After a nearly 3 month battle, Nye is finally eating

[randommonks]

Just wanted to put this out there for any other keepers who have a baby bearded dragon who will stubbornly not eat, keep up the hard work and don't give up on them.

When I got Nye, he was an ok but seemingly picky eater. He ate well on dubias for a couple of days and then refused them completely. Same with black soldier fly larvae. Same with crickets. Out of desperation, I tried small mealworms which, of course, he seemed to like. So for the last 2.5 months, I've had to syringe feed him chicken and sweet potato baby foods (easiest mixture to syringe) mixed with his calcium/vitamin supplements. Every. Single. Day. For 2.5 months. If I missed a meal, it would look like he shriveled into himself and was dying. Some days, he would eat 2 or 3 mealworms. Some days, he would eat nothing on his own.

Only this week has he shown increased interest in live feeders. I've slowly started transitioning him away from crunchy mealworms to include waxworms and will hopefully get him back on BSFL and/or dubias in a few weeks. Right now, I'm just monitoring his poops and giving him whatever he wants to eat. Oddly enough, he has a great enthusiasm for his greens and will eat parsley and turnip greens more than his bugs. For the first time since I've gotten him, he has a nice round belly.

So if anyone has a bearded dragon baby that seems to not want to thrive, keep up the fight and hopefully you guys will both pull through together. Incidentally, the experience of being syringe fed has turned Nye incredibly fearful and bitey, so next month, our goal is socialization.

 

[KarrieRee]

Lighting in the tank basking temps and UVB are the main control over their behavior and health -- if this is off then they will not eat --- what are you using for a UVB NO coils please and basking temps should be taken w/ a digital probe thermometer NO stick ons they are inaccurate

 

[randommonks]

Reptisun 10.0 (4 months old) with a reflector and basking temps 112F at hottest point with his favorite basking point being 102F (tested with a heat gun). Not my first rodeo but Darwin was MUCH easier than Nye :lol:

I suspect that Nye may be Adenovirus positive but don't want to risk a vet visit in the middle of a pandemic. He showed almost all the signs of adenovirus and I thought I was going to lose him a couple times early on.

 

[KarrieRee]

Talk to Tracie drache613 about getting him tested if you want him tested- your uvb is a T 8 or T 5 distance and placement between the two bulbs is important

 

[randommonks]

Ok thanks!