Baby Beardie not interested in food!!

[kdraak]

Hi
This is my first time on here, I having been viewing the forum for a couple of weeks for advice.
I think I really just need to know my little one is ok as he/she is worrying me slightly.
I got him/her on the 2nd Oct and he/she is only 4 - 5" from head to end of tail and roughly 5 - 6 weeks old.
I thought this may be to young but he seemed to be improving each day I had him till now.
He/she has shed once but only seems to eat 3 maybe 4 crickets in a day.
I always put fresh greens and water in every day with a few meal worms (are these bad for them) plus he gets offered crickets morning and afternoon. (We also gave him a wax worm the other day which he ate but it seems after this the problems occurred)
When I came home last night I lifted his rock and the crickets I gave him were all under there and he had not eaten any. I took him out (asleep) and put him in towel to sleep while I caught them, but he woke when I put him back and was pretty angry (understandably) This morning he was just hiding in his cave staring at me, I gave him a cricket which he looked at then just looked back at me.
For the past few days he has been hiding behind his rock and just peeking round the corner at me.
He is very feisty and quite hard to catch and always try to escape, he will always open his mouth at me like he wants to bite,but never has! He does lick my finger occasionally!
He basks a lot and seems to be alert and energetic, always has stress marks apart from when asleep and poos regularly.
Anyway I was just wondering If I should be concerned or if he is ok??
And when should I take him for a vet check and do you know the least stressful thing to transport.
Please help very anxious and don't want to be hurting him in any way
( Will attach images once I get them on my comp)

 

[sunkist]

Are you bathing him? If not, I would recommend do this daily. What is going on with yours is what happened with my first one and I think he got toooo dehydrated. I couldn't get him rehydrated for some reason. With my current beardie, I started him on baths upon receiving him and he gets one everyday whether he wants it or not and it helps.

Also, may depend on your lighting and heat. Many on here will ask what your temps are and your bulbs so you might want to go ahead and post them.

 

[kdraak]

I spray him with water most days and give him a bath once a week (does not like them much) i will have to get proper readings on temps. I have a 100w basking bulb on one side above his rock and a uv strip light along the top. He is in a 3ft viv.
This is the kind of uv light (Arcadia D3+ 12% Rept. Lamp 15W, 18in. FD3P15)
Will find out which heat bulb I have.
I spray his veg and gave him some apple this morning but he is not interested in his greens.
i will put the pics of my viv asap.
Thanks

 

[kdraak]

Hi
Just to let you know my spotlamp is by the mealworm company live foods direct and is a 100w reptiluxe
Thanks

 

[Drakknamor]

I am no expert ... however its been intersting watching my beardie eat and grow ... and observing her habits.
I tend to think why isnt she eating alot. Then my girlfriend comes and feeds me. When I cant finish what she gives me cause I am just full ... she is ... lets say unhappy. Hey .. my tummy is only so big.

If you have a 5 or 6 week old beardie ... trust me ... she has a small tummy. She will eat when she is hungry the amount she can handle. Its when she is 6 months old .... you will be singing a new song ... I cant buy enough crickets to keep her happy SEND DONATIONS =D

Also ... one of the links on this site suggest about feeding different bugs and the meat to shell ratio. Good point. While small crickets dont have a lot of shell ... like mealworms or cockroaches ... large ones do and my beardie ... after eating a few ... spit up what looked like a ball of wings, legs and antenea ... eeewww.

So I viewed that as .... I would rather take the nut out of the shell instead of eating the nut with the shell. Its gonna be painful coming out otherwise. Before you feed your young beardie bug with shells ... look for the softer meat. Young crickets for young lizards is just fine.

As far as veggies go. I find I have to 'wiggle' the leave and she cant tear bite sizes on her own. It helps to hold it for her while she tears a piece off. Its fun to let her tug on the veggies. Keep in mind .. the same as bugs with too much shell ... You like your asparragus cooked just right or its all stringy and you gag on it and end up spitting out the stalk. She needs the softer easier to chew part of the leafy veggies you give her.

Yesterday I tried the leave of a sweet potatoe plant ... the kind you buy from a garden center. She loved it ... took 4 bites. And the small pieces I gave her ... she was shy to nip off my fingers and kinda got my finger. It felt soo cool.

I hope that helped ... Have fun.

 

[sunkist]

I would really do the baths daily with that age. Even if they don't like it stick them in there. I've noticed a big difference between the beardie that didn't make it and the one I have now. The one I have now eats more and poops more regularly than the other one. I put Lindy in a container big enough that he can't jump out of it so he just kinda sits there or swims from end to end. He doesn't like it but he knows he's going to stay in there til he poops.