14 week old baby bearded dragon not eating much help!

[Lorne96]

Hello, my baby beardie isn't eating much at all. I got him almost 2 weeks ago and he's only eating a few roaches a day. He eats a little bit of greens daily but will not eat them in front of me. I have tried feeding him in his viv let them loose inside it, I've put them in a bowl in his viv, tried hand feeding with tongs and just my hands, I've tried putting him in a feeding tub and I've tried just letting them loose on the floor but still not eating much. The most he ate was the first 2 days he was here and yesterday. He is still very skittish and is still very wary of me. The last week I've had to handle him a lot more due to the tip of his tail being black and hard. I took him to the vets (not a reptile vet) and they gave me flamazine for his tail. I don't think it is tail rot as it's only the tip which is hard and black and looks like it will drop off. The black has not spread up his tail, the rest of his tail seems normal. You can see a little pinch in his tail just before the black starts so I'm guessing he had gotten it stuck or had a bad shed or it got bitten by another beardie before I got him. I stopped using the flamazine as I don't believe there is an infection there and have been applying it twice a day for a week and no changes, if he is not eating by next week i will be finding a reptile vet to get him looked at. I have put some calciworms in his cage today and fresh salad (spring greens, rocket, tiny bit of butternut squash and tiny bit of yellow bell pepper) along with some juvinenile pellets for added nutrition considering he isn't eating much. I have tried baby food too and he isn't so keen. I have some locusts and waxworms on the way too (I don't plan to feed the waxworms daily, they're just there to try and coax him into getting something in his belly) he has normal bowels movements daily, he didn't have one yesterday, but since having him they are more greeny coloured than brown and have the white urate too. He looks quite small and slim, but I've never owned a beardie before so could just be me. He weighs 13.4grams(weighed on wednesday) unsure of his length as I don't have a ruler. He is very alert and runs around the cage when I clean it and put food in, trying to keep going in there at a minimum. I bath him once a week if he needs it, i keep a water bowl in his cage as well as misting him every couple of days. The water bowl helps keep his humidity around 30% (it was was too dry in there before about 16%)

My set up is: 3ft viv, 60w spot bulb, arcadia t8 12% strip light, dimmer thermostat, i have a digital probe in the viv at all times on the basking spot, i also check temps with a heat gun. Temps are 107 basking, 93 hot side, 85 cool side.

If anyone can help me out here I would be so thankful! I feel like a horrible beardie mum because he still is not eating and I know I shouldn't have handled him as much as what I've had to but I just want to make sure he is happy, healthy and eating well. Thanks in advance!

 

[KatieMoo94]

I would definitely get the little chap seen by a proper reptile vet sooner rather than later if the tip of his tail isn't looking too good that may be the source of the problem if it's black it has definitely died and he could well have an infection inside that's making him poorly.

As to his eating he maybe is still experiencing a bit of relocation stress... the fact he is having regular bowel movements is a good sign! Definitely keep up trying different feeders but if he really isn't having it you could try crushing up a pellet with some water and dropping it on his nose or making a slurry with some veg and dropping that on his nose to see if you can tempt him. Worms especially waxworms are usually a winner with a hunger strike beardie they can't get enough of them and you can try and substitute every other one with a calci worm to see if you can trick him into eating "proper" food as well. Are his urates pure white and slimy? If they are tinged with colour or chalky he could be dehydrated which can also affect appetite. If he won't drink water willingly try a mix of 100% Apple juice (no added nasties) And mix it 1 part juice to 2 part water to see if the sweetness will get him drinking or you can mix pedialyte rehydration powder with water which will get some vitamins etc into him as well

 

[dezismom]

Beardies are notoriously grumpy about any changes--that could account for his weak appetite. They love those wax worms, so that may tempt him..good job!

Without a photo, I can only guess, but it sounds like your baby had some kind of accident with his tail, and yes, it could possibly dry up and fall off, where the injury is. Only time will tell. My boy had his tail tip badly broken a few months ago, and it turned black and shriveled up, and I was sure he would lose it, but it recovered just fine! Just be very careful to not bump it, and leave it alone. I thought about taping or bandaging Dezis tail, but decided it would be more stressful than it was worth. These guys have remarkable powers of healing.

Keep your baby hydrated, and most important, do keep him away from all stress. That is very important. As long as he is warm and getting his UVB, quiet and has food offered, he will do okay. It might be a good idea to have his stool checked for parasites, which can cause depressd appetite, thinness, amd all kinds of troubles. It sounds like he was not in a great environment, perhaps in a cage with many other beardies, which could explain the tail damage and skittish behavior. If that was the case, he will need extra patience and gentle loving care as he recovers. They are quite emotional, and prone to going off their feed when upset. Until I got my beautiful boy, I would not have believed that a lizard could have so much emotion! These guys are capable of deep love and very dedicated to their owner...your time and patience will be well worth the effort! Please keep us updated on your baby. What is his name? Can you post a photo of him?

Here is my boy DeziLu...he is a big, healthy fellow, 24 inches long! And the love of my heart. We are never apart, he loves snuggles, being pet and gently brushed with a soft make up brush, and chasing kitty toys. He is a perfect little companion.I hope your little guy will grow healthy and strong, and give you as much joy as Dezi has for me. (For the first 6-8 months, they are just eating machines-not too cuddly. But at around 7 months old, they settle down and love to just sit on their owner, watch tv, snuggle.)

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, can you post pics of your entire set up, including placement of the lights. Also pics of the baby [ full body ] and a few close ups of the tail ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

And I agree that it's probably just relocation stress, most beardies go through this when transferred to a new home.

 

[Lorne96]

Thank you for all of your replies! I will definitely try all the advice you all have given me. He didn't eat any of the calciworms I left for him yesterday only a little bit of salad. Today I have left him with calciworms and dubia roaches to give him a choice, just before I left for work he was eyeing up the worms so hopefully he'll try some! He also has springs greens in there so has plenty to munch on while I'm at work. I have uploaded a picture of his viv but I have no idea how to post it on here ? haha. Will get a picture of him later on as he's still quite skittish this morning, maybe when he's sleepy he'll let me.

You're boy dragon is gorgeous! I will definitely keep updating how he's doing, he was sharing a viv with lots of beardies yes. I really hope my boy starts eating soon. His name is Mallee! He is a gorgeous tan brown colour with dark brown marking all down his body and has an orange colour coming out on his body too will try and upload some pictures of him later, he has a lot of stress lines but whenever I pick him up they disappear slightly. I don't think he minds much being held but I think it's the picking up he doesn't like. I stroke his head every time I go into his cage to try and communicate to him I'm not a threat.

His urate is pure white, maybe a slight tinge of green or orangey brown where his urate meets his faeces, slightly wet, was a little dry yesterday so I dropped a couple of drops of water on his nose and he took them. Will hydrate him again later I tried this morning but he kept running away so I left it. Didn't want to chase him round the cage. He does have a water bowl in there, i have tried to show him that there is water there and I mist him every couple of days but doesn't like the sound so he gets a bit skittish when I do it.

If he's still not eating by next Wednesday then I will take him to a reptile vet to get him checked out. The closest one is over an hour away from me and I don't drive so I will need to see if someone can take me there. Any more advice would be wonderful, i will keep you all updated on how he is doing. Thanks again everyone

 

[Lorne96]

So this is Mallee's set up right now

And this is my gorgeous boy. I really do think he's a bit too slim he only defecated a tiny amount today, white urate (still rather white) and more brownish poo a little dry. Just got him to have a drink from water on his nose. Not much as he got a little skittish. I also just bathed him for 5-10 minutes in warm but not hot water. He usually sits on the edge of my hand when he's bathing. Doesn't seem too fond but I had to wash his tail a little because there is a little leftover flamazine from when I was applying it to his tail, so I managed to get most of that off, but as I was picking him up to take him for a bath I noticed the tip of his tail has fallen off! The stub of his tail looks fine, no red or pink tissue or blood, it's like a whiteish colours similar to his belly colour. Is this a good thing? Can i stop worrying about his tail? I've also noticed his tail is dulling slightly in colour maybe a shed coming on? When i got him he had already shed his tail and his nose was starting to peel. But his tail skin had completely come off his body hadn't yet. Should he be due a shed already? I got him 2 weeks ago tomorrow.

This is what the end of his tail looks like sorry for the rubbish picture will get one in daylight tomorrow.

Any advice you can give me is much appreciated, thank you!

 

[AHBD]

Your set up looks great and Mallee looks quite healthy. The tail nip is completely healed and nothing to worry about at all. It sounds like he's just going through a bit of relocation stress, that's perfectly normal so try not to worry. It can take a few weeks for them to really settle in. Offer water dripped on his snout to give him a drink, and when you can, drop a bug at a time on the carpet in front of him. Sometimes if they see it right in front of them just one at a time they will go after them. But don't worry too much, as long as he's eating some he's on the right track.

 

[Lorne96]

Thanks for your reply! Oh good I'm glad you think so! For the last 2 weeks I have been panicking none stop about him. I still am but not so much now I know his tail is healed okay. Will keep an eye on it though regardless. I just hope he eats soon, that is my biggest concern. He ate 5 roaches and 1 calciworms yesterday, bit better than the days before. Hopefully my waxworms and locusts will be delivered today so I can try him with them. Thanks for all of your help. Much appreciated

 

[Lorne96]

Just got home and my waxworms and locusts have arrived. Went up to feed him and he ate around 20 locusts and 1 waxworm I am so happy right now! ? will be ordering more locusts today, he must really like them! He was being fed crickets before, so maybe he sees them as familiar insects plus they're a lot more dainty than roaches so maybe he will prefer these for now? I plan to keep trying with roaches as I think they will help him get big and strong but right now I am more than happy to feed him locusts if he wants those. Whatever makes them eat right! Fingers crossed he keeps this up

 

[dezismom]

Wow! Mallee ia a beauty!! And looks quite healthy...His tail has healed cleanly, with no problems that I can see. You wont even be able to notice that he lost some of it as he grows older. His set up is very nice, prettier than mine to be honest! So no more worries, just enjoy your beautiful boy, and have fun. Yes Mallee could be shedding soon--they shed almost constantly for the first year, as they grow so quickly. This is normal. And he will show a preference for his crickets, if that is what he is used to. They all seem to hate any changes in diet or environment.Just keep,offering him a variety and he will eventually try new things. They usually prefer protiens at Mallees age, to fuel that growth, and develop a like for greens after a year or so. You can dust live food with calcium powder by putting them in a baggie with the powder and shaking it before feeding.

Some Beardies love baths, others never do. My boy hates them, and since he is a desert animal, I do not bathe him unless absolutely needed, like if he runs his tail through poo. Also, during a big shed, a bath can help loosen his skin and provide some relief there. Another reason I bathe Dez, is if he seems a bit constipated--the warm water just moves things right along, so to speak!

Thank you for posting photos of Mallee..I .love it when an owner takes such good care of their baby. I know that Beardy will get a good life, which they all deserve but not all get, and he will be happy and healthy, and the owner will get to experience the joy that I have with my big boy Dezi.( I just gave an extra kiss to Dez, for Mallee.) Dez watched the Superbowl yesterday while on my lap, as we had a superbowl party, and my friends and family all are accustomed to a two foot long lizard being a part of our activities, like that was perfectly normal and expected. (Dez really loves football! I think he likes the brightly colored uniforms moving around on screen. He has no interest in baseball) We included some snacks that Dez could share in--fruit and berries-_ and it was so fun. DeziLu is so much a part of my life, and Mallee will be for you, too! Of course, he will be focused on growing and eating, for the first few months. Their growth rate is amazing! Welcome to the wonderful world of Bearded Dragons. Keep us updated, with plenty of photos of Mallees growth...we love checking out other Beardies...
Dez says, good job, Mallee! keep on eating and one day you will be big like me!

 

[Lorne96]

Thank you Dezismom! What a lovely message from you. I'm glad that his tail looks healed, maybe now that tail bit has dropped off it's not as irritating for him. Aw thank you I'm glad you like my viv set up, i have some more things on the way for him to climb and have fun on while I'm not here. I am off for the next 2 days so I will be offering as much food and water he will take to see if I can boost his health now I know how much he loves locusts. I actually don't mind locusts they're kinda cute ? prefer them to crickets, i don't mind touching locusts but there is something about crickets I'm not fond off. Just keep eating Mallee and you'll make your momma happy haha ?
I went in to turn his lights on this morning and I can see his nose is looking dry so he may have an even shed this time instead of shedding his whole tail first then the rest of his body. Yes I will keep offering roaches locusts waxworms and calciworms as many times a day as I can now he seems to have found his appetite.

Mallee likes baths for the first couple of minutes, he sits on the edge of my hand and closes both eyes but after a short while he wants out. I only really bath him if he is dirty or I can see he is struggling to get rid of a stubborn bit of skin. He prefers misting as he drinks more this way. I hand fed him water of my finger tips yesterday and he had a really good drink. Anything to build a bond right? Haha.

Thanks so much for your lovely message Dezismom, i can see Dezi is well looked after too, what a gorgeous colouring and he is big! Haha, he looks very happy. I will keep uploading pictures of Mallee as he grows. When I was feeding him last night he didn't mind me in the room while he was eating which is a first! So happy he is on the right track now thank you all for your wonderful advice. This is such a great forum, i know I can count on you guys when I have questions or problems! Thanks a lot everyone will keep uploading pictures of Mallee as he gets bigger and more of his colours start to come out. Bearded dragons take so much work and worrying but I already feel he is worth every second of it and more. Thanks again everyone if I have anymore questions I know where to come ?