Worried about our dragon not eating

[AHBD]

Probably best to avoid superworms for a sick baby. They are harder to digest and if too many are eaten they will cause impaction. With the small amount he's eating he may not poo every day. Try offering a couple more crickets later in the day.

 

[Hookfang]

Ok so lets try some super worms they come in small medium and large --- try 1-3 on his salads - we want him to eat some of those salads -- most babies love BSFL this is disappointing -- if hes drinking during the soaking hes getting water - he has to actually drink it -- what does his poop and urate look like?

he's not really drinking it...just sits in the water. we also have a small very shallow bowl with water in his enclosure. Every now and again he goes in it but not for long. I have dropped a bit of water on his nose but he doesn't lick it either.
we are tracking his poops...Sat and Sun he had good poop and urate. Monday morning he had dry poop and urate so we soaked him, and he hasn't pooped since.

 

[xp29]

he's not really drinking it...just sits in the water. we also have a small very shallow bowl with water in his enclosure. Every now and again he goes in it but not for long. I have dropped a bit of water on his nose but he doesn't lick it either.
we are tracking his poops...Sat and Sun he had good poop and urate. Monday morning he had dry poop and urate so we soaked him, and he hasn't pooped since.

As @KarrieRee mentioned unless they drink in the soak, it absolutely doesn't help with hydration. That's one of the worst myths propagated online and even by some vets. The only reason for a bath is if they are actually dirty (aka tracked in poop) Try adding just a little bit of none citrus fruit juice or punch to the water to give it flavor. Use an eyedropper. Take your thumb and gently pull down his lip on the side. It's easy to open that way. Your not trying to open his mouth just his lip. Drip a drop or two on his gums (outside his teeth) the closer to his nose the more likely he'll taste it. Don't force the water in, that's to dangerous. Once he taste it he'll probably start lapping it off his nose. Go slow and at his pace, if you go to fast he could get strangled on the water.
Be sure to use a wet cloth to wipe away any that runs down his chin. No need to take a chance on causing bacteria or fungus to start in their scales.

 

[Hookfang]

As @KarrieRee mentioned unless they drink in the soak, it absolutely doesn't help with hydration. That's one of the worst myths propagated online and even by some vets. The only reason for a bath is if they are actually dirty (aka tracked in poop) Try adding just a little bit of none citrus fruit juice or punch to the water to give it flavor. Use an eyedropper. Take your thumb and gently pull down his lip on the side. It's easy to open that way. Your not trying to open his mouth just his lip. Drip a drop or two on his gums (outside his teeth) the closer to his nose the more likely he'll taste it. Don't force the water in, that's to dangerous. Once he taste it he'll probably start lapping it off his nose. Go slow and at his pace, if you go to fast he could get strangled on the water.
Be sure to use a wet cloth to wipe away any that runs down his chin. No need to take a chance on causing bacteria or fungus to start in their scales.

I went home during my lunch break and he had pooped...unfortunately it was really dry
He's not doing the gasping for air anymore. And he did eat 3 more crickets. (Up to 6 for today!) I dusted some BSFL with bee pollen and threw them in his enclosure with the crickets...he jumped right over them to get to the crickets
I put fresh salad with more BSFL and misted it with a water that had a tiny bit of fresh blueberry juice that I mashed up. Fingers crossed he eats...
Some of the scales on his chin do look a little pink but I think that's from his med that dripped down his chin a bit yesterday...
The eye droppers should be arriving by the time we get home from work.

 

[KarrieRee]

I went home during my lunch break and he had pooped...unfortunately it was really dry
He's not doing the gasping for air anymore. And he did eat 3 more crickets. (Up to 6 for today!) I dusted some BSFL with bee pollen and threw them in his enclosure with the crickets...he jumped right over them to get to the crickets
I put fresh salad with more BSFL and misted it with a water that had a tiny bit of fresh blueberry juice that I mashed up. Fingers crossed he eats...
Some of the scales on his chin do look a little pink but I think that's from his med that dripped down his chin a bit yesterday...
The eye droppers should be arriving by the time we get home from work.

Please get water into as soon as you can --- salads are a big hydration for them and if hes eating none hes not getting water - please offer the water on his nose w/ the eye dropper -- keep dripping till he stops licking or moves away

 

[xp29]

I went home during my lunch break and he had pooped...unfortunately it was really dry
He's not doing the gasping for air anymore. And he did eat 3 more crickets. (Up to 6 for today!) I dusted some BSFL with bee pollen and threw them in his enclosure with the crickets...he jumped right over them to get to the crickets
I put fresh salad with more BSFL and misted it with a water that had a tiny bit of fresh blueberry juice that I mashed up. Fingers crossed he eats...
Some of the scales on his chin do look a little pink but I think that's from his med that dripped down his chin a bit yesterday...
The eye droppers should be arriving by the time we get home from work.

The pink may be blueberry juice
Personally most of my dragons never seemed to like the bsfl.
Zsa Zsa is the exception but that one will eat anything that moves lol.

 

[xp29]

Another way to hydrate them is hornworms. Get the tiny ones though because they grow FAST. I've never seen a Beardie that wouldn't eat them. And they are great for hydration.

 

[Hookfang]

Another way to hydrate them is hornworms. Get the tiny ones though because they grow FAST. I've never seen a Beardie that wouldn't eat them. And they are great for hydration.

Awesome! Will definitely give that a try. What about Pedialyte...that was once suggested to us.

 

[xp29]

Awesome! Will definitely give that a try. What about Pedialyte...that was once suggested to us.

It can be used, but I wouldn't over do it

 

[AHBD]

Six crickets and no more heavy breathing. that's great ! So far this is progress ! As for drinking, continue the slow dripping on the tip of the snout. Very slowly , be patient and he should start drinking at some point. Don't mess with trying to open his mouth, he may be stressed from the feedings already. Give less critical care and offer water or mix more water with the C.C
A dry poo here + there is O.K

 

[ChileanTaco]

A dry poo here + there is O.K

And: As Hookfang wrote about not being home when the dragon pooped, from my experience those small poos dry up so fast with the temp. and light in a beardie enclosure. So it's even not sure whether the poo was excreted dry.

 

[Hookfang]

Six crickets and no more heavy breathing. that's great ! So far this is progress ! As for drinking, continue the slow dripping on the tip of the snout. Very slowly , be patient and he should start drinking at some point. Don't mess with trying to open his mouth, he may be stressed from the feedings already. Give less critical care and offer water or mix more water with the C.C
A dry poo here + there is O.K

Yay I am so relieved we are on the mend... We used the eye dropper and I lower his side lip a bit to get a little bit of water in his mouth...he never did open his mouth or licked it. His personality is coming out...he was giving me the stink eye We did water down the CC. Only gave him a bit and we put him back in his enclosure. It's been stressful for all of us so I'm backing up a bit now since he's eating more on his own.
This morning he had 3 crickets and a small pooped. I fixed him a salad of mustard greens, butternut squash and a blueberry, hubby said Hookfang had one foot on the bowl looking in.

 

[Hookfang]

And: As Hookfang wrote about not being home when the dragon pooped, from my experience those small poos dry up so fast with the temp. and light in a beardie enclosure. So it's even not sure whether the poo was excreted dry.

Noted! I was worried it was too dry...didn't think about the light drying it out so quickly

 

[ChileanTaco]

@Hookfang

When I'm not at home during the day, often in the evening I find a completely dried out poop of my adult (!) beardie. If I would try, I could crumble that. My dragon is used to poop on a certain stone, so liquid isn't soaked up but dried.
I know, however, that he poops toothpaste-like with a bit of extra liquid because on weekend or when I'm otherwise at home I usually recognize it sooner, and never found a poop that was suddenly there (=fresh) but dry.

 

[Hookfang]

You guys I could cry tears of joy! 🥹 Not only did Hookfang have 4 crickets this morning he then had his med and very watery CC this afternoon but he also licked water from the eye dropper! I also try giving him a piece of dandelion green and butternut squash...he didn't eat it but picked at it and licked it
Everyday he's getting better.
He also had a good poop this morning too