Dragon won't eat

[Tiff1990]

We have been feeding our dragon with a surenge because he has refused to eat for weeks I'm not sure how old he is he was fairly big when we got him. I'm just wondering what his deal is he is in a 55 gal tank with proper temps and lightning. Anyone have and insights or suggestions on what we can do?

 

[Tiff1990]

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[CooperDragon]

He looks pretty healthy. I'd just try leaving a big salad for him every day and wait until he digs in to try and get him on that routine.

 

[Tiff1990]

I'll try that I had been doing mustard greens and collard greens I think he got sick of those I'll have to look up what other kind they can eat I think he's just being picky he wants to sleep the day away rather than eat ? I'm going to get some baby food as well see if that helps any of course I'm going to mix that in with the greens

 

[CooperDragon]

Those are great options. I wouldn't bother with the baby food at the moment. I usually reserve that for very ill dragons. When a generally healthy dragon isn't eating it's often due to being picky so offering a different variety and waiting a bit is usually the best route at first unless they start losing significant weight.

I like to reference this list for ideas on what to add to a salad. I just pick up whatever looks best at the store each week. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

 

[Tiff1990]

Thank you

 

[Tiff1990]

He was up moving around this Morning I came home from work about an hour ago and he's dug his way under his newspaper ?

 

[CooperDragon]

Sometimes they like to burrow. I have small fleece blankets in my tank and my guy burrows under them sometimes when he sleeps.

 

[kingofnobbys]

How old is the UVB source ?
.........they need to be replaced generally each 6 months because the phosphors decay over time , if older it will not be producing as much UVA as beardie needs to active and encourage a good apetite.
ALSO
what type is it ? wattage ? where is mounted ? what is it's %UVB rating ? and what brand is it ?

Worth checking your setup , there may be issues than need tweeking / changing see my cheatsheet viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050 if you work through it methodically, chances are the issues will pop right out at you.

 

[Tiff1990]

It's been replaced it's a month old it's the reptisun 10.0 I will get a new one if need be his basking spot is usually 100-105 and his cool spot is around 70-75 I just think he's just being picky

 

[EllenD]

I agree that he's just being a picky, adult dragon, though not eating for "weeks" is worrisome...How long has it actually been since he's eaten anything? Have you been offering him live insects? If so, does he eat them? Not eating live insects for weeks is a sign that something is off, sometimes they do get very tired with their greens and veggies, but they will usually eat their bugs, especially if they haven't eaten in a very long period of time.

Have you been weighing him to see if he's maintained his weight throughout this period of not eating? That's something that you might want to consider doing since it's been going on for such a long period of time.

Also, just to make sure, is your Reptisun 10.0 UVB light a long tube (usually 18" or 24", those are the most common sizes), or is it the compact or coil version? Is it the T8 strength or the T5 HO strength? Is it mounted inside his tank or is it on top of a lid? If so, is the lid mesh or glass? And what is the distance in inches between the UVB bulb and his main basking spot? Did you check you UVB light fixture to make sure there is no clear plastic safety cover on the fixture that goes over the UVB bulb/tube?

Also, what type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures inside his tank, a round, stick-on gauge thermometer, a digital thermometer with a probe on a wire, or a temperature gun? What is the temperature of the Hot Side in his tank, meaning the ambient temperature on the side that surrounds his basking spot, and that is opposite the Cool Side?

And what live staple feeder insects do you give him? How often is he offered live insects, and how many at a time?

Just double checking all the important things that could influence his appetite, just to be safe...

 

[Tiff1990]

We have a digital thermo my husband has been feeding him with a dropper he has maintained his weight he's actually gained since my husband has been feeding him with the dropper he has ate a few crickets here and there but not as many as normal I can go through a 100 crickets daily when he was eating like normal. I got him turnip greens today so hopefully he will eat those when he's out of his tank he's very active but once you put him back in he goes back to the way he was before being lazy! He has the 18 tube his basking bulb is brand new as well!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He looks pretty healthy & of good weight & size. Sometimes if they have gone through rapid
growth, they will slow down a bit for rest. It isn't necessarily a brumation phase, just a slow
down phase temporarily. Just monitor the weight as you are doing & he will most likely be
just fine.
Keep trying to get him to eat his greens as well & you can still offer insects, too. You could
try some bee pollen, it helps out with appetite.
Your UVB light should be fine then, if it's within a 6-8 inch distance.

Tracie

 

[Tiff1990]

He's finally eating guess he gave up his food strike! He's ate greens crickets and some of his snacks!