Force feed or wait?

[Cerko]

Hey all!

I have a young (4-6 mo) beardie with MBD who's been very picky about eating. When I first got her she had a small appetite, 4-5 crickets a day plus greens, but since I've started her on oral calcium (prescribed from vet) she refuses any sort of food. I know giving her the Ca daily stresses her out, so I'm wondering if it's better to stop giving and just let her be for a few days?

I'm currently force-feeding her 10 crickets or 4-5 dubais plus a few greens daily, which of course stresses her more. I feel that force feeding her, at this point, is just pushing her to not eat on her own. Should I stop with the oral supplement and force feeding and just not touch her for a few days to let her mellow out? I didn't mess with her yesterday and today she seemed very interested in food, but still wouldn't bite at it on her own. Just not really sure what to do...

Thank you!

 

[kingofnobbys]

IMO no harm in force feed her , this way she wont lack the protein she needs. (Will help strengthen that bond between her and you too and is an excuse for snuggles and quality time.)

Rex loves being handfed, only insects she'll eat without my help are worms (mealworms, superworms and silkworms).
Peppa seems to really like my handfeeding too.
Both colour up very brightly in the face when I'm hand/force-feeding them , but I also snuggle them and pet them and talk them all the time while I'm doing this and this helps make it a pleasureable experience all round.

I've started doing this with Peppa this week, she's been very lazy about her crickets the last few weeks and when I did a weekly cleanout of her rearing tub I discovered a load of rogue crickets (I think she's only eaten about the half the crickets she's been offered in the last week - rarely find a live cricket with her, up to now she's been a real pig when it comes to crickets) so it's hand feeding her crickets to her for now , until she either gets over the mood (I suspect a shed is imminent) , or maybe it's just a teenage beardie thing , or she's seem me handfeeding Rex and wants the same deal.

With handfeeding/force feeding at least this way you are sure of what been eaten and she'll not stop growing.

Other techniques / options :
>>>> folded plastic coated playing card technique - self explainatory , fold card , cut hole big enough for food item to go through hole in middle of crease, slip folded card between lips and plies mouth open using card as two levers, while mouth is open pop a food item in through the hole, remove card , lizard eats food item .
repeat.
>>>> make an insect puree/mash , and give via a syringe with a large bore needle hole.
>>>> try Grup Pie (Rapashi) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awk__AanmP4 I've not used this product but know of at least one keeper who uses it as a staple for his beardie and reckons it's great.
>>>> try a different feeder ( CalciGents aka BSF maggots aka phoenix worms ) , silkworms.


Have you checked the UV light is at rated at least 10%UVB ?
How close can she get to it ?
How old is the globe / tube ?

You might find the following useful in boosting her appetite if the UV globe is producing at least 30% UVA and 10% UVB and the temperatures are good :
http://vetafarm.com.au/product/herpaboost/
and these useful to give the stuff ( a thick slurry )
http://vetafarm.com.au/product/reusable-feeding-syringe/
http://vetafarm.com.au/product/medication-tube-crop-needle/ .... probably a 12G or 14G , the folks at VetaFarm can advise the appropriate crop needle size (gauge) for your girl based on her size (mass).

 

[AHBD]

If the o.p is in the U.S., I don't think vetafarm products are sold here. But I agree that some hand feeding is fine, but keep trying to just offer them in her cage, the usual way. Sometimes if you cripple the crix a bit, ] shake them up in a jar with a pinch of calcium powder ] and drop them 1-2 at a time right near your beardie that can work, too. Beardies seem to be attracted to the weak slow moving prey items that are dropped right near them.

 

[Taterbug]

Hand feeding and force feeding are quite different. Other than potentially encouraging laziness hand feeding is generally fine.

However, force/assist feeding (prying the mouth open or other non-voluntary feeding) is going to be stressful and could well be putting her off her appetite. How do you administer the calcium? Will she lick it off her lips or do you need to use a needless syringe? It's also possible that the MBD has resulted in some discomfort/pain in the joints, such as the jaw, depending on how progressed it is.

 

[Cerko]

Hand feeding and force feeding are quite different. Other than potentially encouraging laziness hand feeding is generally fine.

However, force/assist feeding (prying the mouth open or other non-voluntary feeding) is going to be stressful and could well be putting her off her appetite. How do you administer the calcium? Will she lick it off her lips or do you need to use a needless syringe? It's also possible that the MBD has resulted in some discomfort/pain in the joints, such as the jaw, depending on how progressed it is.

It is force feeding, gently opening her mouth and inserting the food. I agree that this is stressing her out, as well as thr calcium, but I'm unsure weather it's better to stop and just offer her food until she eats or to continue. The calium is given through the same manner, needleless syrnge inserted into mouth. I've tried dripping it onto her nose with no reaction.

She would catch food (though not much) when I first got her and hadn't yet started her MBD treatment, so I think stress may very well be the cause. I just don't know if no feed or force feed is better

 

[Taterbug]

I you trust tohr vet it may be worth working with them. How urgent it is to feed/frequency needed would depend on her weight/health etc.