Poor neglected Fred

[cynikalkat]

So as some of you know we just acquired a 4 or 5-y/o female beardie from my sister. She is much smaller than our dragon, who is about 2-3 yrs old. She eats VORACIOUSLY. Crickets (we are switching to roaches), roaches, strawberries, greens (not as much as I would like), waxworms...she is very hungry. My sister said they were not great at feeding her. She was neglected, which is why we took her. How much should I be feeding her? I don't have a scale to weigh her. Also we've had her for 2 days and she hasn't pooped yet. thanx

 

[CooperDragon]

It's a very good sign that her appetite is up. I'd go easy on the bugs, especially at first, so not to overwhelm her system with protein. As an adult, she should be on a mainly salad diet anyway. I'd offer a nice fresh salad every day - all she wants to eat. I'd offer a variety of bugs every couple of days to supplement the salads. Bugs should only consist of approximately 20% of her overall diet though. Offer her a nice variety of veg in the salad and she should get the nutrition she needs. There are some good ideas for what to offer on this list http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

 

[cynikalkat]

she doesn't seem too keen on the veggies but I'm working on it. thanks!

 

[cynikalkat]

Well, Fred is still not into her vegetables, but she'll eat lots of raspberries and blueberries, and of course, roaches. I switched her and Milla over to roaches (red runners bred locally and given Rephasy bug burger i think it is) and they LOVE them. But Fred is always starving it seems.

Any tips? I feel like a parent trying to force their kid to eat veggies....

 

[CooperDragon]

You ARE a parent trying to get their kid to eat veges =). If she's not used to them it could take several months if not more to switch her over. It's good that she's eating something though. If she wasn't taken care of she may need to gain weight and stabilize a bit. Start monitoring her weight and when it gets stable you can start cutting back on the bug feedings to every couple of days and then every few days and always have fresh salad available. If her weight is good she can handle going without food for a while and her hunger may bring her to the salad.

 

[cynikalkat]

Hah. you are SO right. I need to get a scale...thanks for reminding me!

You ARE a parent trying to get their kid to eat veges =). If she's not used to them it could take several months if not more to switch her over. It's good that she's eating something though. If she wasn't taken care of she may need to gain weight and stabilize a bit. Start monitoring her weight and when it gets stable you can start cutting back on the bug feedings to every couple of days and then every few days and always have fresh salad available. If her weight is good she can handle going without food for a while and her hunger may bring her to the salad.

 

[CooperDragon]

Those little digital kitchen scales work beauty. Just put a shoebox top on it, tare the weight, and she should fit right in it. Hard part is weighing her at a time she feels like sitting still =)

 

[cynikalkat]

Fred finally pooped after a few days (5 maybe?). Poor thing. It seemed she had a difficult time. Poop came out brown liquid first then whitish, then brown clumps as expected. What can I do so this doesn't happen?
She doesn't drink water, even in the tub. She doesn't appear to eat greens but will eat raspberries and blueberries and obviously roaches. Thanks

 

[CooperDragon]

I'd go easy on the blueberries. From what I've seen they can cause a bit of upset stomach if offered too much. I would try dropping some water on her nose and see if she licks it up. Extra hydration may help.

 

[cynikalkat]

Fred today hanging out with me, being in the way of the enter key. lol
BTW shes 16 grams and Milla is 26!!!

 

[anastasia6988]

Hehe cute picture. She's posting pictures of herself huh?

Glad you are bringing her back to good health.

 

[cynikalkat]

Well, Fred went to the vet recently b/c I noticed she has an expiratory whistle at times. Confirmed that she IS a she. Poor Fred has an upper respiratory infection, which she is on antiobiotics for (injection every 3 days) and MBD, which she's on liquid calcium for. She had lab work which was great and x-ray which definitively diagnosed the MBD.

We have had Fred since Sept. 2015. She was my sisters/kids pet and sadly they neglected her. I'm a bit miffed at my sister for being the parent and not taking care of Fred....but that's beside point.

Fred is in great care with us. The vet said her color looks great and she was glad to see Fred doesn't have any broken bones or missing parts of her tail or toes.

AND the x-ray showed she has eggs! Now that the calcium levels are improving (actually they're high, but the vet tells me that's b/c she has been developing the eggs), and she is getting a bath every other day, she is laying! She has laid 1 egg. These are unfertilized as she has not mated. So tonight I set up a lay box for her and she's in it currently, although just basking in the light.