Bearded Dragon not eating and becoming very skinny.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Kevin405

New member
I have a bearded dragon. I don't know his age but we bought him about a month ago. I feed him very small crickets and small dubia roaches between his eyes. I give him a bath every 3 days with warm but not hot water. His light is a reptisun 10.0 tube. His basking temps are 110 and his cool is around 75 to 80. He has repti carpet and a hide and a small water bowl. He's currently very dull due to shedding but it's the losing weight that's bothering me about him not eating. He hasn't pooped normally the last few days either. During his last shed. None of this was happening.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Sorry he's not doing well and seems not be thriving.

Can you post images of him, his viv showing setup and lights and substrate , this can be very helpful.

Can you sit him on the kitchen scales in a small tub and weigh him too.

Is he sharing the viv with another dragon ?
can he see another reptile or other household pets ? what are they ?
 

Kevin405

New member
Original Poster
I can't post pictures currently but I can tonight. I'm at work. He seems to only be eating when I hand feed him after a whole day without eating. He's housed alone and there's no other animals in the room but him
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Kevin405":9jzxsdx7 said:
I have a bearded dragon. I don't know his age but we bought him about a month ago. I feed him very small crickets and small dubia roaches between his eyes. <<< if he's eating such small insects , he is a hatchling (most likely younger than 3 months old).

based on this and this alone : he should eating live insects three times per day

basic Feeding schedules :

hatchlings
three feeds of live appropriate sized insects per day as many as they want per session offered a few at time if it's hoppy or fast moving
+ offer fresh high calcium greens daily (might not eat it).

Juveniles (6 months to 12 months)
two feeds of insects per day
+ offer fresh high calcium greens daily (might not eat it)

Good staple insects
>> BSF maggots
>> blowfly gents
and the pupae and flies , great for hatchlings and juveniles , naturally rich in calcium
>> silkworms
small (1-1.5 inch for sub 3 month olds)
medium (1.5 - 2 inch for larger hatchlings and juveniles)
large ( > 2 inch for beardies older than 12 months.
>> crickets / roaches / locusts , must be gutloaded with calcium rich foods and greens & dusted LIGHTLY with calcium powder.

Repashi GRUBPIE is acceptable as a backup food.

Hard and soft pellets are dubious , ok mixed in as softened croutons through their greens/salad (maybe).

Bites = rubbish food.


I give him a bath every 3 days with warm but not hot water.
<<< unless he drinks in the bath or actually enjoys a soak & splashing about , that's far too often.
bathing beardies is only necessary very occasionally.


His light is a reptisun 10.0 tube.
<<<< is a good tube but if it's too far away , not focused by a reflector hood and / or ontop a mesh lid he may not be receiving sufficient UVA (promotes appetite) and UVB (needed to metabolise dietary calcium and make vitD3 in his skin.
<<<< T8 or T5HO ?
<<< in reflector hood ?
<<< ontop or under the lid ?
<<< how long is the viv ? the tube ?
<<< how far from the basking spot is the tube ?

>>> how long are the lights on each day ?


His basking temps are 110 and his cool is around 75 to 80.
<<<<
temps seem OK, how are you arriving at these temperatures (using what kind of thermometer - be exact , it's important as not all thermometers are created equal or as accurate

He has repti carpet and a hide and a small water bowl. He's currently very dull due to shedding but it's the losing weight that's bothering me about him not eating.
<<< weight history for the period of concern and similar period before the issues were noticed.
<<< may be nothing dramatic ie just grumpy and unconfortable with a shed coming , some do go off the food , but not for long.

He hasn't pooped normally the last few days either. During his last shed. None of this was happening.
<<< how many sheds has he had with you ?
....every shed is different (in my observation with beardies).
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Kevin405":rjktzu38 said:
I can't post pictures currently but I can tonight. I'm at work. He seems to only be eating when I hand feed him after a whole day without eating. He's housed alone and there's no other animals in the room but him

one feed per day for a hatchling is inadequate.

I suggest a lighting + feeding schedule like :
>>> lights on by timer at least 1 hr before you need to get-up
>>> feed crickets or roaches (by hand if necessary) before leaving.
>>> deposit a good sized ration of phoenix worms (BSF Lavae) in a worm escape proof dish where he can see them (count the worms as they go in) OR 8 small silkworms say on a bit of chow or a mulberry leaf
>>> come home from work , check if any worms have been eaten while away (count remaining worms , difference are the ones he ate) leave the worms there
>>> another meal of crickets or roaches at least 2 hr before lights out.

>>> I'd leave the phoenix worms in a dish overnight til you are ready to go to bed, I'm betting he'll discover they are there and nibble on them .
 

Kevin405

New member
Original Poster
His light is a t8 10.0. It's in the tank with him with a reflector behind it. It's about 6 to 8 inches away from him. 6 being when he's right under it. And 8 when he's to the side. He's only had 1 shed. He drinks water during his bath. The light covers about 3/4, maybe a little more of the tank. I'm getting his temps with a digital themoeter probe. The ones science classes usually use since I'm a science major, I have those lying around and check the temp now and then. And as for as how long the lights are on. I have it on a timer that goes 14 hours on 10 hours off. I do feed him multiple times, when I was saying he only ate one when I hand fed him. I mean he would only eat during one if the feedings offered. I feed him 3 times a day. And I always provide a fresh salad in the morning
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Kevin405":35pa8jfw said:
His light is a t8 10.0. It's in the tank with him with a reflector behind it. It's about 6 to 8 inches away from him. 6 being when he's right under it. And 8 when he's to the side.
<<< then it's most likely NOT a UV issue.

He's only had 1 shed. He drinks water during his bath.
<<< that's OK then so long as the baths are not stressing him.

The light covers about 3/4, maybe a little more of the tank. I'm getting his temps with a digital themoeter probe.
<<< should be accurate
The ones science classes usually use since I'm a science major, I have those lying around and check the temp now and then. And as for as how long the lights are on. I have it on a timer that goes 14 hours on 10 hours off.
<<< that's OK
I do feed him multiple times, when I was saying he only ate one when I hand fed him. I mean he would only eat during one if the feedings offered. I feed him 3 times a day. And I always provide a fresh salad in the morning
<<< you may have a piggy who is filling up on salad and then has no room left for his bugs , been there done that, I simply held back the greens and salad until last bug meal , ensuring the hatchling was good and hungry for the bugs and getting the insect proteins and fats dietary calcium needed to thrive and grow strong, this worked for my gang as hatchlings , I left the greens & salad in overnight and removed at brekky.
 

Kevin405

New member
Original Poster
Okay. I'll try reducing the salad so he gets more bugs. And if continues to not eat. Ill contact the vet and get a fecal test just in
case
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Kevin405":4o6toagi said:
Okay. I'll try reducing the salad so he gets more bugs. And if continues to not eat. Ill contact the vet and get a fecal test just in
case

Same amount of salad offered , just later in the day

.... if he doesn't eat the salad or very little of it , at his age that's fine, the crickets and roaches will eat the left overs (good for gutloading them).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Staff online

Members online

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,899
Messages
1,255,687
Members
75,966
Latest member
georgiarichmond
Top Bottom