Skinny legs??

So, my boy Cheeto is fully capable of running around and has no weakness in his legs but they don't seem to be getting any bigger. He's had some small appetite issues over the last two weeks but nothing indicative of any serious health issues (relocation stress immedietly followed by shedding) but has been eating, never stopped entirely. He seems to be over the stress today and has eaten as ravenously as you'd expect a baby to, but I'm still wondering if I should be worried about his skinny legs? He looks like he's gained weight in his belly but that's mostly it.

He was 7 1/4" when I measured on Friday, I haven't measured since because he didn't want to be handled due to his shedding really picking up a few days ago. Here he is right now:



Pardon the messy tank. It's all shed, lol

Are you gut loading the insects? I would make sure they are gut loaded and offer him water by dripping it on his nose-- you dont want him dehydrated-- you can also give him warm baths and see if he will drink from the water while bathing --- take a soft tooth brush and brush his shed to help loosen the skin-------- where did you get him from and what kind of lighting do you have for his tank ? brand and what is the bulb?
Karrie

KarrieRee":28e43yxi said:

Are you gut loading the insects? I would make sure they are gut loaded and offer him water by dripping it on his nose-- you dont want him dehydrated-- you can also give him warm baths and see if he will drink from the water while bathing --- take a soft tooth brush and brush his shed to help loosen the skin-------- where did you get him from and what kind of lighting do you have for his tank ? brand and what is the bulb?
Karrie

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I've been keeping an eye out for dehydration over the last week. He's had Grubpie and his usual dandelion greens for the past couple of days. He didn't want to chase much and I worry about leaving him with insects, so I left tiny cubes with him and let him eat them at his leisure with the salad (that I knew he would gobble up because he's a strange baby, lol) but when he eats live food like today it's gut loaded. I'll usually drip water on his nose until he stops licking it at least once a day.

He does drink a little in baths, which I'll give him once a day if he lets me pick him up, but not much so when he doesn't he just gets water drops.

He just finished his shed today! The last bit on his legs came off a few hours ago.

I got him from Petsmart (Not the best place, I know, but I asked to handle him and he was very relaxed with me! I wanted him with someone he reacted well to and that was me.) Tank is a 20 gallon, the basking light slips my mind but it's about 95F, UVB is a Reptisun T8 mounted inside the tank about 7" where he basks.

ok see if you can get his basking temp up to 100-110- babies like it warmer and its good hes drinking- I think he looks good -- you dont want to leave crickets in the tank over nite -- they bite and can cause infection- if you leave any type of bug in the tank it could be dubias as they dont bite but I wouldnt anyway! How long have you had him? They go thru relocation stress so if he stops eating or really slows down that could be why--- you can put a soft cloth like a piece of clothing or fleece in his hide to get him used to your smell -- that will help w/ the stress --- eventually your gonna haft to upgrade his tank --- like a 75-120 gallon - that is what is recommended on the forum- that will get him the full potential for growth-- are you dusting his bugs? D3 5 x per week along w/ vitamins 2 x per week?
Karrie

KarrieRee":ux10w69w said:

ok see if you can get his basking temp up to 100-110- babies like it warmer and its good hes drinking- I think he looks good -- you dont want to leave crickets in the tank over nite -- they bite and can cause infection- if you leave any type of bug in the tank it could be dubias as they dont bite but I wouldnt anyway! How long have you had him? They go thru relocation stress so if he stops eating or really slows down that could be why--- you can put a soft cloth like a piece of clothing or fleece in his hide to get him used to your smell -- that will help w/ the stress --- eventually your gonna haft to upgrade his tank --- like a 75-120 gallon - that is what is recommended on the forum- that will get him the full potential for growth-- are you dusting his bugs? D3 5 x per week along w/ vitamins 2 x per week?
Karrie

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I'll have had him for 3 weeks on Friday! His eating had been slow the first week, and it picked up a little for a couple days before he started shedding and it dropped off again, the poor boy.

He usually has a piece of fleece in his tank, but I take it out when I feed him crickets because they'll hide in it. I'm very careful about getting the crickets out, I used to keep fire-bellied toads so I know about how they bite! I had been dusting crickets with calcium most days and vitamins 3-4 times a week at when he gets them, but I stopped on the days he gets Grubpie and live food, because that's already pretty nutritionally dense from what I can tell.

The tank will be upgraded within the next few months I'm moving in July or August so I'm waiting until I'm headed to the new place and he has to be moved anyway to (hopefully) upgrade. I don't want to put him through the stress of moving somewhere new more than necessary!

He's just a baby right now, his weight will over all increase as he gets older.

He does have some skinny little legs but the rest of him looks nice and healthy. Dragons can be just like us all different shapes and sizes. I agree with AHBD. Hes just a baby, he will grow

-Brandon

Alright, thanks for answering questions! I was hoping it was just because he's a baby.

He's fine.

You'll find their muscles in the arms and legs develop more as they progress from hatchling to juvenile .

The difference a month makes can be seen here :
Caesar 21 April , about 35g

note the thin arms and legs and head shape and body shape = hatchling body

Caesar 24 May , about 80g

That water dish now only big enough for him to sit in , he can't get all in anymore.
Note the differences in his body shape and how much more he looks like a mini-adult = juvenile body

kingofnobbys":13je71aq said:

He's fine.

You'll find their muscles in the arms and legs develop more as they progress from hatchling to juvenile .

The difference a month makes can be seen here :
Caesar 21 April , about 35g

note the thin arms and legs and head shape and body shape = hatchling body

Caesar 24 May , about 80g

That water dish now only big enough for him to sit in , he can't get all in anymore.
Note the differences in his body shape and how much more he looks like a mini-adult = juvenile body

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reassurance! I was a bit nervous because his little legs seemed a bit smaller than other babies that people say are his size but he might just be a bit of a bigger boy and a little younger than I anticipated!

Also: I compared how he looks now to pictures I took when I brought him home. I think he is getting a bit bigger in the legs (his beard is bigger for sure!) But it's hard to see the growth since I see him every day