2 wk old hatchling not eating.

[greathouseFarm]

Hi there everyone...

I have 7 little beardies that just hatched about 2 wks ago. I watch them closely when I feed them and notice that one of them just doesn't eat. He is not completely lethargic but definitely not as active as the others. Should I go ahead and try and force feed him? And if so should I just blend crickets or is there a recipe for babies this young. I do have feeding syringes but not the long tube things. I do have some zoo med juvi food pellets that I never used. Maybe I could mash up some of that and try to just get him going. Any advice is greatly appreciated...

 

[Twobeardieguy]

He is probably getting dominated. You may have to separate that one.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Yeah I don't think he is being dominated because he just sits by himself and crickets are all around him... while the others are happily scurring around to catch theirs. I put him into a separate tank and I gave him 5 crickets. He did eat one but then turned himself dark again and just sat there. I'd hate to lose this little one if there is something I can do. He seems even more sad now by himself.

 

[zizzee]

Is his viv still near the other ones? You could try moving him away so he can't see the other beardies and see if he'll come around to eating?

 

[KirbysMom]

Is he going to the bathroom? And is his basking temp accurate? If he's able to poo and everything I would recommend force feeding him, since he's little don't give him too much. Is he hydrated?

He does seem like he's stressed out. Just because he doesn't seem like it he really could. I would mix up a mash of crickets and veggies even pellets would be good, then sprinkle his vitamins on that. Syringe feed him. What you do is put a little bit on his mouth then wait until he opens it, push it in real fast and squeeze. Don't go too fast though if he's not swallowing it.
Just don't starve him, is he an ok weight?

 

[DragonMomSandy]

I would have to agree with Twobeardieguy, this little one is being dominated, that's why he is sitting by himself and isn't attempting to eat. He's afraid that if he tries he will be attacked by the more dominant siblings. Seperating him in a viv by himself in an area where he can't see the others should help and he will probably start eating on his own. If left in with the more dominant ones, he may get attacked if he tries to eat, or if he just gets in their way. He won't get enough heat and uvb if left with the clutch either.

As far as force feeding, as I mentioned, it might not even be necessary. If you feel the need to try, you can blend crickets and veg to a very smooth consistancy. BUT, Let me be VERY CLEAR about HOW to do this: Touch a drop to the end of the snout. As the baby starts to lick, keep putting drops on the tip of the snout until he's had enough and doesn't want any more (when he realizes this tastes good, he'll keep licking until he's full). DO NOT EVER shove the syringe into the mouth really fast and just squirt it in. This can cause aspiration. The liquid can go in too fast this way for him to swallow and end up in his windpipe as well as his lungs. There is very little space between the windpipe and the esaphogus. He could choke, and any food that gets into the lungs can cause upper respiratory infection or even bacterial pneumonia. Look at it more as "assisted feeding" rather than force feeding. True force feeding should only be done in dire circumstances and with the assistance of a vet. I don't mean to be rude or step on any toes here. Just be aware that syringe feeding should be done with great care, especially with hatchlings. It really can be very dangerous if not done correctly and I'd hate to see you lose this baby by not doing it correctly. Before attempting to assist feed, seperate him first, give him the chance to eat on his own. Watch him for a day, see if he tries to eat on his own when he's not so frightened. Then, if he's not, give him a little slurry by syringe, just very small amounts to trigger his appetite and be very careful doing it.

Good luck.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice. I have been trying to convince my husband that I don't pay too much attention to the animals so let him not know that I talk about it online too! Ha... he is on motorcycle forums all the time! Anyway let me try and answer everyones questions... We do have stacked tanks so he can't see them anymore but he still shows no interest in the crickets. If I mist his rock with water he does lap it up so that's good. As for force feeding or help feeding I should say. I do raise rabbits and have experience with these things so I would never stick a syringe in the mouth but he did lap some of the slurry I made but very little. So I'm going to keep trying, as for if he is pooping I have not seen one yet since I separated him. Can he have a little warm bath at this age? They are not on substrate just paper so I doubt he is impacted. Just depressed it seems. The slurry I made from the pellets is actually hard to get to a smooth consistency to go through the tip. Does anyone know of other recipes from cat food or the like?

 

[DragonMomSandy]

I am very relieved that you won't be shoving a syringe in his mouth. I always cringe when I hear that. I'm glad you moved him away from his clutch mates as well. It will take a couple of days before he really feels safe and unthreatened. For a really healthy slurry, the best thing is bug slurry. I've found that the hand/stick blenders work the best for this. Put live crickets, silkworms and/or dubia roaches into a container, add a few fresh greens and blend it all up. To thin it a little you can add a little water or a touch of clear pedialyte. I would also put a tiny pinch of calcium powder in as well. If you make enough, you can feed from it for 2 days. No longer as it will go bad. You can use chicken baby food in a pinch and mix in a little squash or sweet potato baby food. Mix 3/4 chicken baby food with 1/4 squash or sweet potato and add a touch of moisture to thin it enough for the syringe. You want it to be more of the chicken to give this little one more protein. Turkey baby food can be used as well, but the chicken would be better. Make sure the baby food doesn't have rice though. I personally prefer the bug slurries as it's more digestable than the chicken or turkey, but any of these proteins will work until he's eating on his own. I would avoid grinding up cat food or using moist cat foods. Cat food works for feeding feeders like dubia roaches, but really is not good for a dragon. Many cat food have ingredient added that help prevent hairballs and other things that really aren't meant for a dragons intricate digestive tract. And the pellets, well they really aren't that nutritious for them and they lack moisture. I would also keep offering live pinheads daily. Put a few in the viv for him and as his energy levels increase, he should started chasing them on his own. Just be sure not to leave any of the crickets in for too long or overnight. Even pin heads can bite a dragon and stress them out.

Baths are great for this little ones. Make sure the water is baby warm (the temp for a human baby) and doesn't come above his shoulders. Don't leave him unattended as small dragons can drown. This is a great way to hydrate them and you can let them sit or play in a bath for up to 20 minutes. During a bath, they not only absorb moisture through the skin, but through their vents as well. Baths are a good way to stimulate them to go poop as well. And as for him not pooping, he's taking in so little food that he won't have much to expell. Misting all the babies a few times a day is also a good idea, they will lick up droplets and they will absorb some of the moisture. Babies are very prone to dehydration for the first 4 to 6 weeks.
Keep trying! Hopefully this little guy will come around.

Hope this helps.

Let us know how this little one is doing.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Well the little guy is still with us. His clutch mates are almost double his size now and completing their first sheds! I have resorted to the chicken & butternut squash baby food. All whole and organic... I just wasn't getting a good slurry from the bugs and he wasn't interested, he is really gobbling up the baby food. I put one cricket in with him every now and then but he doesn't seem to care much but I think he will when he gets his strength up. I do give him little baths... I haven't seen poop yet though he just started eating the baby food last night. Before that he was just barely lapping up bug guts! Well I am confident he will grow to be a great eater and loving dragon for all the human attention he has gotten... will update again soon.

 

[greathouseFarm]

Hey everyone... I wanted to post an update here because I think this could be valuable info for everyone. I had been hand feeding this guy and I said to myself he really needs to learn to eat on his own. So on a whim I grabbed one of my dubias out of the do not touch bin (been trying to get the colony going before we use it for feeding) He had no interest in the crickets I don't know what made me even try it but low and behold he gobbled it up. So I put a couple more and he went right for those too! This little guy came alive like I had never seen him. That was yesterday and now he seems like the most normal baby! Active little pooper! Just prefers the caviar to the burger.