Baby hardly eating/not drinking

[spacewerewolf]

Hello! I'm new to bearded dragons, and I've had this baby now for 2 weeks and he's around 10 weeks old. My problem is he's still not eating any better than he was when he first arrived and it's to the point where I'm geting really frustrated and just not enjoying taking care of him at all. I'd say on average he goes through anywhere from 3-8 medium size phoenix worms and 1-3 cut up small superworms a day. He doesn't show any interest in crickets. As I'm writing this it's now 7 PM by me and he's only eaten 5 p-worms and 1 super spaced out over the entire day.

I have a dish of phoenix worms constantly available in his cage (which he knows how to eat from) and every few hours I'll come in and try to tong feed him or drop prey in front of him so it wiggles around. I also have fresh greens and squash that I replace a few times a day but I don't think he's ever eaten any of it.

From what I've researched, my husbandry seems to be correct. He's in a 20 gallon long tank with the sides taped off with newspaper for extra security, newspaper substrate, an Arcadia 12% UVB tube sitting on top of the screen, and a basking rock. The temperatures range from low 80's on the cool side, to mid 80's towards the middle, low 90's on the warm side and 108-111 on the basking rock as measured with a heat gun.

To my very limited knowledge, the only thing I can figure out that may be wrong is he might be a little dehydrated because lucky me - I can't seem to get him to drink any water either. Misting just scares him and he won't take droplets from an eyedropper either. He won't lick water off his nose. The only moisture he's taking into his body at this point is from the very small amount of prey he eats and whatever his body absorbs when I soak him once a day for 15 minutes. He won't drink the water he's soaking in. I've gotten him to eat a tiny bit of watermelon before but he won't eat any since.

Aside from these issues he's pooping fine and doesn't seem lethargic.

I'm just not sure at all what to do. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[Candybugs]

Water goes up their vent in the bath they get some hydration that way.

 

[Canicke]

actually, it's a myth that they absorb water through their vents. i little bit, yes - as in any topically applied product, but not enough to really count. If you've only had him for 2 weeks, he may still be adjusting. If you're getting frustrated - he will know that. animals are real good at picking up vibes. you cant MAKE him eat. Just do your best. I hope the worst is behind you ---

 

[spacewerewolf]

Thanks for the replies! I do hope the problem is him still just settling in, I've just been getting worried because from what I've read 2 weeks seems to be on the longer end of what's usually suggested as the adjustment period and he hasn't been showing any improvement whatsoever. Plus there's the barely taking in any water. I can't tell if his eyes are sunken or not because I don't know what I'm looking at but he does have some little wrinkles along his sides when he's not puffing himself out so I'm not sure if he's dehydrated.

Should I just keep trying to get him to take water from the eyedropper or is there some other way of getting stubborn drinkers to take any in? He'll literally have a droplet hanging right there on his lip but he won't actually lick any of it up

 

[Candybugs]

1 time I had my little dragon in the tub and I sprayed with a mister over him and he drank like crazy next time he wouldn't do it and hasn't since I do the eye dropper and that works sometimes good luck

 

[Canicke]

Sweeten the water a little bit – agave or A teeny bit of honey ( like a drop or two). Pull down the lower lip on the side of his mouth and just put in a couple of drops of the sweetened water. Then do it again. Experiment a little bit – my little boy loved raspberries. my girl likes mashed sweet potato.

 

[PatsyB]

He seems to be eating something so that's better than nothing. Keep offering the food you are offering him and a little salad and he should come around. Phoenix worms are very high in calcium so they are a good choice. It's also a myth about the super worms eating through their stomach. Their jaws are so strong that when they eat a super worm that worm is crushed before it makes it to the stomach. I think feeding him small whole super worms would be fine, if he's not a baby you could use medium. As far as the drinking goes, I've noticed with mine that they don't always open their mouth fully when I drip the water on their nose but I think a little bit of water is still getting in because I see them swallowing. As long as they have their jaw relaxed a little bit of water will still get in their mouth.

 

[jarich]

Can you post a picture of your enclosure? Your parameters sound good but there may be something we are missing that would be more easily seen with a picture.

Id say for now just stop handling altogether. That is quite a while to acclimate but theyre all a bit different. It may just need some further time without any handling or added stress to calm down in its new home.

 

[Jdubclark]

Your dragon is about the same age as mine. I've had him for just over two weeks now. I agree 100% with Pasty. He's eating and that's good. These fellas figure out how to survive in some pretty harsh conditions in the wild. He's probably just eating all he wants to eat.
For mine, I make a salad for him every morning. It's very basic. I switched to Mustard Greens this week and finely diced up carrots that I mist with the sprayer. Almost like clockwork, he comes down and has a few bites of the greens, looks around some, and then drops a nice poop. Around mid-afternoon, I place a small tupperware bowl with about 10-15 smallish Dubia Roaches (dusted). He typically feeds on those for about 20-30 min. I have a small water bowl in his enclosure but I've never seen him drink from it. I doubt he is.
I assume he's getting the moisture he needs from the greens themselves and the water I spray on them. I do mist him occasionally and I've seen him take a drop or two from his nose but he doesn't seem to especially care to be sprayed.
If yours is acting fine and ALIVE, you've got to be doing something right! From what I've read, they won't allow themselves to starve to death or dehydrate so long as there are food/water sources available. Pooping regularly is a good sign. You can't poop very well if you're not getting the food/water sources to being with.

Also, just like kids, this is a big growing period for them. Mine didn't eat anything for a full day during his first big shed. He seemed pretty pissy. I sprayed him a few times to help loosen the skin and the next day I noticed quite a bit of skin all over the enclosure. Then he resumed to eating normally.

 

[Candybugs]

I do the same with Hef every morning mustard greens are mandatory for him because he LOVES them. I shred cucumbers or apple sometimes alpha sprouts . He'll eat a little of everything but mustard greens are serious. He won't eat bell pepper . Hef has 2 water sources but I never see him drink.

 

[Candybugs]

He's maybe 5 mos old

 

[Candybugs]

My tiny dragon Minion and my chameleon also eat mustard greens. Minion is 2mos old maybe and he was sick but he still ate a little bit of mustard greens. Minions getting better 1 more week of meds.

 

[PatsyB]

Have you noticed that they like the spicy things? My boy LOVES mustards too but he will eat dandelion and collards.

 

[Candybugs]

Ya Hef will eat all things green. I mix in dandelion greens sometimes he likes them.

 

[Jdubclark]

Have you noticed that they like the spicy things? My boy LOVES mustards too but he will eat dandelion and collards.

I've only done collard and mustard greens. Si seems to be good with both but I think he likes the Mustard Greens better. I put in diced up red bell pepper with his collard greens but he didn't touch them. This week I tried diced up carrots but again, no interest. I figure I'll keep trying new stuff to see if there are some things he likes better than others. I've been using the leftovers from his bowl to feed the Dubia's so nothing is really going to waste.

 

[Candybugs]

I shred cucumbers apples zucchini He spits out bell pepper just like my dogs and those life source bits. I give Hef alfalfa sprouts too. He'll eat just about anything to get to his mustard greens