12 Month Old Beardie not eating veg and not really basking

[Jaminahat]

Hi all,

I apologise in advance for the lengthy read.

My Beardie Gary seems to be a bit of an odd one. He never seems to want to be on the hot side of his vivarium and never seems too interested in food. He will not eat veg at all and he will only eat Morio worms/calcium worms (the little white ones). Even then he will only eat a couple every few days. Sometimes the calci worms seem to get his appetite going a bit more but not for too long. All food that i do offer him is always dusted in calcium powder. Veg is a no go, ive tried lots of different fruits, veggies and leaves but he just doesn't seem interested. I have also tried some baby food with added calcium powder which i feed through a small animal syringe and he will have some of that but i am not sure that it will help him much, i dont want him to start relying on me to hand feed him all the time.

He also isn't really active, ive seen some beardies that run round like maniacs all day but Gary usually stays in one spot for a whole day and wont be too bothered about going to his basking spot at all. If i put him in his basking spot he will only stay there for a couple of minutes then he will stroll back over to the other side of the viv.

On occasions he has been known to have a good run around outside of the vivarium but that usually ends up in him finding a nice cold corner and perching himself standing on his back two feet against the wall.

I am just a bit concerned for his health to be honest. I would like to think that i did all the correct research before getting him but i cant help but feel like i am doing something wrong.

He is on full repti carpet, basking spot is 100f, hot ambient is 80f and the colder side is 70f. He has a 14% Arcadia UVB lamp running the full length of the viv and a 100w Arcadia basking bulb. There are plenty of logs that he can climb around on and also places to hide from the heat (where he is most of the time) He is bathed at least once per week. Sometimes twice if I feel like it and i mist him almost daily. He loves to be picked up and stroked but still does not tend to move much except from to find a cold dark corner to sit in.

If anyone has any advice on anything I can try in order to get him to bask by himself, to eat more and eat veg that would be great. I am open to trying anything at this point. Other than the issues above he seems okay. No obvious signs of distress or any injuries etc.

Please bear in mind I am in the UK so some insects may not be available here.

Thanks in advance, I appreciate your time spent reading this and I look forward to hearing some replies.

 

[KarrieRee]

Is it summer over there? It sounds like he is in semi brumation- are you keeping an eye on his weight? Does he have a dark beard? If hes not losing weight he should be fine--- just keep offering him vegies and his calci worms - it seems you shouldnt have to dust those worms if they are like the nutri grubs here but they are brown not white and full of calcium-- offer him water as well or drip it on his nose to see if he licks it off - you dont want him dehydrated- it is cold here now as I live in MN and mine has been doing alot of lazing around hiding in his hide and not eating alot as well - I think his metabolism has slowed down so hes not doing alot of activity either-
Karrie

 

[Gormagon]

How are you getting the temperature readings?
What size is you viv? Please use inches and feet!

 

[Jaminahat]

Is it summer over there? It sounds like he is in semi brumation- are you keeping an eye on his weight? Does he have a dark beard? If hes not losing weight he should be fine--- just keep offering him vegies and his calci worms - it seems you shouldnt have to dust those worms if they are like the nutri grubs here but they are brown not white and full of calcium-- offer him water as well or drip it on his nose to see if he licks it off - you dont want him dehydrated- it is cold here now as I live in MN and mine has been doing alot of lazing around hiding in his hide and not eating alot as well - I think his metabolism has slowed down so hes not doing alot of activity either-
Karrie

It is Spring, not summer just yet. I thought that but he is not sleeping or anything he just sits there looking around. He is not losing weight at all and his beard is usually fine. In fact he has ever had a fully dark beard, only the small black lines on his belly. He often gets offered water from another one of those small animal syringes. Ive done the skin pinch test on a loose bit of skin and he doesnt seem to be at all dehydrated. Like i say, i bathe him and mist him a lot too. I thought he would grow out of this but it has been happening since he was around 6 months old. He was fine, eating like a trooper and running around and then he had a shed and since then he has been like this. I've taken him to a vet and she said he seemed okay but i keep thinking that something seems wrong with the way that he is...

 

[Jaminahat]

How are you getting the temperature readings?
What size is you viv? Please use inches and feet!

I use a laser gun thermometer type thing. I tend to point it from about 2" away from the basking spot and take a reading.

His vivarium is 4ft long with a couple shelves inside. He often sits on the top shelf all the way on the left or under the bottom shelf. Although he seems to prefer being higher up..

This is a link for the viv: https://www.aquacadabra.com/products/vivexotic-viva-beard-dragon-starter-kit-pt4096?variant=14250240442434&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5MnzjLvm4AIVjxoYCh1b1AfOEAkYASABEgIejPD_BwE

 

[Jaminahat]

Also, to add, His schedule is 9am -> 10pm.

He has a night heater which is infrared (no light) if it gets too cold.