Help with Fred!!!! Think he's coming around...

[gini]

So we got Fred yesterday and I knew he was gonna be stressed so I thought I would give him some time to chill before totally changing his world... I did however give him his first bath, which he hated!

First off, he came with a 20long tank. I clearly know that is too small for him as he's 17 inches long. The husband is starting a new cage tonight. It came with like gravel in it. Not really sand, but pebbles. I will be switching that out today when he's eating his crickets in another container. He's never eaten outside of his tank before so is that gonna freak him out too? And is he gonna stress out from not having sand anymore? I have also posted a few pics as I think his eye lids are droopy. They seem better after his bath yesterday, but still look droopier than Alex's. Take a look and please tell me what you think. I may be overreacting as I just want him to be perfect so badly that I am looking for any little thing wrong. Again, please don't flame me for the sand, I just didn't want to take it out his first night here....

Any opinions would be great. Thanks, Gini

 

[Gail]

His eyes look ok to me, some just have naturally droopy eyelids. I'd give him extra water for a few days though just to make sure.

Everything you do right now is going to stress him, best to just get all the tank rearranging done at once and be done with it. Doing a little at a time won't make it better and those pebbles need to removed ASAP.

Its hard to say if a separate feeding bin will stress him or not, some dragons could care less where they are as long as the food is there.

 

[gini]

Okay, NOW I'm freakin out! Just thought I would put Fred in a feeding bin with about 50 crickets. He freaked out right away and had diarrhea all over and started jumping in it... Gross! It was like mustard yellow baby poo, kinda chunky though. So in turn, I had to put him in yet another bath, which he hates, but he had runny poo all over him. Alex has never had poo like that, what do I do with runny poo symptoms?

Thanks Gail, I won't worry about the eyes and I am taking out the gravel stuff when my husband gets home.

 

[gini]

The diarrhea thing has me really worried... I've read tons of posts of impaction and not going, but none of the total opposite... can someone help me out here? Thanks, Gini

 

[Gail]

Oh poor guy, scared the poop right out of himself Next time you try the feeding bin, only put in 2 or 3 crickets at first, too many can make some dragons nervous.

I wouldn't worry about the runny poo just yet, its probably from something he ate before you got him and should clear up in no time. Keep him hydrated and don't feed any fruit for awhile. Is he eating for you yet?

 

[gini]

Thank you for the quick response!!!! I just got him yesterday. He ate 4 or 5 superworms at the saltwater store, 5 about 7 last night, and 5 this morning. The guy I got him from said he eats his vegees like a madman and he hasn't touched them today or yesterday. In fact I just threw out the vegees from today as he got gravel in them. The gravel is coming out at 4 when my husband gets home... He didn't eat any crickets when I tried earlier, so I threw them out the front door as there was poo all over them. What a waste of about 50 crickets.... Since being here he has also had 2 baths, not a happy camper about that either.

His temp is up to 100 on the basking side and 83 on the cool side checked with therms with probes. The only thing enclosure wise that is off is the gravel stuff and he needs a bigger tank (husband starting tonight)

 

[gini]

Just an update...

I changed out the gravel to slate. I had exactly enough left over from Alex's enclosure to fit Fred's perfectly. Yeah!!!

I tried feeding him crickets again in a tote... didn't go so well. I only put 7 in, put him in, and he wouldn't even think about it. Just tried to get out for 10 minutes so I gave in and gave him 7 superworms in his cage. He didn't eat any vegees today.

 

[fez09]

Hopefully he'll come around in a day or two! Do you have tongs? That's the only way I got Fez to eat at first, he was too scared to eat in a tote... You'll get him to warm up to you in no time Gini!

 

[gini]

I'm starting to feel a little better... Fred had his morning poo and it was normal. Thank goodness! I haven't seen anything like yesterdays poo since Elly was a baby... He still hasn't touched his salad and I put a superworm in it today to see if that would entice him. I also put about 10 crickets in his cage (I don't ever put crickets in the cage, but did just to see if he would eat them)... looks scared of them. I'm hoping he's just having relocation stress... He just keeps trying to climb the side of the tank. When I get him out he is super lovable and snuggles right into my shoulder. That's the only time he seems happy.

Crazy how different dragons can be! Alex didn't even seem to go through relocation when we got him. Just was the perfect little guy... no worries really. Maybe he was just happy to get out of the little tank with mates at the pet store

 

[gini]

I think he's starting to come around. After crickets crawling around his tank all day, I don't see any left... he ate them on the sly... I put a superworm in his salad today and noticed about half the salad gone as well as the super. How often should I feed him those? They are the only sure thing I can get him to eat, but don't want to spoil him with them so he won't eat anything else. Still wouldn't eat out of a tote... will he ever? I did get a great pic of him smiling at me, that melted my heart and made me not so stressed over him...

 

[Gail]

At his size, he can have super worms as a staple. My 4 months old dragon is 14" and he eats mostly supers, around 15 a day plus salad and maybe a few roaches.
I found that he is better about eating his greens if I fed those first then bugs a couple hours later.

 

[fez09]

That's good news Gini! I thought he'd come around! He's a nice looking guy, that's for sure, I love his yellow!

 

[gini]

Thanks Gail and Katrina. His new cage will be done tonight, I think...