Can you overfeed an adult?

[uscpsycho]

I have had a number of bearded dragons and never experienced anything like what my current one is doing.

Rufus is just over two years old and up until fairly recently, I would have classified him as a picky eater. But in the last few weeks his appetite has become voracious. Like he will run to his food bowl the second food is put in there. He will eat and eat and then look at you waiting for more.

Last fall before brumating for the first time he topped out at 571 grams (he has been weighed weekly since I got him as a baby). He got as low as 500 grams while brumating and was back up to 570 grams on July 9 (26 months old). But by July 24 he was up to 626 grams. With the way he's been eating I expect he will be even heavier the next time he's weighed.

I know that a bearded dragon can technically keep growing until it's two years old but at this age it seems like putting on 56 grams in two weeks is a lot. Is it possible Rufus is still growing that fast or is he getting fat? And yes, he is pooping regularly, no problems there.

I've read that a bearded dragon will stop eating on its own when it is full and I've read that you should not overfeed adult bearded dragons. That is confusing and contradictory. So, is it OK to keep feeding him until he stops eating or should I cut him off when I feel like he's had enough?

BTW - I'm a long long long time lurker here, as I'm sure every bearded dragon owner is, but first time posting. Thanks for all the great information provided!

 

[AHBD]

That is 100% misinformation that a beardie won't over eat. In captivity they get lots of food, much more than they need to survive [ in general ] plus nowhere near the activity levels of a free ranging dragon. There have been owners on here with anywhere from fat to extremely obese dragons. Just like people + like other pets some just are drawn more to food + tend to want to eat more than needed.

Can you post a few full body shots of Rufus, from above as well as the side ? Here's how :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload pics

And are you positive it's a male ? If it were a female it would be O.K to allow extra protein in case it were developing eggs, but if you're positive Rufus is a male then you should cut back on the insects and focus on salads + veggies depending on his size + length.

 

[uscpsycho]

Yeah, I figured it is possible to overfeed an adult, which is why I wanted to get some confirmation.

I will post some photos.

Has anyone experienced such a sudden increase in appetite at this age? It was like a switch flipped overnight. He has refused to eat crickets for a bout a year, I think I'm going to get some and see if he will eat them.

 

[AHBD]

That's why I asked if you're sure on the gender....females eat like that when they are carrying eggs.