My bearded dragons size

[RyanWilko]

Hi,
I have had my dragon for a few months now, after receiving him from a previous owner. While with this owner he wasn't being fed food for up to 4 weeks at a time. We have been told he is around a year and a half. Since we have had him we have tried picking him up and getting him used to being handled but he doesn't like it. While watching videos online I began to become suspicious about his size. Compared to other dragons his age he is considerably smaller than them. He is also a lot thinner. I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible if he will grow to full size and are there any foods that can help me do that? I am currently feeding him locusts and give him salads but he doesn't tend to eat it.

Thanks Ryan

 

[CooperDragon]

Poor guy, I'm glad you are able to give him a good home. At his age he should be eating a lot of veges so try offering a variety of those. Is he eating on his own at all? You may need to offer him some baby food by dripping it on his nose to lick up. If he is eating a bit on his own, that's a good sign. Just try hand feeding a variety of veges. This is a good list to reference for ideas http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Try cutting squash into worm shapes and see if he goes for that. Maybe try some repti/calci worms and see if he goes after the wiggling motion. Go easy on bugs for a while and try to focus on veges though. If he doesn't like to be handled, give him space but try hand feeding to form a bond. It may take time and patience. Can you post photos of him and his current setup? You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them to your thread using the XIMG button when you reply.

 

[RyanWilko]

Thanks that seems very helpful. I am concerned about his width and also length. I have tried many different vegetables and wiggled it around but the squash sounds like a good idea. I have attached photos of him and his vivarium.

 

[CooperDragon]

That enclosure looks good. Which kind of UVB light is in there (T8, T5)? Does it have a reflector? How far is it above that branch? It's very important that he has proper UVB exposure and a healthy temperature gradient across the tank.


He does still look quite skinny but his head is up and he's alert so that's encouraging. I would try getting some baby food into him and see how that goes. Once he has more energy and is well hydrated he might be more apt to go after food on his own. I've had good luck using baby food squash, green beans, and sweet potato.

 

[RyanWilko]

Thanks, I'm not to sure on what you mean by t5 and t8 but I replaced his UVb bulb yesterday. I know that it is 10% and is the recommended bulb for dragons. I have attached a picture of the distance from the branch below below.

 

[CooperDragon]

The way the light is bending on the photo it looks like there is a reflector. T8 is a thicker bulb and a T5 is thinner with stronger output. I ask because the recommended distance is different for each bulb. A T8 should sit 6-8'' above the basking area and the T5 (recommended) should be about 12'' above the basking area.

 

[RyanWilko]

Ok that's helpful. I just did some measurements and it turns out my bulb is t8. I then measured the distance and it is 7 inches away. Thanks for all the help

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from Beardie ER to Health

 

[Calcal]

I would ditch the substrate. Please use something like tile, reptile carpet, or paper towels as soon as possible. Loose substrate can cause respiratory issues and impaction.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

It's hard to tell, but your tube UVB, is it mounted on the back wall or directly overhead?
Which brand of UVB is it, Reptisun or Arcadia?
I hope your dragon is doing well today. He is lucky you adopted him, I am sure that he
will settle right in real soon.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie