Beardie hasn’t hardly grown since I got him

[Lizzy E]

I got my beardie about 2 years ago, he was a tiny baby when i first got him. he grew at a normal speed until he reached a foot long. Now he hasn’t grown in years and he is only one foot long and tiny looking. I took the picture this afternoon. I have a UVB bulb, and 2 separate heating sources in his cage. his cage is huge, plenty of room. Basking temp is about 95 and the rest of the tank is about 85. He will eat about 4 or 5 phoenix worms or crickets but then he’s done for the day. Sometimes he won’t even eat at all. At one point he wouldn’t eat anything for 2 weeks. He only eats his greens once in a blue moon. He sleeps most of the time. For awhile every time i tried to hold him he would hiss and bite, although he has come out of that phase and is great with being held again. For a long time after airbags him for a few months i thought he was going to die but never did. I don’t have the money to bring him to the vet but i really want to help him out. I suppose my maim question is, why doesn’t he grow, and what should I do? thanks so much

 

[JumpinJellyfish]

The biggest influences on a beardie's health and appetite are temps and lighting. See if you can bump that basking temp up a bit, maybe, and make sure there's a good variance in temps from there to the cooler side. Maybe lower the cool end temp to about 80. For the UVB, if it's older than 6 months, consider replacing it, and if it's the compact/coil type, try to replace the fixture as well - if you're in the US, look for Reptisun t5HO hood and 10.0 tube bulb. If in the UK or Australia, you'd look for Arcadia, also the long tube. For a nutritional boost, you could try syringe-feeding him either ReptiBoost or Oxbow Critical Care. If you can't get those, try mixing some chicken or turkey baby food with squash or sweet potato baby food - look for the ones without added sugar or salt, and keep offering greens (turnip, mustard, collard, kale) with other veggies (cut up small or shredded) mixed in. There's a great list of foods on beautifuldragons.com - click the Nutrition link on that page. Try some other insects as well, if you can. Silkworms, hornworms (great for hydration as well), dubia or discoid roaches if they're legal where you live.

 

[Lizzy E]

The biggest influences on a beardie's health and appetite are temps and lighting. See if you can bump that basking temp up a bit, maybe, and make sure there's a good variance in temps from there to the cooler side. Maybe lower the cool end temp to about 80. For the UVB, if it's older than 6 months, consider replacing it, and if it's the compact/coil type, try to replace the fixture as well - if you're in the US, look for Reptisun t5HO hood and 10.0 tube bulb. If in the UK or Australia, you'd look for Arcadia, also the long tube. For a nutritional boost, you could try syringe-feeding him either ReptiBoost or Oxbow Critical Care. If you can't get those, try mixing some chicken or turkey baby food with squash or sweet potato baby food - look for the ones without added sugar or salt, and keep offering greens (turnip, mustard, collard, kale) with other veggies (cut up small or shredded) mixed in. There's a great list of foods on beautifuldragons.com - click the Nutrition link on that page. Try some other insects as well, if you can. Silkworms, hornworms (great for hydration as well), dubia or discoid roaches if they're legal where you live.

Thank you so much!!!!