Bowser REFUSES to eat on his own! :(

[Sashee]

I posted this in Feeding also, but hope to get more insight here.

So I've had Bowser for about two or three months. He was neglected and is still not in great shape. When I first got him, he'd eat a worm or crix if they wiggled next to his head or whatever. He'd also eat some greens and go to his water bowl and drink water occasionally.

The issue I'm having now is that since I began having to force feed him, he will not eat on his own. I put a waxie in by him and he closed his eyes. He does the same thing with any food I try to give him to eat on his own. Like, if he can't see it, he doesn't have to eat it. I don't remember if this started when i was actually first force feeding, or after the time he threw up the crix i force fed. I can't remember exactly.

Does ANYONE have ANY idea how i can get him to eat on his own again? He won't even lick the syringe or ANYTHING on his own. I know he hates being force fed cuz he tries to wiggle away. He will swallow and chew if I put something in his mouth, but every time I've put solids in, he throws up. So he's on baby food with critical care mixed in. I'm out of ideas. And I really feel like he's never gonna get better if he can't eat on his own. He needs to be able to do it for himself and for my sanity as well. LOL

I know it's very odd for a beardie to drink out of a bowl on their own, but I SWEAR he used to. And I even have video of him eating waxies on his own but now he refuses. HELP!!!!

 

[Beardednoob]

Just out of curiosity have you tried hornworms? Des if fairly like this, if he doesn't get his hornworms he won't eat feeders. :?
What are the feeders you have tried?
Has he ever had blood work and or a fecal done?
Any idea of his age?

 

[Sashee]

SUPPOSEDLY he is around 6 years old. But the kid was clueless on care so idk if i should believe him on age, either.

No blood work or fecal, but my vet gave him Pancur as a precaution and his biggest thing was to push fluids and the liquid calcium. I tried waxies and he loved them, but once I forced some crix, he threw up and hasn't eaten waxies or crix since. And when he threw up the crix, he threw up waxies too, but hadn't eaten any in three days. So idk.

 

[Beardednoob]

Is he way skinny or? I am sorry I know this information is out there, just too lazy to go and look lol.
Force feeding is hard on a dragon and may have been why he threw up.

 

[Sashee]

Yes, he is VERY skinny. He's 17" and 230 grams. Weighed 210 when I got him in July.

 

[Beardednoob]

Just out of curiosity have you tried hornworms? Des if fairly like this, if he doesn't get his hornworms he won't eat feeders. :?
What are the feeders you have tried?
?? :?

 

[Sashee]

I've done crix and waxies. I can't do hornworms ever since I went to a butterfly ranch and held some. They're too cute for me to feed. I would feel bad. LOL

He liked the waxies, gobbled them up as fast as he could. He liked crix too. But when I started force feeding them, he stopped eating them when he threw up. But the waxies were never forced. Although he threw them up with the crix. Which was weird cuz the waxies had been consumed like, three or four days before I ever fed him the crix.

And I hear about beardies that lick the syringe to get baby food and he doesn't do that either. He doesn't open his mouth on his own for anything anymore.

 

[my1stBD]

Ugh i have been following Bowsers story on the rescue thread, really sick people out there considdering the shape he was in when you got him. Kuddos to you for helping him

How much and often do you feed him the critical care and baby food mix?
Could it be that he has a "full stomach feeling?" thus not wanting to eat on his own.....IDK just thinking aloud here

Maybe try not feeding him the cc mix one day and then near the end of that day offer feeders (Im sure 1 day w/o food wont harm all that much) If he doesnt want to eat then give some cc to tide him over till the next day and try again.
My rescue stopped eating for a whole month last year BUT she had about 100gms more on her than Bowser does so i wouldnt not NOT feed him at all.

As for the throwing up part..........could be he is just so emaciated his system couldnt handle the feeders at that time, start off slowly with maybe 1 feeder per day gradually adding each week or so while supplenmenting with the cc mix and as the feeder intake increases decrease the amount of cc mix..... (Thinking aloud again)

Wish i could have better advise, but this is what i think and would try :wink:

 

[my1stBD]

Ooooooooooh i almost forgot to ask, cant remember if its on the rescue thread or not but have you tried taking some good greens and a few good feeders and blending them and giving it as a substitute to the cc? It may get hiim to "like" the bug taste making him more willing to accept them in normal unblended form too

 

[Sashee]

Yeah, I tired that and I could never get it think enough to actually go in the syringe so it ended up being a nasty mess. *shudders*

I feed the baby food/cc once a day, usually about 4-6 syringes full, depending on if he's eating it or holding it in his beard.

Idk about the throwing up cuz he never threw up with waxies only, it was just when he had crix that he'd end up throwing up. The vet said it may be neurological so if he kept throwing up, to bring him in, but I haven't had money to do so and haven't tried again since to see if he keeps throwing up.

 

[my1stBD]

Maybe only try giving him 2 syringes cc mix (I assume its 1ml/cc syringes?). One in the morning and one at night for 2-3 days and offer the waxies which he liked mid day-ish. Its really a difficult situation youre in.
Keep us posted, ill be hoping he eats by himself real soon for you