bearded dragon stressed

[rex2311]

So bought a new bearded dragon on last Saturday, he is about 3 weeks old and seems stressed. He has had stress marks the entire time i had him and only eaten one cricket a day till today where he didn`t eat at all. His stress marks fade a bit when I take him out of the terrarium and he flips when I put him in the feeder tank. I know my lights and all are correct and should note that he is getting ready to shed. What do I do.

here is a pic of him

and another

Also, did I get one that is too young?

 

[CooperDragon]

He is VERY young. I would give him more time to adjust to the new environment and the appetite should pick up. How are your temperatures?

 

[rex2311]

85 F in warm side, 100 F under basking bulb about 70 F in cool side.

 

[CooperDragon]

That's pretty good. I'd try bumping the basking temps to 105-110 or so for a little guy. Cool side temps can go up to as much as 80 during the day too but 70-75 is fine. What are you using for UVB?

 

[Brezzy99]

Try feeding him in his enclosure for a bit. Just drop one in at a time or feed him with a pair of tongs. You could also try a different live feeder. Phoenix worms or silk worms may get him more interested.

 

[rex2311]

Do you Know where in harford county Maryland i can get pheonix worms, my parents will not let me buy them online.

 

[CooperDragon]

How far are you from Essex? There's a place called Wet Pet & Reptile Center that may have what you need. 410-391-9494
429 Eastern Blvd.
Essex, MD 21221

 

[rex2311]

Not too far but not something I can do right now. also he appears to be getting ready for a very big shed which is hard to spot when they are so young but im hoping thats the answer to my problem.

 

[CooperDragon]

I'd offer plenty of warm baths in a shallow dish to help the shed along.

 

[rex2311]

i just measured him and it appears that he grew 2/3 of an inch in a week. It also appears that he got over the stress of the move but, is still shedding and wont eat on his own. I've been told to not give him any food for a day or 2 then he should eat on his own. that true? :?

 

[CooperDragon]

The constant shedding and quick growth at that age are normal and a good sign. As for the feeding, I wouldn't really try to withhold food for that long from a dragon that young. They really need their protein. Once they're older they can go without anything but a salad for a while if needed. Has he eaten at all on his own? By on his own do you mean he will only eat if you hand feed him? Were you able to get your hands on some Phoenix worms? If so I'd try feeding those as variety may help him become more interested in food.

 

[rex2311]

Update : he has not eaten in over 30 hours i have been offering him but im trying not to force feed all the time so he can acually eat on his own cause he has not eaten on his own since i got him so ive been hand feeding this entire time. So no, he has never eaten on his own so I might not be having vacation this summer.
As for growth he has grown about 2/3 an inch in a week.

so should i continue force feeding or just wait till he eats on his own?

 

[CooperDragon]

With one that small I wouldn't let him go too long without nutrition. I would err on the side of caution in this case and continue to feed him by hand for now. As this is getting beyond my realm of experience, perhaps one of the more experienced members of the board can jump in with some further ideas on this one.

 

[rex2311]

I will hand feed him tomorrow if he does not eat by himself. I might just call the breeder I got him from.

 

[diamc]

Hi, he is a little one for sure. Is this your first bearded dragon? Sorry to hear he isn't eating on his own. When you offer him crickets, how many are you putting in at a time? If the crickets are jumping a lot, he many have trouble grabbing them so you could put 1/2 dozen in a ziploc bag and place them in the frig for a few seconds so that they aren't quite as jumpy. Are you feeding him in his tank?

When you say you have been hand feeding him, does he willingly take a cricket out of your fingers or do you wait for him to open his mouth & then pop it in? Are the crickets smaller than the space between his eyes? Are you dusting the crickets with calcium 5 days a wk and with vitamins the other 2 days a wk?

If he doesn't start eating more than one cricket daily, the next step would be to pick up some chicken or turkey and squash or sweet potato baby food so that he can get some much needed protein and nourishment into him.

Where does he spend most of his time when in his tank? Is he quite active when in there? Has he pooped lately?

Could you fill us in on the size of the tank, the wattage of the basking bulb(s), and the brand & type of UVB?

Also, what type of thermometer are you using, round gauge (dial), digital strip, temperature gun or digital thermometer with a long wire & probe end?

Sorry for all the questions but we need to make sure that everything is perfect for your little one.