Phoenix Worms and Protein Issues

[sirenique]

My beardie is about a year old, and I've been talking with my vet about altering his diet. I've gradually been weaning him off of crix and upping the amount of greens, squash, and peas he eats. While at the vet, he was also diagnosed with pinworms, which is no surprise to me because 3 days before the vet visit, he'd been showing signs of constipation and that he just wasn't feeling 'quite right'.

I've been told adult dragons can pretty much subsist on greens, but I feel bad taking away all of his protein -- what's the deal with phoenix worms? Are they the best kind? Since he won't be eating many insects in his adult life, should I just stick to mixing vitamin-dusted mealworms in to his salads since I can get those at local stores and don't have to worry about shipping and delivery to my apartment? I'm pretty much off the idea of crix since that's the most likely source from which he acquired pinworms. I know dubias don't carry pinworms, but I don't have the space or money to start and maintain a dubia colony right now. Can live mealworms obtained from pet stores also carry pinworms? I was thinking I could also introduce chicken- or beef-based baby foods into his diet to maintain his protein levels...

I'm trying to take away crix from him at the same time as his pinworm medicine delivery, because it seems futile to keep feeding him the likely source of pinworms while medicating him for them! Alternatives and suggestions appreciated. Thanks

 

[Kaiser]

From what I've heard, about a year old doesn't necessarily mean a bearded dragon is an adult quite yet, and often times, is still considered relatively young and can still be fed protein regularly. Honestly, however, I don't know if they naturally choose to eat less protein or not as they get older, but I would recommend continuing feeding protein as he may still very well be growing. I would start weaning him from protein if he continues his eating habits and you notice unhealthy weight gain (ex. belly dragging on the ground, etc.). But I would hear from others first; just throwing my own thoughts into this.

Phoenix Worms are a particular brand name of a certain species of fly larvae (black soldier fly larvae). They actually come in different brand names, such as Reptiworms and Calciworms. I think Reptiworms and Phoenix Worms are relatively similar, though I have heard Calciworms have a much higher calcium to phosphorous ratio, which isn't as ideal of a ratio as the other two. I don't particularly know if Phoenix Worms are the best kind of brand, though I can attest that black soldier fly larvae can be used as a good protein staple. I personally use Reptiworms myself, but I'm sure Phoenix Worms are similar. Not sure about how black soldier fly larvae compare to other species of worms, though.

Well, actually, I do know that black soldier fly larvae are much better for bearded dragons than mealworms. Nutrition and health-wise. Bearded dragons typically have a difficult time properly digesting mealworms due to their hard shells. But I hear that if you get freshly molted mealworms, you can avoid this problem. Though, once again, they're not too nutritious.

Not too sure about using baby food to maintain protein levels, however... I typically see baby food being used when there are no other protein alternatives (such as no access to live feeders, not healthy enough to eat, no appetite for live feeders, etc.), so I would assume that when given the choice, live feeders are better in the long run. But once again, not too sure.

Hope this helps. If anything, hopefully it just gives you some personal opinion and some thoughts about the matter. Good luck!

 

[Jess]

Beardies dont completely stop growing until they are around a year old, so they need plenty of protein until then.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of meal worms. They are mainly fat, with little nutrition, have too much chitin, and an adult beardie would have to eat a lot of them to be full! PWs are so tiny, they wouldn't make a good staple for an adult. Dudley would probably go through at least one container a feeding if I used those.

Do any of the pet store around you carry super worms? They are bigger, dont have as thick of exoskeletons as meal worms do, have more nutrition, and are very filling... IMO, they are an awesome food for growing beardies. If I'm remembering right, they done carry parasites nearly as much as crickets do, as long as they are from a good source. I use them as a staple, and I have never had parasites.