Baby beardie not eating

[Whippybasket]

Hi all I'm a new beardie owner (4 days!) I got my little guy at petsmart, I know I know bad idea but I feel like it was a rescue more than a purchase. When we first brought him home we made an appointment with a great exotic animal vet because he just wasn't eating, he's realllllly small (only 8 grams) and he was really skinny and pretty much limp in my hand when I held him. Long story short it's been 2 days since we went to the very he's currently on 3 medications one for pinworms one for coccidia and Calcium because he's got the beginning stages of MBD. They also suspect bacterial infection. We are having to force feed him this wet food they gave us. On the bright side he's already feeling soooooo much better❤??! He's got his Spunk back. However he is still refusing to eat live food (we have Phoenix worms) he just kind spits it out or he will hold it in his mouth like a cigar lol. Is it possible he doesn't know or remember how to eat live food? The tank he was in at petsmart he was kept with another dragon who was about 3 times his size and probably wasn't letting him eat. We got him about 4 days after he was shipped the store. I'm happy he's feeling better but will I need to teach him how to eat?

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hi all I'm a new beardie owner (4 days!) I got my little guy at petsmart, I know I know bad idea but I feel like it was a rescue more than a purchase. When we first brought him home we made an appointment with a great exotic animal vet because he just wasn't eating, he's realllllly small (only 8 grams)
<<<< 8g is about normal for a 4-6 week old hatchling. Puff was 8g at 6weeks , while his sister Rex was 7g, and Peppa was 13.5g at 5 weeks while her brother Toothless was 11.2g.
Different breeders (Puff and Rex, then Peppa and Toothless).

and he was really skinny and pretty much limp in my hand when I held him. Long story short it's been 2 days since we went to the very he's currently on 3 medications one for pinworms one for coccidia and Calcium because he's got the beginning stages of MBD.
<<<< are the meds for paracites because the vet found he is infected or just in case without the vet actually even bothering to check a stool sample ? These meds can be very hard on a beardie, even harder on one who is dehydrated , malnourished and likely already very ill.
I would collect a poo sample and another vet check for paracites if this hasn't been done. I suggest a second opinion by a different vet (in a different clinic, the meds will be putting him off feeding and may not be necessary).

Being off the food for a while is very common on relocation , can last up to a week.

Since your little beardie is so weak, and not eating, you will have to get some force feed it if it stands any chance of surviving this. Sounds more like AV to me.

I suggest buying some HERPABOOST or REPTIBOOST and some REPASHI GRUBPIE , and you may need to report to using a crop/feeding needle to actually get these made up as wet paste into his mouth if he is resistant to feeding , and if he's too weak to chew and swallow, directly into his stomach. handy to have in the fridge (Herpaboost) or pantry GrubPie packet in case you need them .See for crop needle sizes and technique viewtopic.php?f=45&t=232687 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYol3D3TEk4

You are dealing with a very small hatchling who needs food to have energy and to live, don't over do the force feeding , looking at very small volumes of water or wet pasty-foods/ suppliments 1-4ml/100g body water (ie 0.08ml to 0.3ml MAX).

They also suspect bacterial infection. We are having to force feed him this wet food they gave us.
<<< what was the food they gave you to feed him with ?

On the bright side he's already feeling soooooo much better❤??! He's got his Spunk back. However he is still refusing to eat live food (we have Phoenix worms) he just kind spits it out or he will hold it in his mouth like a cigar lol. Is it possible he doesn't know or remember how to eat live food? The tank he was in at petsmart he was kept with another dragon who was about 3 times his size and probably wasn't letting him eat.
<<< it is likely he got to this state because he was housed with a much larger beardie was perpetually terrified of it and too scared to eat in it's presence.
You might need to hand feed the phoenix worms to it see this for how - I do something similar with all mine as babies (is a bonding thing) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVupVG9E06s
We got him about 4 days after he was shipped the store. I'm happy he's feeling better but will I need to teach him how to eat?