Beardie Not eating much!!!! Need reasons why?

[jordy1380]

I have two female dragons in a 4x2x2 enclosure and one of them hasn't been eating very much at all. The one female is about an inch larger than the other and looks heartier, but that is because she has been eating a lot more. The other female is 12" long and looks a little on the skinny side, but no bone issues. I have all of the lighting to the book so that isn't the problem. I have greens for them all day, mist them every once in a while, keep a varied diet. The only thing that the smaller girl will eat is waxworms and only 2-4 at a time. They both haven't really been pooping a lot, maybe once every other day, but there is only one pile so I don't know if it is just the big one or the little one, one day and the larger one the other day. I will be able to put up pics eventually, they both are very beautiful dragons and don't really look very small in any pictures that I have taken. The one smaller dragon just hasn't been eating much and has me worried a little bit. I got them both in October when they had their first shed, so they are both about 5 months or a little older. Let me know what I can do or check to get her to start eating again!! Thanks!!

 

[Freeie]

Sounds like the bigger one is dominant and the other one is stressed out by her. You shouldnt house two dragons together this can happen sometimes the bigger dragon can injure or even kill the other one. Bearded dragons are a solitary reptile. Stress can cause them to not eat. That would be my recommendation. I know they say you can house 2 females together but most of the time they dont work out its a rare thing. Im sure more members will be posting soon.

 

[jordy1380]

Can you house more than one together at all? I have seen enclosures where there are three to four together, but is that when they are full grown and matured?

 

[TazzysMamma]

No, its not really a good idea. They really are lone creatures, and when you see them stacked together, it's more of a dominance issue than cuddling. The less dominant ones can become injured or undernourished, and definitely stressed.

HUGS

Sandi

 

[jordy1380]

ok, so I separated them and she still isn't eating much. She has been eating some greens and she pooped in the new cage once in the last 4 days, but still won't eat much. I give her baths and mist so she don't dehydrate, but is there anything else I can do?

 

[Pleaides]

hello
ok now shes been moved theres a very good possibility that shes now suffering from relocation stress which can result in loss of appetite and lethargy. could you let us know what her husbandly is like in detail please? for example, what brand UVB? what are the temps, cool, warm and basking spots? what substrate? what are you trying to feed? any calcium or multi vitamin supplements being given?

also with the hydration please do not mist her herself as that can raise hunidity levels in her home too high resulting in respirectory problems, especially as she already seems under the weather, bathing her is fine though, baby warm temps of the water up to her arm pits, do not leave her unattended though as if she is lethargic and isnt very alert then she may drown so at least you may have to have shallower water levels or hold her head above water, as long as her vent is below water level then she can take water in that way.

with her not eating you may want to try feeding her chicken or turkey baby food, that will get some protein in her, if she doesnt lick it off her nose, then water it down a bit and put it in a needleless syringe and see if she will take it that way, if not then force feeding may have to come into it, but i think that would be the last resort.
keep us posted on her.

 

[jordy1380]

I have a reptisun 5.0 bulb for the flourescent along with a 100 watt basking bulb that makes the temperature around 110 or so. I feed her a combination of greens including spinach, romaine, and I give her some squash every few days also. I dust the meals with clacium 4-5 times a week and vitamins 1-2 times a week. Right now, the substrate is just paper towels to be the most sanitary. I try to feed her crickets or dubia roaches or and occasional pinkie mouse, but nothing has seemed to spike her appetite. She is eating a little bit of the greens which I replace every day. I also mist the greens a little bit for extra water just in case. She is in a 30 gallon breeder with the locking screen and There is a 6x9 uth on one side that is about 85-90 degrees and the cool areas may be around 70 in the tank but that is only about a square foot in the middle of the tank without the ambient temp from the heat bulb. That is around 70 on the glass of the bottom of the tank.

 

[Pleaides]

hello
ok well her husbandry sounds fine, unless ive missed something then its good, glad shes got a reptisun, next time its due you may want to get the reptisun 10.0, just that bit better a bulb.
romaine lettuce isnt very nutritional, its mainly just water, this site here has the best information for what greens are the best for them - http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutritionframeset.html

are you monitoring her weight? if so is she losing any at all? and if your not you may want to start.
hows her appetite today? has she eaten anything?
has she got a black beard? if so how often?
also does she have any stress marks? if so how often?

 

[zebraflavencs]

Hi, I just caught the posting about feeding pinkies. This isn't really recommended, the pinkie isn't going to give enough protein to balance out the possibility of impaction. Horm worms, and Phoenix worms are much much better, and so are those roaches ! Just back off the calcium when feeding the PWs as they have naturally a good bit of calcium in them.
The 5.0 is okay, however the 10.0 is much much better !
Other than that, your husbandry is right on the mark it seems.
Let us know how she is doing !
Hugs !
Janie.

 

[Pleaides]

oh janie i missed the pinkie bit,
yep pinkies wont help her out at all, take a read of the chart i posted its very good indeed and have been great for me.

 

[zebraflavencs]

jordy, I am with Pleaides 100% on the Beautiful dragons list. It gives you plenty of variety, even with the seasons turning, and healthy healthy healthy foods !
Just give you little one some time, she will come around.
Keep us posted !
Hugs to you !
Janie.

 

[jordy1380]

In the last few days she has eaten a few wax worms and a few superworms as well as some of her greens. This isn't really that much, but it is better than nothing. Here are some pics of her if people would like to see.

I just got her out and took a few pics for people to see her. She doesn't really look very bad, she is just very small compared to my other dragon. She is 123g and my other one from the same clutch is 216g, just weighed them today cause I just got my scale.

 

[Pleaides]

aww bless shes a stunner thats for sure!
she sure does need one of those famous beardie bellies though, she does look very thin.
at least shes eaten something.
how are her stools? is she going regularly?
have you been trying to get some babyfood into her?
hows her activity levels? any black bearding or stress marks?
keep us posted!

Anny

 

[jordy1380]

Her stools are the normal brown with the white phosphorus or whatever it is. They don't look runny, just kinda smaller than usual. She has went 3 times in the past week. Probably because of the low food intake. She has still been very active in the aquarium that I have quarantined her to and hasn't really been very stressed out. She likes to crawl underneath the paper towels and sleep a lot when she isn't moving around. Don't really know why she won't eat. I offer crickets to her and roaches and she seems scared of them so I don't know. Hopefully she turns around. I could try the baby food thing. Just put it on her nose and let her lick it off??

 

[Pleaides]

well your husbandry is fine so maybe shes like my girl, Venus, now shes quite a nervy and shy dragon and any sudden movement whatsoever she closes her eyes shut tight then makes a run for it, if the worms are wiggling too much she will run away from them so maybe this is your problem also, takes things very slowly, no sudden movements at all, show her your hand in front of her face and not above her, yes the babyfood you could try dripping some on her nose and see if she licks it off, or if she will lick some from your finger, this is what venus has done recently when she had trouble going poopy, i put some apple puree on her nose for her to a get a taste of it then she just licked it off the tip of my finger, she loved it. if she wont lick from your finger or her nose you may have to try to get her to take food from a needleless syringe.
good luck!