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Beardie will not stay in cage/eat most vegetables.

Pudgethebeardie

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
4
I’ve had pudge for about a year now. For the past few months I had wanted to allow him to hang out outside his cage for a bit with me while I watch tv, etc. He loves it…too much. I can’t get him to stay in his cage whatsoever so much so that he will destroy his cage by making a huge mess trying to get out. I put a heating pad by the sliding screen door with a light because that is the only way to calm him down. But lately he only wants to go behind the slider and climb the screen! All he wants is to go outside but it’s too cold for him right now :(. In addition I fed him arugula for a bit and it’s the ONLY green I can get him to eat at all. Trying alfalfa sprouts, squash. Nothing works unless it’s wrapped in arugula….. help a girl and her beardie out.. here is a pic of where he goes to the slider and his cage if that helps
 

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Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
I’ve had pudge for about a year now. For the past few months I had wanted to allow him to hang out outside his cage for a bit with me while I watch tv, etc. He loves it…too much. I can’t get him to stay in his cage whatsoever so much so that he will destroy his cage by making a huge mess trying to get out. I put a heating pad by the sliding screen door with a light because that is the only way to calm him down. But lately he only wants to go behind the slider and climb the screen! All he wants is to go outside but it’s too cold for him right now :(. In addition I fed him arugula for a bit and it’s the ONLY green I can get him to eat at all. Trying alfalfa sprouts, squash. Nothing works unless it’s wrapped in arugula….. help a girl and her beardie out.. here is a pic of where he goes to the slider and his cage if that helps
Climbing the screen is a no no but it is funny w/ him there - mine do it too but I always go get him down he doesnt get very far :) ---- he has gotten spoiled --- your gonna haft to grin a bare it for now what I would work on is getting him a bigger tank the one your using looks like a 40 gallon???? He should be in a 75-120 gallon tank that may take the need off the being out all the time -- he has out grown his tank -- I would close the glass door so he cant get to the screen anymore and if its cold out that is not good --- he needs basking time whether hes in the tank or outside but he does need atleast 4 hrs of UVB/ and basking --- he wont start his digestion process w/ out it --- I dont see any temp gauges in the tank -- what and how are you taking those -- and his UVB what are you using for that as well ?
 

Pudgethebeardie

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
4
I never let him climb the screen for longer than 5 minutes, but I agree that it is a negative behavior. The sliding door is usually closed, so this is not much of an issue. Definitely will be going with a bigger tank very soon (looking at a 4ftx2ftx2ft). There’s currently 3 thermometers and 3 hygrometers in his tank. The readings from hot (left) side to cold (right) side are as follows: 103*,34% - 82*, 52% (middle of the tank) - 79*, 52%. I would like those humidity numbers to be slightly lower, but this seems to be the best I can get even with the tank doors closed for an extended period and with his water bowl empty.

You’re definitely right about being spoiled, never should have taken him outside in the summer, it’s all he wants to do now. Anyways, I’m thinking of getting the bigger tank and setting it up right in front of the sliding door so that he can look outside from his basking spot.

For uvb, im using a thrive T8 fluorescent bar, and when he’s on his hammock out of the tank he sits under an Exoterra uvb150 cfl bulb.

my biggest worry at this point is the arugula. I had originally read that it was a good thing for them to eat, so I started him on it young. Lately he’s shown less interest in eating bugs as well as greens, and takes small, watery poops daily. They’re not white diarrhea, as there is a semi solid poop tube just surrounded by water. Seemingly the arugula was overhydrating him, and also seemed to be dragging down his calcium absorption a bit. So more recently I read that arugula is not a good daily meal, and went out to get alfalfa sprouts and butternut squash (it was the only recommended daily food that I could find near me). He showed interest the first time I fed it to him (mostly in the squash), but now won’t even touch the alfalfa, and like I said will only eat the squash wrapped in arugula. What would you recommend for his daily salad? Any tricks to get him to eat it? I’ve tried strawberries and even made him a salad dressing, but he picks out the good stuff and just won’t touch anything with a liquid dressing or slurry on it.

I really appreciate your quick response!
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
I never let him climb the screen for longer than 5 minutes, but I agree that it is a negative behavior. The sliding door is usually closed, so this is not much of an issue. Definitely will be going with a bigger tank very soon (looking at a 4ftx2ftx2ft). There’s currently 3 thermometers and 3 hygrometers in his tank. The readings from hot (left) side to cold (right) side are as follows: 103*,34% - 82*, 52% (middle of the tank) - 79*, 52%. I would like those humidity numbers to be slightly lower, but this seems to be the best I can get even with the tank doors closed for an extended period and with his water bowl empty.

You’re definitely right about being spoiled, never should have taken him outside in the summer, it’s all he wants to do now. Anyways, I’m thinking of getting the bigger tank and setting it up right in front of the sliding door so that he can look outside from his basking spot.

For uvb, im using a thrive T8 fluorescent bar, and when he’s on his hammock out of the tank he sits under an Exoterra uvb150 cfl bulb.

my biggest worry at this point is the arugula. I had originally read that it was a good thing for them to eat, so I started him on it young. Lately he’s shown less interest in eating bugs as well as greens, and takes small, watery poops daily. They’re not white diarrhea, as there is a semi solid poop tube just surrounded by water. Seemingly the arugula was overhydrating him, and also seemed to be dragging down his calcium absorption a bit. So more recently I read that arugula is not a good daily meal, and went out to get alfalfa sprouts and butternut squash (it was the only recommended daily food that I could find near me). He showed interest the first time I fed it to him (mostly in the squash), but now won’t even touch the alfalfa, and like I said will only eat the squash wrapped in arugula. What would you recommend for his daily salad? Any tricks to get him to eat it? I’ve tried strawberries and even made him a salad dressing, but he picks out the good stuff and just won’t touch anything with a liquid dressing or slurry on it.

I really appreciate your quick response!
Please get rid of the Thrive brand and get the Reptisun 10.0 T 8 0---- does the fixture have a reflector in it? If not you need one please ---- also get rid of the CFL UVB --- those are the worst -- your dragon is not absorbing the calcium because of the UVB your using ----- the argula is a great green to be feeding and you are very lucky hes eating that ---- here is a website for nutrition ignore the kale thing its a good staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Get some BSFL order large DO NOT DUST and add to the tops of his salads as lures to the bowl www.symptonbsf.com you will need a glass or ceramic bowl to feed in like this https://www.amazon.com/MACGOAL-Rept...uGQB&pd_rd_wg=tLkwE&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_d
Now since your upgrading to a 4x2x2 I recommend you get this fixture and bulb
https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...o-med-reptisun-t5-hood?variant=26907425734756 24" fixture this will come w/ a 5.0 bulb hang on to it for a back up distance and placement is different from the bulb you need for a 120 gallon tank you will need this one 22" https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...d-reptisun-10-0-uvb-t5?variant=26907418591332 or you can get this one
When you get the UVB please post back on here so I can help you place it --- the T 8 bulb you have now is a terrible UVB where do you have it? If its on the top of the tank screen it needs to be inside the tank directly above the basking decor w/ NO cover over the bulb 6-8 inches ------- if its going to be a while before getting the new tank please get the Reptisun 10.0 T 8 now --- as of this time hes not getting any UVB --
 

Mummabeardy

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
132
Omg..he's too cute!! Sounds like he is a little terror! Lol. But it is very cute! So funny how they all have such independent personalities-they definitely keep us on our toes!! :)
 
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