Baby beardie not eating - Please help

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Itsamemariii

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Hi, this is my first post on this forum, I just registered a few minutes ago but I've been reading previous posts to assist me on my first bearded dragon. I purchased a baby beardie from Petsmart 1 month ago. When purchased, he measured 6.5", was very active and had nice open eyes. My beardie has yet to eat the entire month I've had him. I have tried feeding him crickets, meal worms, wax worms, kale, strawberry, and juvenile beardie food. He hasn't eaten not even one of those things.

1 week ago I determined he looked dehydrated due to the wrinkly skin, sunken eyes and how lethargic he looked. I have been misting him 2 times a day and giving him a warm soak in 1/2 pedialyte and 1/2 water for 15 min a day. He's been drinking water just fine everyday now.

3 days ago since he still wasn't eating and not seeming any better, I decided to change up his vivarium.

When I purchased him, I bought the All Living Things package which included:

40 gallon tank
1 100watt basking light
1 26w uvb bulb
carpet substrate
thermometer/hygrometer

The basking light and UVB light that came with the package are apparently no good because his tank wouldn't get any hotter than 90 degrees. I switched out the lighting and put in:

150watt intense basking light
reptisun 10.0 tube

Since I've changed the lighting (and his tank now is 100-110 in the warm section) he has perked up so much more! He is constantly walking around during the day with his eyes wide open and he looks great! I still cannot get him to eat any insects though. I have been feeding him butternut squash baby food so that he doesn't starve to death. He poops regularly (even before the baby food). Since I've changed the lighting I notice that he has bulged his eyes at least once each day. I'm not sure if maybe he is getting ready to shed or not. Can anyone please offer me some advice?
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Welcome to the forum! How long ago did you change the lighting? It sounds like that made the big difference. It may take some time before he comes around completely but it's good that he is perking up and drinking water. The eye bulging is usually related to shedding around the face - a shed coming on is also a good sign. Keep offering food and give him time under the new lighting and he should be able to bounce back. Do you have a nice cool side of the tank too? I'd shoot for about 75-80 or so while maintaining the 100-110 in the basking area if you can. A T8 ReptiSun 10.0 tube should sit 6-8'' or so above the highest basking area for best output.
 

Itsamemariii

New member
Original Poster
Hello! Thank you for the reply.

I just changed the lighting this past Saturday so it's been almost 3 days now under the new lights. The tube is the T8 10.0 Reptisun and it's around 6-7 inches from his highest perching point. The cool side of the tank is around 80 degrees.

I've been reading a lot of posts on here from people buying babies from Petsmart and that they died eventually so I'm hyper paranoid now! I take my beardie outside at least once a day so he can get some natural sun for about 15 minutes and I try to get him to eat a worm or cricket then but he just shakes them off.

He only weighs 6.8 grams and he has measured 6.5" since the day I got him. Hasn't grown a single bit :(
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
OK that's perfect distance then. Does your fixture have a clear plastic cover over the bulb? if so, you want to be sure to leave that off because it will intercept UVB rays. If not, it should be fine as it is.

Give it a week or two. It can take some time for the lighting to have an effect, but it usually makes a huge difference in their overall health.

There are some health concerns about pet store dragons, but thousands of them thrive. We just don't hear as much about the ones who are doing well with no problems. Keep a close eye on his weight. Use a kitchen scale to measure and make a chart to record his progress. Don't worry too much about individual readings, but look at the overall trend. It will give you a good handle on his health and growth progress.

Keep offering food as you've been doing. Hopefully he'll dig in soon. Try some Phoenix Worms (black soldier fly larvae) and see if he likes them. They're a really good food option for small dragons.
 

Itsamemariii

New member
Original Poster
The fixture came with a clear cover but I took it off right away and just have the bulb in bare. I will try to post pictures once I figure out how to do it on here.

Should I continue handling my beardie or should I stop doing that as often? I usually handle him about 3 times a day, no more than 15 minutes at a time. He doesn't run from me and likes to hug my finger. I just don't want to add any extra stress to him if it will help him to eat!
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
If he seems OK with handling, go for it. He is still squinting a bit but hopefully the proper lighting will help with that. Give him some time and let us know how he responds.
 
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