Pricking BSFL?

[aaroncoolio]

Hi, I recently got a baby beardie, he is in a off brand exo-terra 36x18x18 tank which a basking bulb (random halogen) that makes his basking spot range from 100-110 depending on where he chooses to bask at. He has a t5 reptisun 10.0 mounted inside. He seems to be very young, possibly 4-5 weeks? Anyways, he has just seemed to start eating well after 4 days of living with me, and he ate plenty of dubia. I bought BSFL for him however after feeding some to my leopard geckos, some of them come out completely whole in their poop.... Are these safe for beardies????

 

[CooperDragon]

They are safe but some dragons (including mine) have a hard time digesting them. Try offering them one at a time to try and get them to chew thoroughly. Sometimes if they eat too quickly they will pass through undigested. It's not harmful, but they don't get the benefit of the worm that way.

 

[aaroncoolio]

They are safe but some dragons (including mine) have a hard time digesting them. Try offering them one at a time to try and get them to chew thoroughly. Sometimes if they eat too quickly they will pass through undigested. It's not harmful, but they don't get the benefit of the worm that way.

Would it still be safe for a young one like this? I always hear about mealworms causing impaction.. Wouldn't a full undigested BSFL do this to a young beardie?

 

[CooperDragon]

Not likely due to their small size and soft body.

 

[JessPets]

They are safe but some dragons (including mine) have a hard time digesting them. Try offering them one at a time to try and get them to chew thoroughly. Sometimes if they eat too quickly they will pass through undigested. It's not harmful, but they don't get the benefit of the worm that way.

Would it still be safe for a young one like this? I always hear about mealworms causing impaction.. Wouldn't a full undigested BSFL do this to a young beardie?

BSFL and mealworms/super worms are very different. Mealworms have a very hard chitinous exoskeleton, while BSFL are very soft bodied and easy(er) to digest, making them suitable for all ages of dragons.

 

[aaroncoolio]

They are safe but some dragons (including mine) have a hard time digesting them. Try offering them one at a time to try and get them to chew thoroughly. Sometimes if they eat too quickly they will pass through undigested. It's not harmful, but they don't get the benefit of the worm that way.

Would it still be safe for a young one like this? I always hear about mealworms causing impaction.. Wouldn't a full undigested BSFL do this to a young beardie?

BSFL and mealworms/super worms are very different. Mealworms have a very hard chitinous exoskeleton, while BSFL are very soft bodied and easy(er) to digest, making them suitable for all ages of dragons.

Understand about them being soft bodied and all, but a good sized bsfl that is being passed through my leopards are pretty wide compared to a mealworm. And if the mealworms is partially digested, it would be smaller no? I'm just saying this when comparing the bsfl vs mealworms size.. why would it not get caught in the kink people talk about before the dragon is 16 inches?

 

[CooperDragon]

I don't think it's a huge risk and the soft body makes a big difference vs a bunch of chomped up chitin which could collect and cause a blockage, although if chewed well I see that as a minimal risk as well.