Beardie with a Silver Spoon

[Hillbillyfairy]

It started about 18 months ago when I was desperately trying to get Sticky to eat more vegetables and fewer bugs. She simply refused - for weeks - to eat, so I started spoon feeding her pureed vegetables. She seems to love this. I give her live prey from time to time, and monitor her weight. I should probably mention that I adopted her, and don't have a good idea how old she is. I do know that she has Metabolic Bone Disease, which the rescue organizations did a great job of bringing her back to health. I've had her for about 2-1/2 years and she's been in wonderful health, and I don't want that to change. Her last vet appointment 2 months ago showed no parasites and a thumbs up from the vet that she's doing well.

So what should I do? I still put green things in her tank for her. I really don't mind feeding her, it's a great way to bond. And I know not to panic if we miss a day. However, I'm going away in a few weeks and she's staying home with my husband who, shall we say, doesn't share my love of reptiles so there's no hand feeding while I'm gone! I've been making her food chunkier, and mixing some pelleted food with it. I guess if she has fresh greens every day while I'm gone (he will put food in her tank lol!), and she gets really hungry she'll eat, but just wondering if anyone else has had this. Isn't she beautiful!? She likes to hang out on my desk.

 

[xp29]

She is very beautiful

 

[RangoRocky]

Have you tried putting bee pollen on the greens? Mines went through a 3-4mo period of not eating greens. Once I added the bee pollen and spraying them with vitamin and calcium spray he started eating them like he never stopped. Occasionally I also add fruit. But what really worked was switching up the greens weekly but adding the bee pollen

 

[Rocky2022]

She is beautiful! Listen to RangoRocky-- 100%accurate.

 

[Hillbillyfairy]

Have you tried putting bee pollen on the greens? Mines went through a 3-4mo period of not eating greens. Once I added the bee pollen and spraying them with vitamin and calcium spray he started eating them like he never stopped. Occasionally I also add fruit. But what really worked was switching up the greens weekly but adding the bee pollen

Yes, I've tried bee pollen. She isn't impressed.

 

[Hillbillyfairy]

Have you tried putting bee pollen on the greens? Mines went through a 3-4mo period of not eating greens. Once I added the bee pollen and spraying them with vitamin and calcium spray he started eating them like he never stopped. Occasionally I also add fruit. But what really worked was switching up the greens weekly but adding the bee pollen

Yes, she's not impressed!

 

[RangoRocky]

Yes, she's not impressed!

Other suggestion

Spraying/rinsing them apple juice
Flukers strawberry/banana calcium powder
Beardie smoothie aka slurry with veggies and fruit
Different brand of bee pollen
Bearded dragon salad dressing

 

[Hillbillyfairy]

Spraying/rinsing them apple juice
Flukers strawberry/banana calcium powder
Beardie smoothie aka slurry with veggies and fruit
Different brand of bee pollen
Bearded dragon salad dressing

She loves that banana cream smoothie. Also, organic butternut or pumpkin baby food. She hates anything green in a jar but I sneak chopped greens into everything. I’ve been googling “spoon-feeding bearded dragons “ and it seems she’s not the only one!

 

[RangoRocky]

No not at all I had to spoon feed my oldest for 4mo and Then he started eating greens with the assistance of the bee pollen. But per the vet she also scaled him back on roaches to 2x a week. Now he gets them every other day. Not sure if you tried it but the green baby food that worked best for mines was the apple and kale. Here is a a pic in case you haven’t seen it

 

[fcooper]

Have you tried putting bee pollen on the greens? Mines went through a 3-4mo period of not eating greens. Once I added the bee pollen and spraying them with vitamin and calcium spray he started eating them like he never stopped. Occasionally I also add fruit. But what really worked was switching up the greens weekly but adding the bee pollen

Really helped my boy learn to eat greens when he was a wee lad

 

[Hillbillyfairy]

I'm going to try the bee pollen again. I've been away for almost a week and my housesitter says she hasn't eaten a thing, even when she tried to spoon feed her. Am I her mommy now?! Anyway, I'm going for a longer trip in November and really want to have her eating on her own by then. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS would be so helpful. Thanks everyone! In the meantime, here's Sticky with her newest friend, Tigger. BTW Sticky is so-named because of her how she "sticks" on anyone who's holding her.