50 crickets a day??!

[shorti3287]

Our little girl is about 6-7 inches now. I read somewhere that she should eat 50 crickets a day? She has never eatne more than maybe 15 a day. Is this ok?

 

[Beardednoob]

Our little girl is about 6-7 inches now. I read somewhere that she should eat 50 crickets a day? She has never eatne more than maybe 15 a day. Is this ok?

Some dragons will eat upwards of 50 crickets in a day and other will even eat more. It is dependent on the individual. Typically there are 2-3 feeding sessions, each session lasting for 10-15 minutes. In which time the dragon is offered as many feeders as it can eat. Keep in mind the feeder crickets should be no larger then the space between the dragons eyes. The baby I have now will eat about 60 small feeder crickets a day, on the weekends as there are 3 feeding sessions, on the week days I am not home to feed so there are 2 feeding sessions where he will eat about 40 per day.

If this hasn't answered your question maybe giving us enclosure details could help. There are sometimes things that can decrease a dragons appetite. How long have you had your dragon?

 

[shorti3287]

I feel so stupid not knowing she should be eating that much! I feed her twice a day, sometimes three times.
We have had her about a month now. We moved her into a 55gallon tank this weekend. We use paper towels for substrate, she has a 48" reptisun 10 bulb with reflective tape on a box covering it. Her basking spot since moving into the new tank is still a little low, around 95. I will have to work on that more. Her cold side is good at about 80. She has a large stone hiding cave, and a large half log under her basking lights. She has only eaten at most 15 crickets. Right noe she is only eating about maybe 5 a day!. I have been feeding her garden vegatable baby food through a medicine dropper, trying to get her to eat more. She seems to like that.

I already have to call today to make an appointment because I think she has a fungus on her back, so I guess I can tell them about her lack of easting as well. I just do not understand. I have been reading everything, and trying to follow everything. Why is our poor girl, ot eating enough, and has a fungus?!

 

[Toyguy]

Definitely get the basking spot warmed up to around 105 F as that's important for digestion. That could be affecting her eating. Are you sure she's not getting ready to shed? What makes you think she has a fungus? Have any pics you can post?

 

[shorti3287]

I looked at a lot of pictures of beardies shedding, and it looked pretty obvisious to me. Our girl has a bumpy rough darker colored area, that I originally thought was shedding. I think its a fungus because its uneven in height, and looks like she is losing some scales there. I noticed today that now she also has a yellow area on her lips I am going today to get the probe thermometer because we have the little round compass looking ones. She has never eaten more than 15 crickets since weve had her, so I am wondering if it has been a problem, but I didnt know the signs???
I dont have a camera right now, will be getting one either tonight or tomorrow, but I did take some pics with my phone, so not very good but theyre here. www.photobucket.com/shorti3287

 

[shorti3287]

Ok vet appointment for 4:15 today. Will update with news about her skin, and eatting, hope our little girl will be better soon

 

[clossboss]

Good luck, i would get the probe thermometer asap as the others are inaccurate. Hope everything turns out ok

 

[shorti3287]

We went to the vet and found out our girl had a bad case of yellow fungus. It didnt even turn yellow until a couple days ago, and only in a couple tiny spots. It was just dark and rough. So after talking more with the vet she said it is possible she had it before we got her, which I believe, and that even after she heals this time, theres a good possibility she would get it again.

We decided to put her to sleep today It was so hard. We have only had her a short time, but the thought that for the rest of her life she would get this awful fungus, and need to be on medicine... it was also too much. I dont want to watch her suffer over and over again throughout her life.

Hopefully a happy note, we went ang got another little one today. I disenfected the tank, and everything in it. The vet said to get rid of her log, and anything else with pores, so i did. This will be our third dragon, and hopefully our great success