6-7 year old beardie will NOT eat veggies!

[clearlyjoyful]

He's always been relatively good about eating everything he's given, but all of a sudden he's refusing veggies.
I've had to give him Reptaboost to try and stimulate some appetite but it isn't working.
He spits out baby food.

I've tried serving him foods that he hasn't tried before (i.e., two different types of squash, apples, honeydew melon!) and that just doesn't work. His old favourites (carrots, kiwi, grapes) don't work either.
I'm at a loss! He eats his worms and crickets fine, for the record. Any suggestions?

 

[sweetiepie9]

Wow, you've done everything, but I'm wondering if a probiotic would help? I've noticed that the winter time can cause food slow downs, but usually it's everything, not just veggies. Do you give him any greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, spring mix, leaf lettuce, swiss chard, dandelion. Here's a nutrition list that might help www.beautifuldragons.com. I use the probiotics on this site www.bug-de-lite.com. I've used the Benebac and recently ordered the Acidopholus. It puts good bacteria back into the digestive system. I'm surprised the reptaid didn't work, I've never used it myself but have heard good things about it.

Not sure what else I can suggest. Just feed the crickets fruit and the supers greens, that will help get some veggies/greens into him.

Another suggestions is cricital care, it's full of good herbs, much like Reptaid. Hope any of this helps.

 

[clearlyjoyful]

Wow, you've done everything, but I'm wondering if a probiotic would help? I've noticed that the winter time can cause food slow downs, but usually it's everything, not just veggies. Do you give him any greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, spring mix, leaf lettuce, swiss chard, dandelion. Here's a nutrition list that might help http://www.beautifuldragons.com. I use the probiotics on this site http://www.bug-de-lite.com. I've used the Benebac and recently ordered the Acidopholus. It puts good bacteria back into the digestive system. I'm surprised the reptaid didn't work, I've never used it myself but have heard good things about it.

Not sure what else I can suggest. Just feed the crickets fruit and the supers greens, that will help get some veggies/greens into him.

Another suggestions is cricital care, it's full of good herbs, much like Reptaid. Hope any of this helps.

I know, I've tried EVERYTHING. He's not losing weight, which is what baffles me. For a while I thought it was brumation, and maybe it still is. He's not as active. The only thing that makes me think it's NOT brumation is the fact that he'll still eat bugs. I've tried several of those greens and I'm familiar with BeautifulDragons' list. I could try probiotics, but we'll see.

The crickets/worms do get gut-loaded, so hopefully that's helping and I have critical aid, or critical care I think the one I have is called, but I've been saving it because I've heard it's just really for underweight dragons and isn't so much an appetite inducer like Reptaid is.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Sounds like winter slow down but not brumation. As long as his poops are steady and not stinky, then probably not parasites. I have 3 dragons that won't eat anything, have to sort of force feed them and another one who just woke up after 2 1/2 mo brumating that's not feeling well, so I know what you're going through. As long as he's not losing weight and eating bugs, which will keep his weight on, then I really wouldn't worry too much. Just make sure he's getting his vit/min dusting on one feeding a week, that will help him. Alot of beardies are like this at this time of year, it drives me nuts!

 

[clearlyjoyful]

Sounds like winter slow down but not brumation. As long as his poops are steady and not stinky, then probably not parasites. I have 3 dragons that won't eat anything, have to sort of force feed them and another one who just woke up after 2 1/2 mo brumating that's not feeling well, so I know what you're going through. As long as he's not losing weight and eating bugs, which will keep his weight on, then I really wouldn't worry too much. Just make sure he's getting his vit/min dusting on one feeding a week, that will help him. Alot of beardies are like this at this time of year, it drives me nuts!

Okay, good to know it's not just him! It's just weird because I've never really experienced this with him before and I mean, he's getting oldER but he's not OLD old yet, so I didn't want to think that maybe he was just getting to that... endpoint, you know? I'll just keep feeding the bugs and offering veggies and hope eventually he takes them.

 

[sweetiepie9]

He's no-where near the end point, he's not OLD at all! Lonzo is almost 10 and he's still active and I expect him to live a few more years. So no, he's fine. As long as everything else is ok, he's pooping like normal. As I said I have to feed mind by hand, I put a piece of veggie or green along the side of their mouths until they open & pop it in, sometimes that works, you could always try that. I don't force them as such, just get them to open their mouths & pop, in goes the squash piece or collard green. That's the only way I can get mine to eat veggies/greens at all!