randommonks
Sub-Adult Member
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.
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.
