Spoiled beardie?

[superyynju]

Hi guys,

My beardie won't eat his salad in his dish or on the ground of his tank until I hand-feed him. He eats well and nothing seems wrong. I have to put one small leaf of the salad close to his mouth and then he starts to eat it. Then I put another leaf to his mouth and he just enjoy it.

If I just leave the salad there on his plate or the ground of his tank, he won't even touch it. He has been behaving like this since he finished shedding on his head last week.

Is my beardie spoiled? Does anyone see this before?

Also another thing I noticed tonight is that he won't sleep when the light is off. I had a digital timer to control his light. Light on at 9 am and off at 9 pm. Normally he would sleep a few minutes after the light is off. But tonight when the light is off, he would just stare at me and seems not tired at all with his head raise high as if he is basking. It is raining outside. Does that has anything to do with tonight's unusual behavior?

PS:

Please do not copy paste me the long question list....I am very confident that his home is comfortable and nice. Lighting, temperatures are all good. He eats well and looks healthy. No bad mood or unwillingness to interact with me.

 

[CountofCasualty]

The salad thing is probably because you cave in and hand feed...if they can get away with it, they will. I'd stop hand feeding and let him realize to eat salad on his own.
As for the perching thing, it could be because of the rain and higher then normal humidity. I do know Dragons will refuse to sleep with their head flat-insisting instead that it must be much higher if they are about to develop a URI or something similar. But I wouldn't say its a URI yet. You can take preventative measures, by increasing the heat 5-10 degrees F during the day and night (from normal temps). This could nip the URI in the bud before it starts, but nothing is promised, especially if I can't say it is a URI or not.

 

[Mistyck]

He's refusing to eat on his own because you baby him. You've taught him that you will hand feed him, and he doesn't have to do it on his own. Only thing you can do is to put the salad in there, and force him to eat it himself. The longer you hand feed him, the more he'll expect it.

As for him not going to bed, could be a number of things...Maybe he's just not tired yet, or there are other lights on in the room disturbing his schedule. He could be hearing the rain and wondering what it is. It's a crap shoot as to why they do what they do half the time.

 

[CountofCasualty]

Agreeing with Brandi as well...You could also cover him up with a blanket and that could help him sleep if there are external light sources.

 

[superyynju]

Thanks for the reply, CountofCasualty. I spoiled him too much. I'll gradually stop hand-feeding him salad.

I just turned on the light and fed my beardie some crickets and salad. It seems he is very hungry. He eats all the 15 crickets I added in and several salad with my hand feed.

I normally fed him once a day with 30 more or less crickets and greens since he is already a sub adult dragon. He got hungry tonight somehow.

I'll let him bask and digest the food for a while and turn off the light.

The salad thing is probably because you cave in and hand feed...if they can get away with it, they will. I'd stop hand feeding and let him realize to eat salad on his own.
As for the perching thing, it could be because of the rain and higher then normal humidity. I do know Dragons will refuse to sleep with their head flat-insisting instead that it must be much higher if they are about to develop a URI or something similar. But I wouldn't say its a URI yet. You can take preventative measures, by increasing the heat 5-10 degrees F during the day and night (from normal temps). This could nip the URI in the bud before it starts, but nothing is promised, especially if I can't say it is a URI or not.

 

[superyynju]

Blanket is a good idea! I have to read something tonight on my desk, which is in the same room as his tank. The light on the desk might also be disturbing him.

Agreeing with Brandi as well...You could also cover him up with a blanket and that could help him sleep if there are external light sources.

 

[littlegoron]

i just wanna say i empathize with you on this scenario. when he was just a baby at 6" long, i would hand feed him a few greens just so he could get used to eating them. He NEVER went to the plate on his own, ever, so i kept feeding him by hand to make sure he was getting those greens and variety into his diet.
N
Flash forward to him being 3 months old and almost double in size, and you start to realize how your innocent helping causes some trouble and imbalance because they get so used to it that they expect it from you! I realized what i had accidentally done, so i tried to backtrack, i would give him a piece and then leave the saucer in there but he wouldnt eat from it and it would end up drying under the heat light and being wasted.

I dont know if it will work for you but what i did was i fed a few pieces to him by hand, so he knew what i was offering, then i would pick him up and put him right by the plate. The first while he got really upset and would run away and wouldnt take a thing from it. other times i would hold a piece of greens and drop it onto the plate, or on the ground nearby and he would run to eat it, and i would create a trail to the saucer. after so many days of this he started eating bits and pieces.
He is 4 months now and let me tell you, when he sees the saucer coming he knows. i put it in and he literally flies off his rock and runs to the plate to get some, he doesnt need me to do a single thing but put it in there. I admit i do occasionally feed a few pieces, and i think that is fine to do in moderation, its cute to watch and its a nice bonding moment for a beardie and their owner, but make it a rare thing, they need to be more independent from us.

dont feel like its too late to stop, it took me maybe 2 weeks if that to get mine eating on his own and he is very stubborn, i know you can do the same.

 

[superyynju]

Thank you very much, littlegoron, for the sharing of your experience.

I'll try to make my beardie more independent on eating his greens.

i just wanna say i empathize with you on this scenario. when he was just a baby at 6" long, i would hand feed him a few greens just so he could get used to eating them. He NEVER went to the plate on his own, ever, so i kept feeding him by hand to make sure he was getting those greens and variety into his diet.
N
Flash forward to him being 3 months old and almost double in size, and you start to realize how your innocent helping causes some trouble and imbalance because they get so used to it that they expect it from you! I realized what i had accidentally done, so i tried to backtrack, i would give him a piece and then leave the saucer in there but he wouldnt eat from it and it would end up drying under the heat light and being wasted.

I dont know if it will work for you but what i did was i fed a few pieces to him by hand, so he knew what i was offering, then i would pick him up and put him right by the plate. The first while he got really upset and would run away and wouldnt take a thing from it. other times i would hold a piece of greens and drop it onto the plate, or on the ground nearby and he would run to eat it, and i would create a trail to the saucer. after so many days of this he started eating bits and pieces.
He is 4 months now and let me tell you, when he sees the saucer coming he knows. i put it in and he literally flies off his rock and runs to the plate to get some, he doesnt need me to do a single thing but put it in there. I admit i do occasionally feed a few pieces, and i think that is fine to do in moderation, its cute to watch and its a nice bonding moment for a beardie and their owner, but make it a rare thing, they need to be more independent from us.

dont feel like its too late to stop, it took me maybe 2 weeks if that to get mine eating on his own and he is very stubborn, i know you can do the same.