8 month male will only eat butter worms & hornworms

colbertf

Member
Beardie name(s)
ROWAN (Gaelic for Little Red Guy)
Hi all, my 8 month old boy (adenovirus + ) used to eat roaches, crickets, bfsl, superworms, small mealworms, wasn't picky, he then stopped eating about 5 weeks ago, followed by a vet visit and was then treated with antibiotics and nebulizer for Upper Respiratory infection, plus syringe feeding critical care. Finished the medication about 10 days ago and I stopped the syringe feeding last week. In regards to injects/protein he will only eat butterworms and hornworms. For weeks now I can put anything else in front of him and he will turn his nose or just look at the insects moving, has no interest in eating, if I put a few butterworm or hornworm in the middle he will go down and get them, he will only eat 2 or 3, then has enough, will eat 2 or 3 more an hour later . Tried silkworms last week and ate one, that was it, ignored any others. I know butterworms and hornworms should be given only as a treat, so I've bene cutting back, but feel he's not getting the correct protein. Do I cut back on the butterworms / hornworms more and just leave roaches / bfsl and see if he will eventually eat those? Have tried adding staple insects to salad and in a separate bowl. I've cut it down the butterworms this week to just 3 or 4 butterworms a day. Iknow he need shis protein, Not sure what is the best thing to do.

Also have him on daily supplements schedule

Any advice welcome.
Thank you.
 

Attachments

  • 101cd20a.jpg
    101cd20a.jpg
    271.2 KB · Views: 131
  • df7a16383a0.jpg
    df7a16383a0.jpg
    149 KB · Views: 87
  • 101cd20b.JPG
    101cd20b.JPG
    62.2 KB · Views: 85
  • 0422541.jpg
    0422541.jpg
    200.6 KB · Views: 92
Last edited:

Phoenix1981

Member
Beardie name(s)
Abraxis
Hi all, my 8 month old boy (adenovirus + ) used to eat roaches, crickets, bfsl, superworms, small mealworms, wasn't picky, he then stopped eating about 5 weeks ago, followed by a vet visit and was then treated with antibiotics and nebulizer for Upper Respiratory infection, plus syringe feeding critical care. Finished the medication about 10 days ago and I stopped the syringe feeding last week. In regards to injects/protein he will only eat butterworms and hornworms. For weeks now I can put anything else in front of him and he will turn his nose or just look at the insects moving, has no interest in eating, if I put a few butterworm or hornworm in the middle he will go down and get them, he will only eat 2 or 3, then has enough, will eat 2 or 3 more an hour later . Tried silkworms last week and ate one, that was it, ignored any others. I know butterworms and hornworms should be given only as a treat, so I've bene cutting back, but feel he's not getting the correct protein. Do I cut back on the butterworms / hornworms more and just leave roaches / bfsl and see if he will eventually eat those? Have tried adding staple insects to salad and in a separate bowl. I've cut it down the butterworms this week to just 3 or 4 butterworms a day. Iknow he need shis protein, Not sure what is the best thing to do.

Also have him on daily supplements schedule

Any advice welcome.
Thank you.
We have the same problem with our beardie. He will not eat salads and only butterworms, roaches, and crickets. He wont eat hornworms (i think because they are green and he thinks its a veggie lol). Anyway, we have him under vet supervision and her instructions were to let him starve for a feeding or two and then offer something else. They can be pretty stubborn. She said to be careful with supplements except Calcium. And to give Calcium without D3 if its in your multivitamin. Offer the multivitamin supplement twice a week because of possible poisoning. I probably am not much of a help but it is all i know.
 

RangoRocky

Juvie Member
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Rango Rocky Balboa
Mines wouldn’t eat greens for over 3mo. Still keep putting them in there daily. Took him to the vet and she advised to cut him back to bugs 2x’s a week until he starts eating greens. I also change what he eats weekly ex.
Wk 1 maybe collards and kale
wk 2 maybe kale and Bak choy
Wk 3 parsley and Swiss chard
Wk 4 collards and bak choy

You may find that they gravitate to just 1 or 2 of them. I also add blackberries, sweet peppers and strawberry.

Most important thing that got him started back eating greens was bee pollen and I got the organic kind
 

colbertf

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
ROWAN (Gaelic for Little Red Guy)
We have the same problem with our beardie. He will not eat salads and only butterworms, roaches, and crickets. He wont eat hornworms (i think because they are green and he thinks its a veggie lol). Anyway, we have him under vet supervision and her instructions were to let him starve for a feeding or two and then offer something else. They can be pretty stubborn. She said to be careful with supplements except Calcium. And to give Calcium without D3 if its in your multivitamin. Offer the multivitamin supplement twice a week because of possible poisoning. I probably am not much of a help but it is all i know.
Thanks @Phoenix1981 , it's hard even to give regular supplements when my 8 month is not eating salads or insects (besides butterworms but I can keep giving those treats). I will try letting him go for a feeding or two and repeat and see how that goes. We are doing bloodwork, in his last bloodwork he showed severe anemia numbers and his kidney levels were on the low side, hoping the results next week will show better numbers. We feel there maybe something else going on, it could be the adenovirus or something else underlying.
 

colbertf

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
ROWAN (Gaelic for Little Red Guy)
Mines wouldn’t eat greens for over 3mo. Still keep putting them in there daily. Took him to the vet and she advised to cut him back to bugs 2x’s a week until he starts eating greens. I also change what he eats weekly ex.
Wk 1 maybe collards and kale
wk 2 maybe kale and Bak choy
Wk 3 parsley and Swiss chard
Wk 4 collards and bak choy

You may find that they gravitate to just 1 or 2 of them. I also add blackberries, sweet peppers and strawberry.

Most important thing that got him started back eating greens was bee pollen and I got the organic kind
Thank you @RangoRocky, yes I keep putting but he just looks at the bowl as I add it or refresh later in the day. If i take him out and place him back into the enclosure at the salad bowl he will eat a few pieces, its like i have to place him at the eating spot. Most times he just tramples over and back to basking area, I'll try changing up the salad like you suggest there, thanks for that. he does really like baby arugula when he eats, I have not tried bak choy yet, but I will next time
 

RangoRocky

Juvie Member
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Rango Rocky Balboa
Thank you @RangoRocky, yes I keep putting but he just looks at the bowl as I add it or refresh later in the day. If i take him out and place him back into the enclosure at the salad bowl he will eat a few pieces, its like i have to place him at the eating spot. Most times he just tramples over and back to basking area, I'll try changing up the salad like you suggest there, thanks for that. he does really like baby arugula when he eats, I have not tried bak choy yet, but I will next time
Rango’s favorite is Swiss chard and kale. When it’s warm I take him outside and he eats clovers and dandelions. But I definitely found once I added the bee pollen he started eating it more. I would alsode recommend cutting back on the bugs. It sucks to not watch them eat but if they get hungry enough they have no choice but to eat the greens. Also, I found they sneak and eat it. I just caught my baby beardie sneaking yesterday.
 

colbertf

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
ROWAN (Gaelic for Little Red Guy)
Rango’s favorite is Swiss chard and kale. When it’s warm I take him outside and he eats clovers and dandelions. But I definitely found once I added the bee pollen he started eating it more. I would alsode recommend cutting back on the bugs. It sucks to not watch them eat but if they get hungry enough they have no choice but to eat the greens. Also, I found they sneak and eat it. I just caught my baby beardie sneaking yesterday.
Thanks @RangoRocky , I've add bee pollen each day to salad, I wish I could say it would be easy to cut back on the bugs but besides butterworms he wont eat anything. I stopped syringe feeding him last week, he went 5 days without eating but a few arugula leafs. I offered crickets, dubia roaches, bsfl, silkworms, superworms, if just looks ta them and ignores, I leave them in his enclosure and he just ignores, I also try hand feeding but the same, he won't eat. Waiting for more bloodwork results following a vet visit on Friday.
 

Phoenix1981

Member
Beardie name(s)
Abraxis
Thanks @Phoenix1981 , it's hard even to give regular supplements when my 8 month is not eating salads or insects (besides butterworms but I can keep giving those treats). I will try letting him go for a feeding or two and repeat and see how that goes. We are doing bloodwork, in his last bloodwork he showed severe anemia numbers and his kidney levels were on the low side, hoping the results next week will show better numbers. We feel there maybe something else going on, it could be the adenovirus or something else underlying.
Aww. I hope for the best, of course. Ours lacks calcium and the vet thinks he either has a lesion on his spine or damaged it (because of weak bones) and has a neurological condition now. First, she thought Adenovirus but he doubled in weight in a month and is otherwise pretty active. I think I might try bee pollen like @RangoRocky mentioned. I am just super concerned about him not eating veggies at all. No greens, no fruit, nothing except the mentioned bugs.
Thanks @Phoenix1981 , it's hard even to give regular supplements when my 8 month is not eating salads or insects (besides butterworms but I can keep giving those treats). I will try letting him go for a feeding or two and repeat and see how that goes. We are doing bloodwork, in his last bloodwork he showed severe anemia numbers and his kidney levels were on the low side, hoping the results next week will show better numbers. We feel there maybe something else going on, it could be the adenovirus or something else underlying.
 

RangoRocky

Juvie Member
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Rango Rocky Balboa
Aww. I hope for the best, of course. Ours lacks calcium and the vet thinks he either has a lesion on his spine or damaged it (because of weak bones) and has a neurological condition now. First, she thought Adenovirus but he doubled in weight in a month and is otherwise pretty active. I think I might try bee pollen like @RangoRocky mentioned. I am just super concerned about him not eating veggies at all. No greens, no fruit, nothing except the mentioned bugs.
Thanks @Phoenix1981 , it's hard even to give regular supplements when my 8 month is not eating salads or insects (besides butterworms but I can keep giving those treats). I will try letting him go for a feeding or two and repeat and see how that goes. We are doing bloodwork, in his last bloodwork he showed severe anemia numbers and his kidney levels were on the low side, hoping the results next week will show better numbers. We feel there maybe something else going on, it could be the adenovirus or something else underlying.
Have you tried your the spray vitamins? I used these on both the greens and bugs. Once I spray the greens with this I add the bee pollen. I have the calcium and vitamin supplement spray. Here is the link for them and the bee pollen I have

Vitamin Spray

Calcium Spray

Bee Pollen
 

Phoenix1981

Member
Beardie name(s)
Abraxis
Have you tried your the spray vitamins? I used these on both the greens and bugs. Once I spray the greens with this I add the bee pollen. I have the calcium and vitamin supplement spray. Here is the link for them and the bee pollen I have

Vitamin Spray

Calcium Spray

Bee Pollen
That is wonderful! Thank you for the info. Yesterday when i tried greens he saw the bowl and ran the other direction 🤭😔 don't know if I should laugh or cry. But I will definitely try the pollen. Ordered meal worms for first time and will mix them in, too. Desperate for anything to try to get him to eat greens.
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
I'm guessing this is your 1st dragon lol.
Welcome to the world of beardies.
To be honest i would be more surprised if he did eat the greens.
Beardies are notoriously picky and stubborn eaters. My male is 3&1/2 he has done that off and on his whole life.
My females less so but they do it also.
Fact of the matter is mine just started eating good again a couple weeks ago. Keep him hydrated and keep an eye on him. But done worry TO much its kindda normal.
 

Phoenix1981

Member
Beardie name(s)
Abraxis
I'm guessing this is your 1st dragon lol.
Welcome to the world of beardies.
To be honest i would be more surprised if he did eat the greens.
Beardies are notoriously picky and stubborn eaters. My male is 3&1/2 he has done that off and on his whole life.
My females less so but they do it also.
Fact of the matter is mine just started eating good again a couple weeks ago. Keep him hydrated and keep an eye on him. But done worry TO much its kindda normal.
LOL yes, it is my first. Trying to do everything right. 😊
 

colbertf

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
ROWAN (Gaelic for Little Red Guy)
Aww. I hope for the best, of course. Ours lacks calcium and the vet thinks he either has a lesion on his spine or damaged it (because of weak bones) and has a neurological condition now. First, she thought Adenovirus but he doubled in weight in a month and is otherwise pretty active. I think I might try bee pollen like @RangoRocky mentioned. I am just super concerned about him not eating veggies at all. No greens, no fruit, nothing except the mentioned bugs.
Thanks @Phoenix1981 , it's hard even to give regular supplements when my 8 month is not eating salads or insects (besides butterworms but I can keep giving those treats). I will try letting him go for a feeding or two and repeat and see how that goes. We are doing bloodwork, in his last bloodwork he showed severe anemia numbers and his kidney levels were on the low side, hoping the results next week will show better numbers. We feel there maybe something else going on, it could be the adenovirus or something else underlying.
Hi @Phoenix1981 - I'm sorry to hear your dragon may have spine or bone issues. I sprinkle the bee pollen on veg every day, doesn't seem that it has helped encourage but I do here from a lot of other dragon owners where the bee pollen does really help, I continue to add it anyways. My guy did eat greens today, super happy to see that, I just have to try and get him eating more staple insects other than butterworms which is all he will eat, I've put other type sin front of him and he will just ignore. I hope that your dragon starts to eat some greens, try the bee pollen. You could also try mixing up a slurry and putting some over the greens, that was recommended to me also.
 

colbertf

Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
ROWAN (Gaelic for Little Red Guy)
Have you tried your the spray vitamins? I used these on both the greens and bugs. Once I spray the greens with this I add the bee pollen. I have the calcium and vitamin supplement spray. Here is the link for them and the bee pollen I have

Vitamin Spray

Calcium Spray

Bee Pollen
Thanks @RangoRocky - My guy is not eating bugs,, I' keep trying different of feeders but he will only eat butterworms , which I understand is not a staple. I'm using liquid calcium as a daily supplement (5 times a week) and liquid vitaminz (2 times a week), I get them from Tracie at Bug-de-lite, I do feel the supplements are helping my dragon. Here's what my current supplement schedule looks like
 

Attachments

  • RowanSuplimentSchedule03.jpg
    RowanSuplimentSchedule03.jpg
    76.7 KB · Views: 71

Members online

No members online now.

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,903
Messages
1,255,708
Members
75,967
Latest member
Newbeardiemom09
Top Bottom