Hey guys, I have had my baby bearded dragon for about a week now. He hasn't been eating very well but I was told it's probably just relocation stress. Yesterday I decided to try a different food and got some calci worms. I got him to eat about ten of them before he went back to his basking spot. Usually in the mornings he is in his basking spot within fifteen minutes of his lights coming on, but this morning he just laid on the cool side of the tank and showed no interest in food. He seemed awake and alert, it's just different than usual. Should I be worried and if so what should I do.
He is about six inches long
He is in a 20 gallon long.
His basking spot stays at about 107 with the cool side of the tank at about 75.
He has an 18" reptisun 10.0 uvb tube mounted inside the tank
Your metrics sound good. Beardies can be sleepier some mornings than others, but it's also good to notice differences in their daily pattern. Can you update us at the end of the day about whether s/he has moved and how active they seem?
Yesterday he did, but not today. I couldn't get him to eat this morning so I left some calci worms in his dish. When I got home this afternoon, they were untouched
It's really worrying to me that a bearded dragon that young isn't interested in food.
- What other feeder insects have you tried?
- What are you using to measure temps?
- Does he have a water dish?
At this point it sounds like there's something bigger going on. I would recommend taking your little guy to the vet. You can find a certified reptile veterinarian near you at ARAV.org.
I took him to the vet this morning. He said that he looks healthy, hydrated, and plenty of energy. He said the problem is that they sold me a beardie that was just too young to be sold. He also gave me a special food I can feed through a syringe if he goes more than 48 hours without eating. We are sending off a fecal sample for just in case.
Hi there, I agree that your set up sounds fine and that this is still mostly relocation stress. Be sure that your basking temp. is no higher than 105. Another thing that could contribute to his behavior is slight dehydration, so offer water by dripping it on his snout to give him a drink.
Be very careful about dosing a baby if the vet discovers parasites. Sometimes it actually makes things worse when all that was needed was a little extra time to feel more secure. The parasite meds. an be harsh and do more damage than good at times. Giving him the syringe feedings , just drip it on his snout . You can add a tiny bit of raw honey [ beardies usually love the taste ] if he doesn't seem too interested in the Critical Care supplement.
And can you post pics of the baby + the set up ? Here's how :
Thanks for the advice. Literally right after I posted that, I got him to eat about five small dubia roaches. He even chased them down! After that became uninterested. I know it's not a lot, but it's a definite improvement. To be honest, there is a high likelyhood that most of this is over paranoia on my part. This is my first bearded dragon and I just want him to be happy and healthy
The setup looks pretty good. You may want to try and either get a reflector that fits your fixture or orient the fixture so the bulb is shining down rather than outward to get the most out of it. If your temperature gradient is good (100-110 range for basking surfaces to 75-80 or so cool side surfaces) then your setup should be fine.