Zardoz doesn't seem to like his calcium

[MrSpectrum]

I've been giving this 6+ week old calcium dusted on his "small" dubias every day at "lunchtime" as prescribed by the breeder. He won't touch greens yet despite daily breakfast offerings. Here are his daily averages since we got him:
Morning: 11
Noon: 9
Supper: 10

I know they seem pretty close, but they're averages. Sometimes a meal includes a larger (4x) roach; sometimes he eats them (with big eyes) and sometimes he doesn't.

His meals are getting slightly larger this week than last, but he really seems to balk at the dusted ones--gets this look on his face like, (Doesn't get that look--whatever it is--in the morning or late PM)

If it matters, we're using Rep-Cal w/ D3 (also as recommended by breeder).

[DorgEndo]

This may sound but is the calcium powder normal? No odd smells to the bottle or kept near something else that might smell bad. I also have the Rep Cal with and without D3 and they don't have any appreciable smell or taste (yes I tasted it, it's just dry like chalk). I'm sure dragon senses are more attuned than human taste and smell. The multivitamin tastes awful, like a human multivitamin pill, but that seems normal per multivitamin supplements

An idea. Use less dust but add to all bug meals. So it's the same amount total for the day, then to get good bugs he just have some calcium dust.

[MrSpectrum]

Valid question, and an idea worth trying. It smells... like ground oyster shells (which is what it is). Seriously, it smells fine--no odors. I do put it on kinda thick because I want to make sure he's getting enough--especially with the problems getting the right UVB bulbs here. I'll try thinning it out over the day.

[MrSpectrum]

Now he doesn't seem to like his vitamins either...

Funny... he was OK with them the first few times, but now he just leaves the dusted num-nums in the bug bowl. He won't even take them from the forceps (which usually works).

Anybody ever pureed bugs, put 'em in a syringe, and sluiced 'em down a dragon's throat?
(JUST KIDDING!)

[DorgEndo]

Do you dust his salad at all? I know you said he doesn't eat greens. Could try chopping up some dubia or BSFL to put on top of salad of dust. My thinking here is the inside of the bug might smell appealing. Have some dust under a chopped bug on top of salad so the dust is taken in by proxy of eating chopped up bug.

Worse case scenario; maybe a vet could prescribe liquid calcium so you can inject the bugs?

[DorgEndo]

I've also seen flavored calcium powder in stores, but I do not know if those actually work for picky dragons.

https://www.amazon.com/Strawberry-Banan ... r=1-1&th=1

[MrSpectrum]

He's getting a little better--with the Calcium, anyway. I may have just been putting it on too heavy. I put some on his BSFL, and he wouldn't even touch them. I've lightened up on it, and he'll take it on his dubias. It's enough of a challenge getting him to eat the greens that I don't want to jinx anything at this point.

Chopping up bugs won't work. I shoulda maybe named him Gollum (except I figured 5/10 BDs are probably named Gollum or Smaug...) cuz he likes his meals "raw... and wriggling".

I'll see what happens over the weekend with the vitamins.