What should I expect with an aging Beardie?

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Hi ya'll,
I have a question. My 8(ish?) year old bearded dragon seems to be having trouble catching his superworms. He's fine with his greens but when he's hunting his head vibrates while he's stretching out his tongue to catch his prey. I know Beardies have trouble with depth perception anyway but I was wondering if it gets worse with age. He seems to be missing the worms a lot when he used to be super accurate. I'd take him to the vet but with COVID-19 they are only seeing emergency patients. I'm not super concerned, I'm just a little worried that this might not be normal. He seems fine otherwise.
Thanks in advance!

Setup:
*120 gallon tank (long)
*2 10.0 UVB strips hung inside the tank (no screen interference but might be time to change them out)
*90-100 F on warm side 80-90 F on cool side
*3 caves of various sizes for cover, a stick and a rock for basking
*Water dish with a ramp big enough for him to sit in (not that he does)
*substrate is tile
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hi there,

It's always tough seeing them age. They usually do start to deteriorate slightly once they start hitting that age.
But, even when they start showing signs like that, they still can have a lot of life left in them, and many years. It just make take more care on your part to make sure they are eating properly. And your care might have to adjust slightly compared to a younger dragon. but, after 8 years you should know your dragons likes and dislikes quite well, and you should know what sits well in his stomach and what doesn't.

I wouldn't really worry about this and I don't think it's necessary to take him to the vet.
Can you describe his daily (weekly) diet for us?

why are you using 2 uvb bulbs?

-Brandon
 

MyAngelLokki

Member
Original Poster
Hi,
Thank you. I'm using 2 UVB lights because I have a six foot long tank. I have one on either side so he gets UVB though his whole cage.
His weekly diet consists of mostly romaine lettuce (he won't eat any other greens) with liquid calcium drops and olive oil on it (Olive Oil was suggested by the vet to help lubricate his digestive system, he's a stubborn pooper). He gets 5-6 superworms about 2-3 times a week because his grandma (my mom) spoils him rotten.
It's good to know him slowing down is age. It takes a weight on my mind. I'm sad to admit my past Bearded dragons have not made it to this point.
*First one was a Petco dragon before I knew what I was doing
*Second was perfect but he wound up with bone cancer and died of pneumonia at 3 years old
Thank you for your help.
 

MrSpectrum

Gray-bearded Member
MyAngelLokki":2a2esli4 said:
What should I expect with an aging Beardie?
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