All he does is attack the floor?!

[ashen]

It might seem weird, but my beardie spends most of the day trying to eat the ceramic tiles he has for a substrate. They're rough and uneven so it files his nails down and doesn't dislocate his legs/arms. He has plenty of food available to eat but all he's interested in is the floor?! He's been doing it ever since we got him the tiles. I thought he was just eating the patches of colour but when i turned one upside down to see what he'd do, he still goes for it like it's food!

He's so interested with the floor that when i put him in his basking spot he throws a hissy fit and jumps down to the floor again!

I don't really know what to do, but i know that if he continues he's going to damage his teeth or the front of his nose.

Also, while he's trying to eat the floor, he tries to dig too? He's such a weirdo.

 

[CooperDragon]

That's kind of strange. Are you sure he's trying to eat it and not dig into it? I might try building a dig box and see if that helps. You can put a combination of moist play sand and organic topsoil together in a rubbermaid bin until it has a consistency that remains stable if you dig a tunnel. Let him dig around on that for a bit and see if it helps. If not, then perhaps the tile should be replaced with something softer (yet still solid and easy to clean) so he's less likely to hurt himself.

 

[ashen]

He's definitely trying to eat it, there's little wet patches scattered on the tiles where his tongue has been. I'll definitely try out the dig box, just to see what he does!

 

[CooperDragon]

If he's definitely trying to eat, I wonder if he's after something specific. What do you provide in terms of supplements? He may be trying to get extra vitamins or minerals and sees the tile as a potential source.

 

[ashen]

I dust everything he eats with Neutrobal, but nothing else.

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm not familiar with that so I can't comment on it either way. It may be worth trying some different supplements and see if that helps. I use Repashy Supercal NoD for most of the bug meals and sub in Repashy Supervite a couple of times per week.