baby dragon not eating enough

[zillasmom]

Hi, I am new to this forum and keeping bearded dragons and need some advice please! We purchased 2 baby dragons (6 weeks old) about 6 weeks ago. Chao and Zilla. We put them in a 20 long for the time being as Zilla was eventually to go to my son for his birthday at the end of this month. It was apparent from the beginning that Zilla was more timid than Chao, she would constantly hide in the corner of the tank and not eat as much (although Chao was not doing anything physical to intimidate her, I think she just fell into the submissive role...)

Anyways...about 2-3 weeks went by with no real signs of improvement so we decided to move Zilla over to my house and give her to my son early. We put her in a 55 gallon tank (which I was later told was too large for a little beardie so I put in a divider.) She is actually eating less than before and hasn't eaten any crickets this week. I do leave her a veggie plate daily and she picks at it but not enough for her to grow. She has barely grown since I bought her. She seems to be very timid and possibly a bit neurotic. She has been in this halved 55 gallon tank for almost 3 weeks, she does not seem to be adapting...

Her heating and UV lighting is appropriate to what she needs, with a 100w UV and her top basking spot hovers at around 100. She is going potty on a regular basis. I'm just not sure what to try next. Should I put her in a seperate enclosure to feed her? Chao has more than doubled in size since we bought them both at the same time at the same age. I know it's hard to compare because they are each individuals but when I see how big he is it makes me sad that Zilla is not keeping up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Cammy]

Once a beardie assumes a submissive role (and you are correct in thinking that's what happened, even if Chao was physically intimidating her), it can take a long time for them to get over it. The key is making sure she feels extremely secure. I'd actually recommend covering the back and both sides of her cage section with paper, blankets/towels, or aquarium background if you haven't already. Then cover at least the bottom half of the front as well. This will emphasize an isolated, closed in feeling for your beardie, which will make her feel more secure. I know it's unsightly, but you don't have to leave her boxed in forever, just until she is back up to speed. I do recommend keeping the back and sides of your tank covered for all beardies (again, major security provider), but the front barrier can come off once she is fully confident.

I would also try to find another decent protein source to stimulate her appetite. Sometimes a change from the norm is all they need to spark their interest. Look into small roaches such as the lateralis or either silk worms or phoenix/calci/repti worms. (Avoid non-ideal feeders such as other worms as you don't want her getting hooked on a poor food source.) I'd try the phoenix worms first. They're a little lower in protein than other feeders, but are higher in fat and have a naturally balanced Ca ratio, and most reptiles gobble them up like candy. Make sure you are dusting her foods (including salads) regularly. You might also consider mixing a few moistened juvenile bearded dragon pellets into the salad to catch her eye and try to sneak some more protein in her. The juvenile beardies at my work seem to like the Rep Cal pellets best, probably because of their bright colors.

Is she basking regularly? Or does she still hide most of the time?

 

[zillasmom]

She basks all the time, doesn't hide at all anymore, she doesn't seem to be unhappy overall just not eating. Thank you for all the suggestions, I will definitely get some backing for the tank, I think she gets distracted at her reflection sometimes...Also, can you suggest a good site to buy the roaches? I have the moist pellets and always mix them in with the salad, she hasn't had any greens though since Tuesday, just not showing any interest. Do you think when I throw a roach in there she will realize the difference and go for it? Or will she need to taste it to realize it's different? Thanks again for your help!

 

[Cammy]

That's very good that she is basking. Getting that good ol' UVB is essential to growth. =D

Sorry about the slow reply, by the way, I was waiting to get a recommendation for roaches from a friend. (I have dubias, which I got from him, so I know nothing about good sources for lateralis, which is what I recommend you get due to size.) He suggested looking for an ad by Magic Merlin (who he said has both good reviews and prices) on Fauna Classifieds and PM'ing him to see if he has any b. lateralis or if he can scoop out some smaller ones of the other species he has if not. Here's his most recent ad: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276384.

I honestly don't know if your beardie will know that it's a new food source because of the size and color of each being similar...And it probably depends on the beardie, too. Again, worms are great for grabbing attention since they are so different in appearance and movement. I've ordered from Phoenix Worms and they were great. They have a new deal now where you can buy a single cup rather than a bulk amount. With a flat shipping rate of 4.95, it'll run you out a little over 10 bucks. You can order here: http://www.phoenixworm.com/servlet/the-12/A.-Introductory-Pack--dsh-/Detail

I know what you mean about getting distracted by her reflection--they interpret their reflection as another beardie, which is obviously going to intimidate a submissive beardie. My beardie is also very submissive and hid a lot of the time until I covered 3 sides of his tank with a background. Thankfully he's a glutton, though, so I didn't have to worry about him not eating, lol. =)

Weeellp, keep us updated! I'll be checking in. =D

 

[zillasmom]

update...not good So we took her to the vet Saturday morning because I just wanted to be on the safe side, she is obstructed and the vet had to force feed her in the office, along with fluids. He gave us some a/d dog food to give via syringe and said hopefully she will pass it on her own. We've been feeding her the a/d food and offering other food too (she still shows no interest) However, after her last feeding last night, when I set her back in her tank she just sat there with her eyes closed... She sat that way for hours, and its not like she was in a comfy spot, I sat her next to her food dish. Last night before going to bed I put a small towel in the tank and set her on it, thats where she still was this morning, I'm afraid maybe the force feeding has traumatized her, even though she seems to handle it ok....I'm going to call the vet this morning, I'm afraid the force feeding may be doing more harm than good.

 

[zillasmom]

I called the vet, he said she was probably not moving because she was in pain, and to keep feeding her until the obstruction passed, the idea basically being to push it through. The thing is, she is going to the bathroom but very little, and not exactly solid. Also, he said to keep her tank humid...I am so confused because I have read that they do not do good with humidity, but he's a vet... I'm not sure which advice to follow. I feel bad though because she is obviously uncomfortable, I will try the mineral oil and apple sauce.

 

[Cammy]

Is he specialized in reptile medicine? It doesn't sound like he is...Feeding her more when she is impacted is only going to make the problem worse. Try the warm baths and belly rub as mentioned above and see if that helps with passing a good bowel movement. Was a fecal test run to check for an infection? And her tank should NOT be humid. Humidity should be between 35-45%, unless she is shedding in which case you can temporarily raise it a little. But these are desert creatures and they need dry, hot enclosures. I might look for a more specialized vet who is actually familiar with bearded dragons. http://herpvetconnection.com/ has a list of reptile veterinarians you can try.

 

[zillasmom]

Actually I just called a vet from that website to get a second opinion, she verified humidity during this time, apparently it will make it easier for her to pass the obstruction, she just reccomended misting the tank a few times a day and the lighting will keep it up. She also verified to continue feeding her, as it will hopefully move things along. Surgery at her age is not recommended as chances are she will not survive, so this is the only course we can take at the moment She did say to try the oil as well so I am going to give that a try at lunch today. She said that sometimes these little guys have a hard time making through situations like this but to continue the original course of action... Wish us luck.

 

[zillasmom]

POOP! I went home during lunch and there was lots of poop! She was on her branch basking eyes open
I stilll fed her the a/d dog food and gave her a bath, she was very spunky today fighting me the whole way, which is a very good thing I think! I think that she may be on the road to recovery....
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[ChellBellz]

How is Zilla now?