My baby beardie won't eat

[Sabastianm]

So the past few days my little beardie isn't eating like normal he use to eat 4 or 5 crickets (medium size) and now he nearly eats 2 or 3 I don't know if it's because I have him veggies for when I'm not home or if it's his shedding or if he's sick I don't know what to do

 

[CooperDragon]

That's not a very big appetite. If you see signs of a shed (dull/waxy, gray skin) then that could be part of it. How is he acting otherwise? Is he alert and moving around or is he acting sleepy and lethargic? Were you able to get a hold of a higher quality UVB light for him and get his temperatures straightened out with your new thermometer?

 

[Sabastianm]

Yes I got the temperatures straighten put and as for his behavior it's both there's times where he will just sit and sleep in his basking spot them randomly rum around for about 5 minutes

 

[Sabastianm]

Should I be worried that my little buddy is sick? Or isn't getting enough of anything?

 

[Sabastianm]

Should I be worried that my little buddy is sick? Or isn't getting enough of anything?

 

[CooperDragon]

It's hard to say. If he's active at times, that's good. Perhaps give him some time out of the tank to roam around a safe area for a bit and see how he responds. If he's curious that's a good sign. If he still acts lethargic then there may be an underlying issue.

 

[Sabastianm]

It's hard to say. If he's active at times, that's good. Perhaps give him some time out of the tank to roam around a safe area for a bit and see how he responds. If he's curious that's a good sign. If he still acts lethargic then there may be an underlying issue.

So I let bandit out of his cage and he would run around a bit then stop and look around I've seen videos so I assume everything is fine could it be that he's eating his salad while I'm not home?

 

[CooperDragon]

Yes that's certainly possible. They tend to move around and go after meals quite a bit over the course of the day. Have you been keeping track of his weight? That's a good indicator of his overall health and if that's stable or increasing as time goes on then he's probably fine and getting food somewhere along the line.

 

[Sabastianm]

Yes that's certainly possible. They tend to move around and go after meals quite a bit over the course of the day. Have you been keeping track of his weight? That's a good indicator of his overall health and if that's stable or increasing as time goes on then he's probably fine and getting food somewhere along the line.

I haven't been keeping track of his weight I didn't think about that and he does poop in his salad bowl so that's good thank you so much you have no idea how much you helped me out

 

[CooperDragon]

I'd start keeping a log of his weight so you can watch the trend. I keep one in a google doc and it works well. I can add notes about medication and feedings etc as well. If he's pooping in his salad bowl do be sure to wash and sanitize it well to keep him from getting sick.

 

[Sabastianm]

Yeah he's eating his veggies I went to the store and left him 3 pieces of collards in his bowl came back he had 2 pieces left oh such a breath of relief

 

[Sabastianm]

I'd start keeping a log of his weight so you can watch the trend. I keep one in a google doc and it works well. I can add notes about medication and feedings etc as well. If he's pooping in his salad bowl do be sure to wash and sanitize it well to keep him from getting sick.

What could I use to sanitize his bowl?

 

[CooperDragon]

For food dishes I usually avoid harsh chemicals. I spray the bowls with vinegar to help loosen any stuck on bits then I give them a good wash in hot water with dish soap (or a run through the dishwasher depending on the type of bowl) and that does the trick.

 

[Sabastianm]

What about water bowls he pooped in his today

 

[CooperDragon]

Same for those. You could also use a small steam cleaner (I have a little 1000w shark that is about the size of a tea kettle) to sanitize surfaces like that. On other surfaces that don't come in direct contact with food I like to use F10SC to sanitize (although it's pretty safe when diluted properly).