what is a good way to gain weight?

[ThePonz]

My beardie is a little on the skinny side and could definitely stand to gain a few grams so I was wondering what an easy way is for him to gain some weight. I've heard pinkies work good for weight gain and I know that a whole bunch of people freak out about beardies eating pinkies is horrible. I have no problem with it and I will be feeding pre-killed anyway. If that's a good way for weight gain, I want to make sure he is big enough to eat one. He is about 7 months old at about 15" or so.

 

[Desdemona]

i think the worry about pinkies is that they can harm your Dragon, not that it's eating baby mice/rats. Waxworms are very fattening. Don't go crazy with them though, you don't want a Dragon that will eat only wax worms. I don't know if it happens with them, but Leos sometimes will switch to eating only wax worms.

 

[ThePonz]

I guess my question is...how can a pinky harm my dragon especially since there really isn't an impaction risk since there aren't any bones

 

[mickeysmomma]

They are very high in fat

 

[ThePonz]

How could that be dangerous. I understand that they can get fatty liver disease I think it is only if they are fed regularly which he won't be fed

 

[Gail]

you are right that one pink won't cause fatty liver but it also won't be enough for weight gain either. There is debate on whether or not a dragon can digest mammals well enough to keep the impaction risk low.
I fed a pinky once but it was to a 22" adult, I don't think I'd risk it with a 15". You would be better off with waxies, butter worms or even superworms.

 

[AHBD]

How much does he actually weigh ? He may not be too thin, could be just a growth spurt like a lanky teen-ager. And yes, super, butter and horn worms will put some weight on, but can also produce a finicky eater that will only settle for his favorites...if he;s eating crickets now, give him twice a day or 3 times if he'll take them. If fed the worms and he STILL will eat crix, then that will do the trick. Unless he's thin due to parasite overload, but that's another story.

 

[ThePonz]

I don't have a scale but I know he could defnately use bulking up a little bit.