Stubborn bearded dragon who doesn't want to eat vegetables

[mango_the_beardie]

My bearded dragon used to eat vegetables a lot but mainly just the salad toppers but now she doesn't even do that and when I took her to the vet a few days ago they said she was extremely over weight (which she is) but thats because since she refuses to eat vegetables I feed her a few worms every so often because I afraid she'll starve. To get her to eat her salad I've tried
putting her bugs in her salad
dried flowers on top
bee pollen
switching up the salad toppers
switching up the greens
none of it has worked.
The main vegetables I've tried with her it
yellow squash (which made her throw up)
butternut squash (got old)
banana (got old)
carrots (got old)
strawberries (got old)
blueberries (got old)
collard greens (she doesn't like how hard it is to eat because it gets stuck to the top of her mouth)
mustard greens (she didn't even try to eat them
parsley (didn't try to eat those either)
and that's about it I NEED HELP
she weighs about 750 grams and if anyone has any suggestions they would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Claudiusx]

Moved by Moderator from General to Feeding

 

[Claudiusx]

I feed her a few worms every so often because I afraid she'll starve.

No offense, but she is 750g, she is not going to starve!

There is typically only one real solution for stubborn adults, and that's to stop giving them insects completely. Your girl knows salad is food, she is just stubborn because she is smart and has learned that you will eventually cave and give her bugs.

Cut the bugs completely off, and start offering her a fresh salad every day. She's going to protest, she's going to not eat, but she will give in eventually. Once she does, you can slowly introduce bugs back. For adults I like to limit bugs to 2-3 times a week.

She's 750g. She can go WEEKS without eating anything if she needed to. She more than likely won't do that though. She knows the salad is food, she knows she can eat it if she wants. Once she gets hungry enough she will.

A healthy dragon will not let itself starve!

Your dragon eating healthy salads in its adult age is going to do far more for her health than any misconceived notion of harm from a lack of feeder insects for a few weeks.

-Brandon

 

[mango_the_beardie]

No offense, but she is 750g, she is not going to starve!

There is typically only one real solution for stubborn adults, and that's to stop giving them insects completely. Your girl knows salad is food, she is just stubborn because she is smart and has learned that you will eventually cave and give her bugs.

Cut the bugs completely off, and start offering her a fresh salad every day. She's going to protest, she's going to not eat, but she will give in eventually. Once she does, you can slowly introduce bugs back. For adults I like to limit bugs to 2-3 times a week.

She's 750g. She can go WEEKS without eating anything if she needed to. She more than likely won't do that though. She knows the salad is food, she knows she can eat it if she wants. Once she gets hungry enough she will.

A healthy dragon will not let itself starve!

Your dragon eating healthy salads in its adult age is going to do far more for her health than any misconceived notion of harm from a lack of feeder insects for a few weeks.

-Brandon

ok thank you but I think the main reason I give her bugs is that she starts to act lethargic if I don't for a while. Is that normal though or is she just like acting in a way

 

[Claudiusx]

Is that normal though or is she just like acting in a way

Sounds like a pouting teenager in an adults body lol.

Remember, she's got more than enough reserve to survive a few weeks without any food.

Dragon intelligence is a highly underrated concept in my opinion. They aren't smart in the sense that dogs are, but they are smart in the sense that they can learn patterns and methods of communicating what they want.

-Brandon

 

[xp29]

Sounds like a pouting teenager in an adults body lol.

Remember, she's got more than enough reserve to survive a few weeks without any food.

Dragon intelligence is a highly underrated concept in my opinion. They aren't smart in the sense that dogs are, but they are smart in the sense that they can learn patterns and methods of communicating what they want.

-Brandon

I tell everyone that.
My new male learned the doggy door watching my dog, now i have to seal the door or watch him like a hawk.

 

[TheBeard9789]

My bearded dragon used to eat vegetables a lot but mainly just the salad toppers but now she doesn't even do that and when I took her to the vet a few days ago they said she was extremely over weight (which she is) but thats because since she refuses to eat vegetables I feed her a few worms every so often because I afraid she'll starve. To get her to eat her salad I've tried
putting her bugs in her salad
dried flowers on top
bee pollen
switching up the salad toppers
switching up the greens
none of it has worked.
The main vegetables I've tried with her it
yellow squash (which made her throw up)
butternut squash (got old)
banana (got old)
carrots (got old)
strawberries (got old)
blueberries (got old)
collard greens (she doesn't like how hard it is to eat because it gets stuck to the top of her mouth)
mustard greens (she didn't even try to eat them
parsley (didn't try to eat those either)
and that's about it I NEED HELP
she weighs about 750 grams and if anyone has any suggestions they would be GREATLY appreciated.

I am dealing with this too my girl has been around the same weight but loses about 30G during brumation. I generally let my Chubbs (chubby girl) eat her greens if she wants and if not I only feed her bugs 2 times a week.

She is a rescue that was mistreated and was on a 2 cricket diet with dried pellets (yes 2 crickets). I have tried getting feeders that offer almost no fat so she can eat bugs but not gain a ton of weight. It's a fight and a struggle and I understand the whole "she's gonna starve to death" feeling but @Claudiusx is right they won't starve. My Amber who is around 525G+ eats greens but only if she is hungry and I won't give her bugs she doesn't like it but she eats them

 

[mango_the_beardie]

Sounds like a pouting teenager in an adults body lol.

Remember, she's got more than enough reserve to survive a few weeks without any food.

Dragon intelligence is a highly underrated concept in my opinion. They aren't smart in the sense that dogs are, but they are smart in the sense that they can learn patterns and methods of communicating what they want.

-Brandon

ok thank you

 

[mango_the_beardie]

I am dealing with this too my girl has been around the same weight but loses about 30G during brumation. I generally let my Chubbs (chubby girl) eat her greens if she wants and if not I only feed her bugs 2 times a week.

She is a rescue that was mistreated and was on a 2 cricket diet with dried pellets (yes 2 crickets). I have tried getting feeders that offer almost no fat so she can eat bugs but not gain a ton of weight. It's a fight and a struggle and I understand the whole "she's gonna starve to death" feeling but @Claudiusx is right they won't starve. My Amber who is around 525G+ eats greens but only if she is hungry and I won't give her bugs she doesn't like it but she eats them

Where do you find rescue websites and stuff like that because I've been looking into rescuing a bearded dragon but don't know where to look

 

[TheBeard9789]

Where do you find rescue websites and stuff like that because I've been looking into rescuing a bearded dragon but don't know where to look

Honestly I got her from a cousin who bought her for her "looks" he knew nothing about beardies and PetSmart had him spend $350 for a "kit". He knew I had experience and the time so I got her and everything for $100. She was at the MBD stage but from that day forward (4yrs+) only her tail is kinked and she is thriving. His jaw dropped when I showed her all grown up and he thanked me for giving her a proper loving and caring life.

I would think a humane society or rescue place may have reptiles generally but sadly they don't really get many reptiles. I mean in all honesty I feel if you get a beardie from PetSmart/Petco it would count as a rescue because they do NOT take care of their reptiles IMO.

 

[Groggyfroggie]

I know of an overweight male bearded dragon that was adopted by a breeder, and the breeder thought he's one step away from organ failure because of how overweight he was! He went 6 months without any food (only offered water for hydration), and he's fine, more active than before actually.

I'm struggling to get my beardie to eat more greens too, usually he'd budge after a couple days of starvation. Sometimes it feels like I'm torturing him, but then I'd lift him up and feel his belly, yep totally fine just being a stubborn teenager

 

[TheBeard9789]

I know of an overweight male bearded dragon that was adopted by a breeder, and the breeder thought he's one step away from organ failure because of how overweight he was! He went 6 months without any food (only offered water for hydration), and he's fine, more active than before actually.

I'm struggling to get my beardie to eat more greens too, usually he'd budge after a couple days of starvation. Sometimes it feels like I'm torturing him, but then I'd lift him up and feel his belly, yep totally fine just being a stubborn teenager

I have moved to feeding bugs once a week and I can say Chubbs has been eating greens more frequently but it's only little bit I'll take it lol