Beardie Weight

[nessasimmons]

Hi everyone, I am a first time Beardie owner. I picked up my guy on Dec 6, 2021. His previous owner says that he is 4-5 years old. He is 22 inches long. I've read that adult Beardies should weigh anywhere between 400-550 grams. I weighed him and he is only 298 grams. It has me a little concerned because I do not know much about his previous diet besides being fed superworms and and the Zilla Omnivore Mix. I now feed him Superworms, Dubia Roaches, Meal Worms, and a mix of dandelion greens, collard greens and turnip greens.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Wow, congratulations on a 22 inch dragon, that is great. Post some pictures of him, we all love seeing them.
We can better determine the physical condition of him, by pictures. If he is that long, I would say though, that at 300 grams,
he would need to gain some weight. Since he is an adult, he will need to eat predominantly greens & vegetation but still needs
some protein.
It sounds like the diet you are feeding him is pretty balanced. How many insects, estimated, are you giving weekly? Are you also
using a good UVB light, too?

Tracie

 

[nessasimmons]

Hello,

Wow, congratulations on a 22 inch dragon, that is great. Post some pictures of him, we all love seeing them.
We can better determine the physical condition of him, by pictures. If he is that long, I would say though, that at 300 grams,
he would need to gain some weight. Since he is an adult, he will need to eat predominantly greens & vegetation but still needs
some protein.
It sounds like the diet you are feeding him is pretty balanced. How many insects, estimated, are you giving weekly? Are you also
using a good UVB light, too?

Tracie

I have been giving him 6 Superworms and 4 Dubia Roaches every night with his salads. I am using a T5 10.0 linear UVB bulb. He is also currently in shed so hes not eating too much right now.

 

[CooperDragon]

He looks pretty good in the photos. I agree that his weight is a bit low for his length, but he doesn't look unhealthy to me. Since he's an adult, I'd focus on giving him a variety of veges and get him used to eating lots of salads. He should be able to put on plenty of weight over time while eating salads and occasional variety of bugs in balance as Tracie mentioned.

I do see what looks like a bump along his jaw in the first photo - I don't see it in the second. Is that something that is always there?

 

[nessasimmons]

He looks pretty good in the photos. I agree that his weight is a bit low for his length, but he doesn't look unhealthy to me. Since he's an adult, I'd focus on giving him a variety of veges and get him used to eating lots of salads. He should be able to put on plenty of weight over time while eating salads and occasional variety of bugs in balance as Tracie mentioned.

I do see what looks like a bump along his jaw in the first photo - I don't see it in the second. Is that something that is always there?

Yes, it is a cyst. It has been checked out by a vet and they said that as long as it doesn't get bigger or seem to cause any problems with eating/drinking, I shouldn't worry about it. I am taking him to the vet on Saturday morning to get a check up and fecal test done to make sure he has no parasites.

 

[nessasimmons]

UPDATE:
Just got back from the vet. He now weighs 325 grams! The vet said that he actually looks really good and not to have him gain much more weight and that everything else is looking good. I also recently got him a new enclosure. He is getting an upgrade from a 40 gal to a 55 gal. Thank you to everyone who has replied and given me advice.

 

[KarrieRee]

I have been giving him 6 Superworms and 4 Dubia Roaches every night with his salads. I am using a T5 10.0 linear UVB bulb. He is also currently in shed so hes not eating too much right now.

Where do you have your UVB? Is it on top of the screen or inside the tank?

 

[nessasimmons]

Where do you have your UVB? Is it on top of the screen or inside the tank?

Its currently on top. I am waiting for velco straps to arrive in the mail so I can hang it inside.

 

[KarrieRee]

Its currently on top. I am waiting for velco straps to arrive in the mail so I can hang it inside.

Ok - when it comes place it in the tank directly above the basking decor 12-15 inches