How much to syringe feed?

[ECarroll25]

Hello,

I have a bearded dragon with some neurological issues. She cannot generally eat on her own, must be fed with tongs. I should also add that she is EXTREMELY picky. I mean refuses most foods except hornworms and occasionally still refuses those picky. She hasn't touched a vegetable in weeks. Not on her own, not tong fed, nothing. I have bought baby food containing only dragon-safe veggies and water. I have syringes to feed it to her. How much, by volume, should I be feeding her per day?

Thanks

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Do you have a weight on your girl, or an estimated weight?
Is she underweight at all?
I usually recommend .5ml to 1ml of food per 50 or so grams. This is pretty conservative.
So if your dragon weighs say, 200 grams, you could give around 3-4 mls of food. You can
give a little more or less depending on the need of your girl.
What type of neurological problems does she have?

Tracie

 

[ECarroll25]

I am not sure how much she weighs. She is on the smaller side lengthwise but not super underweight. As far as neurological issues - She went to an emergency vet last year because she hadn't pooped for like three weeks and was incredibly lethargic. She crosses her front legs, can't really move her back properly, and always tries to strike her food above where it actually is (the focus point of her eyes is wrong). They did bloodwork, and she was seen by a reptile vet and a neurologist. She was not calcium deficient, they said she doesn't have MBD she was just likely born with congenital neurological issues that are worsening over time. This isn't surprising as she came from a PetSmart, to be honest.

 

[kingofnobbys]

You need to get her weight in grams , as the stomach volume is a function of the body mass.

There are scales that will do this I suggest a good flat top kitchen scale that can get her weight +/- 0.1g.

Your vet can do this for you.

"Straight feeding / crop " needles will be needed if you intend to use a feeding syringe & crop needle to feed her. This is a tricky procedure and just as stressful to the lizard as it is person doing it.
Take this approach with great care and caution.
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=232687
I've done this with rescued skinks and it is not as easy as competent vet will make it look.