIT- Whoops, that was a lot longer than I intended it to be, sorry!

true, it will be money but It is clear to me that I dont want anything happening to "Gustav-ina"? :lol: :lol:

so the appointment will be tomorrow and we'll see exactly what's going on. I feel a little bulge in between her legs not sure if its a bone or that could be possible impaction but whatever it is it will be resolved starting tomorrow at the vets!.

thank you all for all your help and ill be sure to post up results whenever I get answers from the vet! as for the baby food I'll try doing that today. again thank you all so much!

Hey! so I went to the vet, they got an Xray of my beardie and they said there is nothing to worry about regarding an impaction. the only thing that was abnormal in the xray was the fact that her bones werent really all that noticeable and I was told this could be because of a big lack of Calcium in her diet. They sent me home with a couple of things.

-antibiotic: in cause theres any illness or anything that could possibly be treated. (syringe)
-calcium: to give her with a syringe.
-Emeraid: Omnivore -they said to try to feed her this for now.

they still want a poop sample so they can check for bacteria or parasites. as far as not eating they truly didn't really give me a definite answer. which kind of sucks but I guess this will do for now.

my one problem now: it is near IMPOSSIBLE to feed my little beardie with a syringe. opening her mouth is impossible shes so little and im afraid to harm her. i gave her the calcium and antibiotic today but was only able to give her like .2ml of her Emeraid food. (they told me to try to give her from .5-1.0 ml) i have no idea how im going to achieve this!. not to mention SHE HATED IT!.
ive never seen her so mad and stressed. she also did this thing where she flipped over (she was okay) but she really didnt want the food. it looks pretty funny but scared the hell out of me for a second. if anyone can give me advice or help me out with this that would be great. because i spent almost an hour trying to give her the food today and considering I have school and other things I cant be taking that long!

thank you in advance!



very angry beardie

what are you doing :? (this is what she did when i kept trying to give her food through the syringe. you can see the beard)

Hi!

I was thinking about little Gustav today. That is one seriously unhappy little thing!! My guy absolutely hated the syringes, too. Made me really sad trying to force the meds in. Unfortunately, you gotta get it in there somehow...

I have heard of a trick with a playing card a few times. Poke a hole in the middle of a regular playing card (or I suppose index card may work, too?) big enough for the tip of the syringe to fit through. Then fold the card in half at the hole. Try wedging it into her mouth fold-side first, then maybe you can open up the card a bit and stick the syringe in and push out some of the liquid through the hole in the card and into her mouth. She is super itty bitty, so I'm not sure if it will help, but it might be worth a shot?

Good luck!!

hey! youre too sweet!
I can tell you one thing she despised it!
was not happy at all, and I truly felt awful prying its little mouth open.
i had the fear of cutting up the lips or the inside of the mouth or just being too rough.
she was thrashing all over when i tried the first couple of times, poor little thing.
but i rather she be unhappy than starve.

that actually sounds like a great idea! I have to try that now, hopefully it fits right in and I can get some more food in her. Its been such a process. thank you so much! i will try it out tomorrow and see how it goes.

hey guys,

It is with the heaviest heart that I inform you Gustav passed away today in the afternoon.

I cannot begin to describe the sadness and helplessness I feel, I cried my eyes out even though I had him for just a little less than 2 months.

I tried everything I could, I bathed him, I fed him with syringes. he just wouldn't take any of it. wouldn't swallow, would just stay in his little hide. I tried water, food, nothing worked.

Thank you all so much for all your help, I can't help but feel like this is my fault.
The vet told me that Gustav had had to be sick even before I got him from Petco.
he reviewed the food and his viv and he said nothing was wrong.
I called Petco corporate and I'm expecting a call back.
Again, thank you so much for all the help.

will need a little while to get over this one

I'm so sorry to hear about Gustav. You tried your best. Unfortunately he must have just been too sick. Sending you hugs.

Hello,

Oh no, I read through your thread/story & was hoping Gustav would make it, I am so sorry you lost him.
It was not your fault, he was ill when you got him & you did your best trying to get him healthy. He may have had adeno virus, it's hard to know for sure.
My condolences to you.

Tracie