Need Some Help( I think theres something wrong)

[meow_mix450]

Hey,

I just got a beardie friday from this guy, And it was fine and everything, the next morining i went to the pet store and came back with crikets:D. I feed it and it ate about 3-5 crikets, in 10 mins, it was then full. The little guy pooped friday night, and he pooped again saturday, but sunday he didnt really poo so i think theres something wrong. And on sunday when i through in crikets and veggies for him to eat he didnt bother to get any so i left it there for 10 mins(while i was watching) and nothing happened so i put the criket back with his little friends.

So it didnt eat anything sunday, Now today is monday so i let it warm up near his favortie spot. After it did that i through in some crikets and it was not going for it. So im beginning to think that there is something wrong with it. He's about 6-8 inches. The dude told me he was from 4-5 months old. Can anyone one tell me if this is normal or not??? should he be eating everyday???
plz help

thanks for reading

[meow_mix450]

Srry i just came back and checked its cage and he just pooped. But hes not eating.

[Rebecca]

They should be eating a couple of times a day at that age (although I could be wrong). What kinds of veggies are you feeding him?? Also he could just be stressed by the change and all that.

[meow_mix450]

o ok will he be back to normal once he gets use to it??? and im feeding him mustard, kale, carrots. green peas, bock choi etc

[eyespy]

My bet is he's gone off food from stress, but a little more info about the setup might be helpful. How hot is his basking site? Cool side temps? Does he have a hiding spot available where he can munch on salad items unseen by humans or other pets?

Is he caged alone or could a cagemate's presence be putting him off food? Were the poops nicely formed and not too fragrant or were they runny and smelly? Have you been dripping water on his snout or misting him so he can get a drink?

Hopefully by now he's settled in and my game of 20 questions is moot, but if he's still not eating give us more info and we'll try to figure out what's going through that little beardie brain.

[meow_mix450]

ok well the temperatures ranges from 80-100F(basking spot), and the lower temperatures ranges from 70-80F. He has a lot of hiding spots, but where i place the veggies is in front of the cage so everyone can see but i think ill move it back and put something in front we cant see it and no other pets can see it.

It lives on its own so that wont be a problem i believe. Well i dont know what you mean by fragrant. But the poop was sorta runny and smelly, like it was wet. But in 10 mins it got dried. Yes i have been putting drips of water on its snout and i sprayed it once.

I also believe its stress, so ill stop picking him up more often and not move anything in its cage for a while that might help lower the stress level, hopefully. Im not suprised that its stress, casue i just got him friday. well i hope all my answers will help to find its problem.

thanks for reading

[meow_mix450]

Well today when i woke up i turned on the basking light. Gave it 5 mins to warm up. And i through in some crikets. It ate only 2 and stopped eating. I dont know if its normal for this little guy to eat so little, And everyday i cut up veggies for him to eat, but he never touches it.

[burmer]

As far as the veggies go. My male was a problem feeder when he was small with veggies. He still is as a matter of fact. But a little trick you can use is to put some meal worms under the veggies. Mine used to eat his way through the veggies to get to the mealies.

[meow_mix450]

o ok well i dont want to use mealies yet cause i heard they dont digest to well for the little guys, but ill give it a shot thanks

[eyespy]

That runny poop is suspicious for parasites, I'd get a fecal sample to the vet if it were my dragon. A bloated belly full of worms or other nasties will definitely send dragons off food.

You might also want to consider bumping up your basking temp a little bit. Beardies need a core body temp of 103 to get their metabolism firing on all cylinders. Big chubby adults can get that hot internally with basking temps below 100 but young dragons don't have enough body fat and usually do best if the basking spot is at least 105.

[meow_mix450]

Well i got an update. My BEARDIE IS FINE!!!, i guess he was justed stressed from when i got him. Hes eating everyday now nd drinking water. But hes still not eating his veggies tho, i tired burmer's way of getting to eat its veggie but it doesnt seem to be working any ideas???

[eyespy]

Here's a couple of suggestions:

Cricket burrito: wrap some greens around a cricket, leaving legs or antennae dangling so the movement will stimulate prey drive and offer the whole shebang by hand.

Spoonful of sugar: smear sweet-tasting babyfood such as peach, pear or applesauce on veggies. First offer a bit of the babyfood on your fingertip. When the little guy laps it up, offer some of the smeared veggies and see if he'll bite. If not, leave it in the cage for a couple of hours (no more than 2 so bacteria won't grow!) and see if he samples some later.

Salad comes alive: stun some crickets in the freezer so they are motionless -- it only takes a minute or two. Pour them onto the salad dish full of finely chopped veggies. When the crix start moving and the dragon starts hunting it will often get some of the greens and other goodies along with the bugs.

My what a big mouth: When you see your dragon gaping its mouth while basking, stuff his face with a bit of greens. They'll usually give you the stink eye and then it's all hey, wait a minute! That is something I can eat!