Beardie isn't eating

[INReptiles]

So my baby beardie, about two months old, don't know an exact date but breeder said lay date was 4/10-4/26 so sometime in July he was born. I have had him for a little more than 1 month and he still isn't eating right. I feed him, or at least try to feed him dubias, which he will eat 3 of on a good day. The guy I bought my dubias from, who also happens to breed beardies, told me to feed him applesauce, and he won't even eat that on his own. So I was told by the breeder I got my dragon from to force feed it with a syringe until he starts eating it on his own and to get some vegtable baby food too, which I haven't done yet and honestly I don't think it will help, if he won't eat applesauce why would he eat spinach? He also told me to lower the temps to 95F and to feed him crickets instead, but I know he won't eat crickets because I have tried feeding them before. I haven't lowered the temps, and I am not sure if I should because most other people are telling me 105-110 for babies. He also told me to force feed the roaches too until I get crickets, but I think that it is making it worse because when I do he just closes his eyes and balloons up then will only eat them if I put them like all the way back into his mouth (but not in his throat), and since I started doing that he won't even eat one on his own.

108-110 Basking spot, 75ish cool end, Repti-sun 10.0 tube about 6 inches away from highest spot in tank, ceramic tile for the substrate, I have white paper around the inside of the tank, he gets bathes almost every day, maybe like 1 day out of the week he doesn't, and on the days he doesn't I put water on his nose which he drinks most of the time. He is pooping regularly and they don't look runny, bloody, etc. Any suggestions on what I should do?

 

[DearNismo]

I have nearly the same problem.
Have had mine for over a month and I never see him eat. I put greens in daily and try to feed crickets. He just stares at me and doesn't make a move for the crickets. They can even crawl on him and he doesn't flinch. I just bought some meal worms for him and hw does the same thing, just stares. He must be eating some of his greens because when I get home from work they are all in disarray, and he poops daily. I keep water in there too, and he seems to be going into it because there's always little pieces of food sitting in it.
He's rarely ever out when I'm around, he's usually in his cave.
Not sure what to do. :/

 

[INReptiles]

Mine does that as well, letting the roaches crawl all over him, I blame the breeder partially because he syringe feeds all the babies and I think that could be part of it

 

[KristineM]

Hi there! I'm so sorry your baby isn't eating. You think he hatched in July and you've had him for a month now? Are you offering the proper sized feeders?

If he's refusing all food and you're keeping him well hydrated, I'd go ahead and try the baby food slurry. I've had to do this myself for a while since my guy just got over being ill. He refused all live feeders for 15 days straight. I ended up having to order carnivor care from http://www.beardeddragon.co

Anyway, my guy is eating on his own again as of yesterday. I'd suggest picking up stage one chicken or turkey baby food and stage one squash or sweet potato baby food. Mix it up and if you have a syringe already use that. If not, sometimes they like it enough to lick it from a baby spoon.

Also, you could get a product called benebac from the site I mentioned. It helps restore the good gut flora and should stimulate appetite. There's also a product called acidophiluz + but it's a liquid, the benebac is a gel. My boy LOVES the benebac and also the baby food mix.

Keep us updated! Let us know how he's doing! There are a lot of people here who know a lot and are very willing to help.

 

[INReptiles]

Should I still offer feeders if I am feeding the baby mix? If he doesn't eat it, should I force feed it to him until he eats on his own?

 

[KristineM]

Always continue to offer the live feeders. The baby food slurry is to supplement nutrition and get your baby back to or start to eat live feeders again. Have you tried other live feeders? Perhaps calci/repti/Phoenix worms? Or dubia roaches if they're legal where you are?

Please continue to update. Thinking of you guys!!

Edit: just read you've tried dubia. I wouldn't "force" just yet as he's still sort of eating just not enough. The baby food is pretty tasty to them and I've never had to "force feed" the mix, only antibiotics.

You can certainly dial down on the basking spot temps. Try 102-104. Each beardie is different. How are you taking the temps? What are you using?

 

[INReptiles]

I have the accurite one from Walmart with the probe on the end, I can't get any worms because my parents won't let me buy them which is extremely annoying, so I will probably just try the slurry and move the temps to 102 to see if that helps but idk

 

[INReptiles]

He starting eating again, thanks everyone for your help