Feeding amounts

Danjw91

Member
Hi All,

So I bought a BD April 2021 and she was 380g in weight, very skinny and I noticed a lump etc etc anyway she got follicle stasis so had that operation which the vet said she was extremely lucky to survive with the condition, eggs or whatever had popped and leaked causing organs to stick etc etc.... She still had a lump so went back 2 months later for another surgery and lump was removed.

She is 7 years old, I think... But she weighs 690g and I don't understand how? I give her rocket + coriander everyday and sometimes butternut squash cut into small squares. She used to get 3 insects (2xXL hoppers/1 large roach sometimes mix up with cricket's) every 2 days and then every other day maybe a fruit beetle grub or if not then morio worms.

I cut the insects down to try lose some weight so give 2 insects instead of 3 but she doesn't seem to lose weight. She does come out Viv a lot and runs around my apartment, I give her insects out which she will chase and stuff.

She only has a poo once a week as well which massively changed from when I first got her to post OP as she used to go sometimes twice a day when I first got her.

The vet is great and she is perfectly happy with her health from the last visit.

Just unsure why it's hard to lose weight even with the cutting down an insect as I see some people feed their adult 20 insects a week! If I did that then she would be massively overweight.

I've attached photos from when I first got her to just taking a picture this second.
 

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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hi All,

So I bought a BD April 2021 and she was 380g in weight, very skinny and I noticed a lump etc etc anyway she got follicle stasis so had that operation which the vet said she was extremely lucky to survive with the condition, eggs or whatever had popped and leaked causing organs to stick etc etc.... She still had a lump so went back 2 months later for another surgery and lump was removed.

She is 7 years old, I think... But she weighs 690g and I don't understand how? I give her rocket + coriander everyday and sometimes butternut squash cut into small squares. She used to get 3 insects (2xXL hoppers/1 large roach sometimes mix up with cricket's) every 2 days and then every other day maybe a fruit beetle grub or if not then morio worms.

I cut the insects down to try lose some weight so give 2 insects instead of 3 but she doesn't seem to lose weight. She does come out Viv a lot and runs around my apartment, I give her insects out which she will chase and stuff.

She only has a poo once a week as well which massively changed from when I first got her to post OP as she used to go sometimes twice a day when I first got her.

The vet is great and she is perfectly happy with her health from the last visit.

Just unsure why it's hard to lose weight even with the cutting down an insect as I see some people feed their adult 20 insects a week! If I did that then she would be massively overweight.

I've attached photos from when I first got her to just taking a picture this second.
Boy I have not a clue on this one so I am going to have AHBD take a look and Tracie our vet tech mod on here -- she is on late at night
@AHBD
@Drache613
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Sometimes humans + animals gain weight very easily after a " reproductive " surgery but it shouldn't be to this degree. I would only be guessing so I can't give any real info other than that. I will say that she looks like a beardie does when it's carrying eggs. Try to exercise her as much as you can and of course offer only small meals, even the veggies.
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster
Sometimes humans + animals gain weight very easily after a " reproductive " surgery but it shouldn't be to this degree. I would only be guessing so I can't give any real info other than that. I will say that she looks like a beardie does when it's carrying eggs. Try to exercise her as much as you can and of course offer only small meals, even the veggies.

Yes, when I say that she has gained weight I mean when I first got her she weighed 380 g and over the course of a few months I was feeding her say maybe four insects every day or every other day. And within a period of 4 months she gained 200 g. So I had a feeling the previous owner hardly fed her. However, after her surgery obviously I fed her and she weighed around about 600 g so she hasn't instantly put on a lot of weight post op. But my issue is is I don't feed her that much but she doesn't seem to be losing the weight. She seems to like hold the weight that she she has been for a while.

She's definitely not holding any eggs anyway because post-op she had obviously another operation after that one and the vet double triple checked and had other vets check on scans and everything like that and they couldn't see any signs of ovary tissue or anything

So it may also be worth saying so. Obviously I got her the start of April 2021. I think it was. She had her first big operation for the follicle stasis in July 2021 and then she had another operation to remove the lump that was still there in September 2021.
 
Last edited:

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

She has gained some weight. I do agree that they can have the tendency to gain weight,
after egg issues & surgery.
How many insects do you give weekly? Did they do a blood test on her, to test for liver
function? It is possible that she might have developed fatty liver as some have the tendency
to when they have egg trouble.
You could consider milk thistle in case she has liver problems & that can be helpful with fat
loss. Liquid L-carnitine can be helpful in fat loss, too.

You could also get her in a bath a few times weekly to have her swim for exercise, too.

Tracie
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster
Hello,

She has gained some weight. I do agree that they can have the tendency to gain weight,
after egg issues & surgery.
How many insects do you give weekly? Did they do a blood test on her, to test for liver
function? It is possible that she might have developed fatty liver as some have the tendency
to when they have egg trouble.
You could consider milk thistle in case she has liver problems & that can be helpful with fat
loss. Liquid L-carnitine can be helpful in fat loss, too.

You could also get her in a bath a few times weekly to have her swim for exercise, too.

Tracie

Hi Tracie

I don't think they did no as the tests were expensive and I paid for everything as didn't have insurance to cover her and they also wouldn't of covered anyway. I can't remember my first routine but for over a year it's been 3 insects so (2XL hoppers and a large Dubia roach) every 2 days. I also give probably about 2 fruit beetle grubs a week. So on a whole she probably got 12 insects a week and 2-3 treat insects but I've cut that down to 2 insects each feed which is sometimes 6 a week and sometimes 8 insects.

She is on the arcadia cycle for the supplements as well which has the 3 powders. She does come out quite a lot but I think due to the weight she doesn't move a lot but she still does come out and roam around. I know 690g isn't obese but I'd like to get her down to 600g or something.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
O.K maybe cut down by only feeding the 2 XL hoppers every other day and maybe a dubia once a week or 2 medium dubias in the rotation and skipping the 2 XL hoppers for one feeding . Some weeks you can cut down to a feeding only twice that week rather than every 2 days.
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster
O.K maybe cut down by only feeding the 2 XL hoppers every other day and maybe a dubia once a week or 2 medium dubias in the rotation and skipping the 2 XL hoppers for one feeding .

Ok so say I start her insects on a Monday. It would be Monday to xl hoppers and then Wednesday 1 large dubia roach and then Friday 2XL hoppers and then Sunday two xl hoppers and maybe one fruit grub worm as a treat just once that week?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Yes something like that but on every other week just feed her twice , like a Monday and a Friday but have veggies available.
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster
Yes something like that but on every other week just feed her twice , like a Monday and a Friday but have veggies available.

Yeah I always give her the vegetables or whatever you want to call a salad everyday I give her a decent amount. It does confuse me how some people say to feed a bearded dragon as many insects they can eat in 15 minutes because from my exper ience I'm not seeming to feed her hardly anything and yet her weight is quite high
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
The feed them all they want for 15 minutes is for babies + juveniles. Some people confuse it's meaning to be acceptable for adults but it's not.
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster
The feed them all they want for 15 minutes is for babies + juveniles. Some people confuse it's meaning to be acceptable for adults but it's not.

Yeah that's a confusing part. I have seen some people say it's for adult bearded dragons and have counted that and said it's not then been removed from groups for it. However thank you advice and help. I am going to look at maybe getting a blood test for her as well and speak to the vet and see what she advises cuz she's the one who did both operations and she has been really helpful
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster
The feed them all they want for 15 minutes is for babies + juveniles. Some people confuse it's meaning to be acceptable for adults but it's not.

I've sent blood tests off, got to wait now for the results. The vet said she has gained weight, she is happy with the diet I have her on etc and she had a good feel around her belly and wasn't concerned about anything. She also said she seen some video regarding LED lighting, on top of the UVB and heat, but apparently someone did a video how the LED lighting can help change a BDs activity and make them more active or something.

Have you heard about LED lighting but just used as a source of lighting and not got heat etc? She said some university guy, very smart done a video on BDs vision and the lighting effects from each heat, UV and LED.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I've sent blood tests off, got to wait now for the results. The vet said she has gained weight, she is happy with the diet I have her on etc and she had a good feel around her belly and wasn't concerned about anything. She also said she seen some video regarding LED lighting, on top of the UVB and heat, but apparently someone did a video how the LED lighting can help change a BDs activity and make them more active or something.

Have you heard about LED lighting but just used as a source of lighting and not got heat etc? She said some university guy, very smart done a video on BDs vision and the lighting effects from each heat, UV and LED.
I am not sure but I think the Arcadia Jungle bar has the LED lighting
 

Danjw91

Member
Original Poster

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