Weightloss Tips

My beardie is overweight (1.75 years old, female, 500 g, ~20 inches)...vet says she is overweight due to the fat pads on her sides extending almost the entire length of her abdomen, since simply weight is hard to use to measure obesity (see photos below for what she looks like). I've been trying to get her to lose weight for almost 9 months at this point. By doctor's recommendations I've cut her back to two gut-loaded dubia roaches every third day, and a salad of darker greens and lighter/water-heavier greens every day (no squash due to eliminate the sugars in her diet) (she only eats a couple bites a day, but she's never been a huge salad eater, she'll eat it if you hand feed her or aren't around to watch her :lol: but never a full salad dish). I soak her near daily, and try to get her to move around by climbing over blankets/stuffed animals around my couch (she'll just not move otherwise). I've even tried giving her a hamster ball filled with dubias to chase, to which she just stared with zero interest. But nothing I do works, she remains at 500 g. Any tips on how to help her shed those grams, I'm literally banging my head against a wall over this .

Quick care summary: Gets supplements with roach feedings roughly twice a week (herptivite 1-2 times a month, calcium supplement the rest of the feeds alternating between with and without vitamin D). 40 gallon breeder (waiting for my 4x2x2 to come in this month), hammocks on both sides, reptile carpet, branch on the hot side, rock hide on the cool side, water dish (for humidity, which runs low in my tank). Heat lamp is a flood light 45V, also has a UV T5.0 strip bulb and a CHE. Hot side is mid 90s F on the basking point, 80-90 F on the hot side floor, 80-85 F on the cool side, temperature drops to mid 70s F at night. Humidity averages 20% right now (not a super exact number, don't trust my hygrometers personally). Gets soaks daily since she refuses to drink any water in any form (she's actually terrified of water, but that's a Berk quirk that I've accepted at this point :lol: ).

To me she looks great -- and what a great set up and diet--- no wonder she looks so good --- I would cut down on the daily soaks tho -- she really doesnt need them that often
Karrie

Thanks Kerrie, I'll back off on the soaks (Berk will be thrilled ). Part of why I/the vet want her to lose a little of the fat is she has a perpetual pop when she breaths (it's not a URI, we've done x-rays and bloodwork and all tests to make sure it's not that)...from the tests, it's the extended fat pads taking up space that are causing it. So losing a few grams (aka shrinking those fat pads a bit) would be good for her longterm health. Do you have any tips, Kerrie, or does anyone else on the forum?

Make her exercise so to speak -- get her out and let her run around on the floor of your LR or room somewhere where its safe like no cats or dogs etc............. keep an eye on her -- give her some exercise see if that doesnt help--
Karrie

Your dragon looks quite healthy to me, 500g and 20" sounds right but, if you are concerned that much you can always do it naturally. When I say naturally, I mean the way the keep a steady weight in the wild (mostly because circumstance requires it). This is why they are ravenous eaters, times can get lean. Fat pads are there for survival during times when food gets hard to find. At her age, she can go without bugs for a while 3 to 4 days at a stretch or even more (they won't starve themselves) thus using up the fat stored in the fat pads. Be sure to offer fresh salads between those days (just enough to keep her satisfied.
The diet she is on sounds great to me though.