Seriously Stubborn - No greens

[jeanscott]

I have had my beardie since June. I think he is about a year old. I have tried EVERY combination of recommended greens/fruits/veggies there is. (I used the beautiful dragon website guidelines) HE WILL NOT EAT ANY OF THEM. I put them in every day and nothing. I've tried them alone, combinations, hiding his phoenix worms in them.. And still nothing. I went so far as yesterday to make a little pile of about 10 different things and let him wander around hoping he would chose one, and nothing. When I hold them up to his nose and mouth to smell and hopefully taste, he takes a little lick with his tongue and then whacks my hand with his head. He regularly eats from my hand (if fact prefers it lazy guy) so it's not that he doesn't eat that way.... He has a great appetite and gets a varied diet of crickets, superworms and phoenix worms.... He just will not touch greens.... He seems healthy and happy. I am about to give up. I know he needs to have both protein and greens so I worry about it... ANY suggestions would be appreciated...

Cooling my belly

I wonder what he is looking for....

 

[snazzyglasses]

bump!
Especially since I've been wondering pretty much the same thing. Our two adults won't eat anything except mustard greens, and I'd like it if there was more variety in their greens dishes. (But then again, I should probably just be happy that they're at least eating mustards lol)

 

[jsnsan]

Mine will also only eat mustards at this point...She's about 5 months.
I was thinking...maybe you could make a veggie slurry?

 

[jeanscott]

I have tried a few all natural organic baby foods (back when I was worried about water, but now I just get his phoenix worms super wet and that seems to really help with his hydration). He would not eat the baby food either. I will try a homemade veggie smoothie... hadn't thought of that... He won't even touch fruit. I tried mango, de-seeded strawberries and several others and NO INTEREST.... I tried adding cilantro and parsley for an herb-y touch and nothing....

 

[miloandrufusdragons]

I think you should try mixing worms in with the salad.

 

[jeanscott]

Thank you for the suggestion but I have tried. Both his superworms and Phoenix worms. He just picks them out with deadly precision and then moves on LOL. Today I tried the veggie slurry, did not work. I bought 2 new fruity flavors of organic baby food (apple mango was one) and mixed those with collard greens, did not work. I did get him to lick a grape with some interest so I squeezed the juice all over some sweet potatoes green beans and mustard greens, did not work.... I think I have tried almost everything and every combination of recommended greens, veggies and fruits. I've tried lots of color, different textures etc etc. Could this be an age thing? Not quite sure of his age but was told he was about a year old in June. He has recently gotten quite animated and puffs up his beard from time to time so I think he has hit puberty lol... Could this be part of the problem? except that the not eating greens has been going on way longer than the new behavior. He is also getting ready to shed again for the 2nd time since June (he has grown quite a bit since I got him, he has a great appetite for proteins) Silly dragon, my son even eats broccoli, why can't I get the lizard to eat ANYTHING GREEN....

 

[ashleyelsha]

Have you tried not feeding any insects for a day or two and offering only veggies? I think yours is old enough to try to do this but I am not 100% sure on that. Mine is about 4 months old and he just started eating greens the last couple of weeks. The first vegetable he ate was shredded carrots and the first greens he ate were mustards. I don't skip insects on him yet, but I put the greens in his cage every morning. Sometimes I drop them around him or stir them with my fingers to try to get him excited. And I have always poured his frozen/thawed crickets on top of his greens. Today he ate mustards and yellow squash. He only eats a few bites of veggies but he is eating them and that's important..., and he still ate about 50 crickets today.

 

[jeanscott]

I have tried to hold insects back a couple times (not for too long, didn't want to upset his schedule too much) but it didn't do any good. BUT TODAY, OMG OMG he ate some mustard greens. I SLATHERED them in organic, no addditives apple pear baby food and he actually ate them. What a picky guy... that was the 3rd flavor of baby food this go 'round (tried several before too) So apple pear it is (they are both on beautiful dragons list of occasional fruits so hopefully this will be ok). I am hoping that once I get him eating this pretty good I can gradually decrease the baby food and get to straight greens. Hoping that this is a milestone and not a fluke!!!!

 

[snazzyglasses]

I have tried to hold insects back a couple times (not for too long, didn't want to upset his schedule too much) but it didn't do any good. BUT TODAY, OMG OMG he ate some mustard greens. I SLATHERED them in organic, no addditives apple pear baby food and he actually ate them. What a picky guy... that was the 3rd flavor of baby food this go 'round (tried several before too) So apple pear it is (they are both on beautiful dragons list of occasional fruits so hopefully this will be ok). I am hoping that once I get him eating this pretty good I can gradually decrease the baby food and get to straight greens. Hoping that this is a milestone and not a fluke!!!!

Yay!!!!!!!!

 

[aroseanu25]

My girl is the same way... she's 11months old. My recent experience.... She stopped greens, fruit, any of my go to. Then Rosie stopped eating crickets! I took her to the vet, and well now 2 weeks later am "Force feeding" her critical care. She just wont eat period!!!!! Good luck.. for I am at a lost and well..... so worried our bond is going to be ruined by this... She just doesn't look at me the same way for last few days. I am also getting the word out, crickets can carry Whip Worm... I use to get mine from PetSupermarket and PetSmart... and this will decrease their appetite!

 

[jeanscott]

Your poor baby, I hope she gets better! Well, I'm three days in with "apple pear baby food" glazed mustard greens and he has eaten them every day, with a little more each day. Today he had a fairly good sized helping of greens. YEA! I tried some with out the baby food but he won't go for those yet. I did decrease how much was on them though. I have found through this the he does NOT like his bowl. He will eat them off the ground, off his hubba hut and out of my hand but not his bowl!!!! So another Izzy quirk.... And he is shedding for the second time in 3 months (guess he is growing lol)so I'm hoping that when he is done he will eat his greens even better!!!

 

[aroseanu25]

Well just fed her a live pinkie.. She ate hurray!!! I also am having a time with greens!!! I just don't get it! I can't get her to eat any fruit... I wonder if I get the baby food and put on her salad, she will go for it! The bowl thing is funny, my vet has labeled that behavior spoiled.... Rosie won't eat anything normally unless n her bowl or my/kids hand! During shedding Rosie is a total PMSer but shedding is a good sign, mine hasn't in 4 months!!!! Good luck on ur journey, guess they are allow to b opinionated like us!!!!

 

[mistygirl]

IDK about those pinkies. Can they cause impaction? They seem small to us, but the digestive track of a beardie is very small. I also have a hard time with the greens, I think I will try the baby food coating and see, but I have tried every green I could think of and maybe she will eat a leaf or two every few days.

 

[snazzyglasses]

Well, I'm three days in with "apple pear baby food" glazed mustard greens and he has eaten them every day, with a little more each day. Today he had a fairly good sized helping of greens. YEA! I tried some with out the baby food but he won't go for those yet. I did decrease how much was on them though. I have found through this the he does NOT like his bowl. He will eat them off the ground, off his hubba hut and out of my hand but not his bowl!!!! So another Izzy quirk.... And he is shedding for the second time in 3 months (guess he is growing lol)so I'm hoping that when he is done he will eat his greens even better!!!

Hooray!!!!! And lol, silly lizards. The things we do for those scaly little rascals...

 

[aroseanu25]

Per my vet, I am to give her twice a week, since she cannot digest crickets and has already had an impaction on top of whip worm! We are just trying to get her to eat period b/c I am force feeding 2/3 times a day of critical care. She has lost weight and well to be honest I am desperate! She ensured me she can process the pinkie and use the cartilage etc n pinkie. She is a licensed rep vet who has also bred and had growing up! I'm trusting her!! I did about 6months plus research on beardies before I found her and thought the same. My sons k3 and k4 class had beardies as classroom pets and how I even came to knw what they were. We also go every 2 days for X-rays right now. She is n happy spirits, loves roaming the house, hanging out with us... Just won't eat or bask..no other massive change in household! I have changes bulbs, thermometers, to see if anything changed n her home. She is n a 36x18x18 tank. she fits into our household awesome.. She has our personality it crazy... If anything happened I on top of my husband, 5 yr old son and 2yr old daughter and grandmother(who babysits and has bonded, so weird!) would lose it.. So guess out of my ramble... I'm with u about pinkie from my research but at a complete loss and desperate... :/