New dragon

[foolsgold]

Hello,
I have a few questions about a new bearded dragon that was sold to me as a "nervous dragon that isn't proactive when it comes to eating'. He got here on Wednesday and has been hiding since then. He doesn't come out to bask or anything. I have soaked him for 10min every day and then he goes back to hiding.
I think he has eaten one butterworm but that's all. I know relocation stress can take up to two weeks to settle in but do you have any advice on how to help him settle in? Or on how to get him to start eating? I have ordered carnivore care to have on hand incase it's needed (and for my leopard geckos). His set up:
Basking spot is 108 +/- a few degrees
Cool side is 78 +/-
Reptisun 10 uv tube
Offered roach babies and butterworms, greens and bell peppers.
He is 3.5 months old.
Any more information you need please let me know.

 

[SherryInFL]

How old is he?

 

[diamc]

What type of thermometer are you using to ck the temps?

Have you given him a bath yet? If not, that would be a good idea in case he is dehydrated.

What is the distance of the UVB light and are you using it right alongside a bright white basking bulb?

 

[foolsgold]

Hes 3.5 mo
Infrared and probe thermometers
Given him a 10min bath every day
Uv is 8" from basking spot under the screen w/ clear bulbs on top of screen beside the uv.

 

[diamc]

I'm sorry, looks like we asked questions that had already been stated.

Good that you are giving him a bath and that you have the Repti-Sun tube that is 8" away. When you ck the temps with the probe thermometer, make sure you lay the probe directly on the basking log or rock so that it is touching it, then wait about 45 min to an hr before getting the final reading. When you get the temp with the temp gun, make sure you hold the gun only 2" away from the area you are checking. If you're doing all of this correct, then it is probably just relocation stress.

You could pick up some chicken or turkey baby food as well as some squash baby food, mix a little of each and you can even put a pinch of calcium in it. You might want to heat the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off, then put drops on his nose with a plastic medicine dropper for him to lick off. It might take a few minutes for him to get the idea but once he tastes it, he should really like it. This way you can get the supplements into him, will help with the bonding & also help get some protein and nutrition into him. Let us know how it goes.

 

[foolsgold]

I went to the store just now and got the chicken and squash baby foods...
Fino wasn't up for it at first but I did manage to get him to lick about a droppers worth of food off his face and the dropper. I made it up 50/50 chicken/squash. After I gave him a 10min soak. I'll start giving him some 2-3 times a day while still offering worms. The little guy is still high strung and freaks out when anyone walks into the bedroom and flies around the tank like he's going to get eaten. Looking forward to him calming down

 

[kcarello]

Poor little guy! I hope he calms down for you.

 

[foolsgold]

To be fair I was told he was a nervous dragon from the start. I just want to make sure what I'm doing is going to help, not hurt.

 

[foolsgold]

THREE! THREE! THREE!
I finally got Fino to eat 3 butterworms tonight! I was going to turn off his lights and just decided to pick him up for a few minutes before bed. I saw the 4 worms still in the dish that had been there all day so I thought "what the heck, he's not going to eat anyway." So I pinched the butt of one worm and put a little of the juice on his lips (MMMM Bug butt juice ... :shock: ). He licked it off then carunched down on the worm! Almost got my fingers lol. Made me jump and I'm used to getting my fingers nipped when hand feeding a few of my leopard geckos so it doesn't bother me I just was NOT expecting him to take it!!!
OK so now the next problem.... he still doesn't want to bask (I'm leaving the lights on for another hour now since he ate). I put him under the basking light (reading 108* w/ the infrared gun) and he will sit there for .05 seconds and then try to go to the other side of the tank. Any suggestions on how to get this 'vampire-ish' (NOOO! NOT THE LIGHT!) out into the heat and uv?

 

[diamc]

Great that he ended up eating 3 butters for you. Now that he got a taste of them, hopefully he will eat more daily.

When you ck the basking temp with the gun, make sure you only hold it 2" away from the area you're checking because if you are holding it farther away, the actual basking spot could be higher than the 108 reading.

 

[foolsgold]

Yah I am. I'd say it's between 1-2" away from the surface. + I have a probe thermometer too that seems to read a consistent 2* warmer so I adjust for that when I use it for the temp reading. Normally I just take out the infrared... its more fun to play w/ anyway

 

[foolsgold]

I think I figured something else out last night too.... I think he doesn't like basking because it is a large branch/root for the basking spot and he feels too exposed up there... So I think I'm going to take it out and until I get to make his fake rock I will put a box w/ a ramp up to the top and make some sort of 'nest' on top of it for him to 'hide' in while he's basking.

 

[SeanFred]

Put something in his viv with your scent on it, like a worn t-shirt or a wash cloth that you wiped your brow with a few times and let him sleep with it, it will help to get him used to you.

You don't know how he was treated before, so give him time to get used to you. As he trusts you more over time, he will warm up to you.

He probably is not used to all the space too.