Tonight we had a scare of sorts. My granddaughter went to take up Stryker's bowl and he was sitting in it and I think looking at his reflection-which I never noticed him doing before. He's almost 8 months old. Anyways-and we're still not sure if he's a he or she-his beard was the largest and blackest I've ever seen it and he kept opening his mouth very wide and hisssing! I was afraid to pick him up, but knew we had to feed him, so I kinda picked him up sideways. And I started talking and singing to him to calm him down. That's one thing. Can anybody tell me what was happening? The only new thing in the direction he was looking was a large red poster board from school. Would that have set him off? :help:
Also, I saw a small hole in the underneath of his rear thigh. It looked like someone had stabbed him with a pin. Could this be a cricket bite? Apparently, he didn't eat all his crickets from the other day. He also seems to have a scale ? missing from his belly. Just one. Will these heal or go away when he molts?
And he had saggy skin on the top of his sides-especially on one side-near his bars. I've seen that before, but don't know what it means. Am I not feeding him enough? Is he dehydrated? Does he need a good soaking? I gave him a 1/2 hour one tonight. He wouldn't take any water from the dropper. Have any of you ever opened a beardie's mouth forcefully and gave him water? Or do you just let him suck it up his rear? I'm also wandering if I need to keep buying larger water dishes as he grows. I have a pretty large one now, but it's shallow. :?
Also, we had to cut back on his meal worms the last 3 days, cause we ran out of money. So he went from 45 to 30, 30 again and tonight 20. (Petsmart keeps gipping us in the worm department!). I know, everyone says no mealies, but that's all we can do for now. He's a little small for his age-he's 14 1/2 inches and 149 grams as of Sept 18th. Do you think he could switch to superworms-or is it too soon? I didn't realize what a wide, big mouth he had till tonight! And you have to cut super's heads off, right? And how many would you give him? I want him to gain weight!
Oh, and I watched that clip on sexing Beardies and I still can't decide. He has two small mounds-one is rounded than the other, But he also has an indentation in the middle. Is there such a thing as a transgendered Beardie? Seriously! I don't have any pics as our camera got stolen recently, and I don't have the money to take him to a vet just for sexing (he already was dewormed). What do you all think? (Besides I'm crazy! lol)
Please help!
Also, I saw a small hole in the underneath of his rear thigh. It looked like someone had stabbed him with a pin. Could this be a cricket bite? Apparently, he didn't eat all his crickets from the other day. He also seems to have a scale ? missing from his belly. Just one. Will these heal or go away when he molts?
And he had saggy skin on the top of his sides-especially on one side-near his bars. I've seen that before, but don't know what it means. Am I not feeding him enough? Is he dehydrated? Does he need a good soaking? I gave him a 1/2 hour one tonight. He wouldn't take any water from the dropper. Have any of you ever opened a beardie's mouth forcefully and gave him water? Or do you just let him suck it up his rear? I'm also wandering if I need to keep buying larger water dishes as he grows. I have a pretty large one now, but it's shallow. :?
Also, we had to cut back on his meal worms the last 3 days, cause we ran out of money. So he went from 45 to 30, 30 again and tonight 20. (Petsmart keeps gipping us in the worm department!). I know, everyone says no mealies, but that's all we can do for now. He's a little small for his age-he's 14 1/2 inches and 149 grams as of Sept 18th. Do you think he could switch to superworms-or is it too soon? I didn't realize what a wide, big mouth he had till tonight! And you have to cut super's heads off, right? And how many would you give him? I want him to gain weight!
Oh, and I watched that clip on sexing Beardies and I still can't decide. He has two small mounds-one is rounded than the other, But he also has an indentation in the middle. Is there such a thing as a transgendered Beardie? Seriously! I don't have any pics as our camera got stolen recently, and I don't have the money to take him to a vet just for sexing (he already was dewormed). What do you all think? (Besides I'm crazy! lol)
Please help!