Over weight beardies...

[Freeie]

Hello!

I've been wondering this for a while. How do you tell your beardie is over weight?

Chimaira 18 months old is 740g at 19 1/2 inches long and about 6 1/2 inches across not pancaked. Shes a good eater but looks like shes getting to fat. She eats 80% veggies and 20% bugs (supers) she only gets 5 supers a day(2 inches or less in size) so 35 a week total. Shes in brumation now so im sure she will loose some weight.

Heres some pictures of her.

Look at those arms :shock:

I know she looks a bit wrinkly. Shes getting bathed 20 mins every 3 days. Shes not eatting atm 1 super in a week and just a bite or two of here veggies when she decides shes willing to drag herself to her dish.

This one was taken a week before she decided she wanted to brumate after all.

If a beardie is over weight how do you get them back in shape?

Thanks in advance for any information on this subject

*hugs*

 

[StLDragonMaster]

The info I have on mealworms is that their 12.7% fat compared to a crickets 6% before gutload and a Hornworms 3%. So I would have to assume that a superworm would contain more fat than a mealworm due to size. The only suggestion I Have is to vary her diet more and try to stay away from the fattys but once a week. Kind of like a cheat day for humans and maybe more handeling after her burmation to let her run around a little if she will at that age :lol: . Waxworms are by far the fattiest with 22.2% fat. Maybe check into pinkie fat content aswell for another food option

 

[Gail]

Yes, she is getting fat. Supers are quite fatty and some dragons gain too much weight on them and need a different type of bug. Roaches or silkies would be good for her. No pinkies though, they are also fatty.

 

[Freeie]

Yeah i was thinking about cutting down on her supers and try and get her more exercise. Shes one lazy girl always has been since we got her when she was 4 months old. Set her on the floor and she just stays there. I turn loose any of our others and they are zooming. She gets 2 hours a day of roam time she just doesn't roam. Her salad is endive mustard collard turnip dandelion greens during the summer i grow my own fresh butternut squash cut up on top. She wont eat any bugs but the supers shes picky I wish i could use roaches but my family freaks out if i even mention them.
I'll have to place a order of some other type of worm for her. I'll look into the silkies. Thanks.


I wasn't sure how you can tell if they are over weight or if they are just big.

I was compairing her to our Kinno he will be 1 yr tomorrow. Hes 650g 24 inches and about 6 inches across. But he doesn't look fat.

Guess its off to the water exercises for her she does like to swim.

 

[Gail]

Mine is very lazy too and started getting fat from supers. I had to switch to roaches which made him very unhappy. You can feed crickets if roaches aren't an option and you can't get silkies.

Your boy isn't over weight, you can tell a few different ways. Look for the fat bubble behind the front leg in the arm pit area, this seems to be where fat shows up first. Also your females neck/beard looks bloated where the males looks normal. Her front legs are pretty chunky too.

If you can't get her to run then swimming is great exercise. Try to get her in the tub everyday at least for a few minutes.

 

[Freeie]

Thanks Gail!