Going from force feeding to live food.

[dreshany]

Hello all,
I have had a sick beardie who I have had to force feed for the last few weeks. I think he might be ready to transition back to live food but I am unsure the best way to approach this. I was hoping he would just naturally switch back on his own but he seems frightened of any live food I put in his cage now. Yesterday I dropped in a few phoenix worms and he ran away from them. I also tried coaxing him using tweezers but no go. Today I put two pin head crickets into his cage and he freaked out and kept running away from them. I put them in the freezer to slow them down and he did the same thing.
I really need to get him eating on his own, his mouth is getting sore from force feeding him and with him still being weak I am scared he will develop a wound or infection.
He is 5 months and only 9 inches so he needs as much nutrition as possible and has never touched greens, even when he was well he never ate them.
Any Suggestions?

 

[nesta's mommy]

i personally am unsure, did your vet give any suggestions?

 

[TheDragonKeepers]

Don't hurry your dragon - as long as he's getting plenty of proteins too. I personally used chicken babyfood when Kyle was ill, then gently worked onto solid veg. I offered her favourite bugs every day, and finally she accepts a couple. She's eating normally (for her) at last. Try something not too scary, like waxworms to start with. They're not jumpy or threatening, they've got quite high fat levels so don't go too nuts.

Go slowly, let him take his time and supplement with whatever mushed foods you're currently feeding him. I also found that flat lemon lucozade with a small dose of vitamin powder and calcium dripped on the nose is a quick way to get extra nutrition and sugars into a poorly younster. The sweet, acidic taste is too much to resist licking off!

 

[dreshany]

Thanks for the suggestions. I went back to crix (hate them!) because that's what he ate when I first got him and really seemed to enjoy chasing them around. He wont eat phoenix worms any more because I was assist feeding him with those for a while and he learned how to spit them out. He really is a stubborn thing and is starting to refuse to swallow when I syringe feed him. I will try some butter worms since he absolutely loves them. Although I have about 400 phoenix worms just sitting here going to waste. I can not stomach blendering them I will google the lemon thing, sorry am not familiar with it.

 

[TheDragonKeepers]

Make sure you see a vet, don't forget.
But yes, baby food is a good food, you can also mix in powders and medicines with ease, it's liquidy and smells interesting.