eating

[juan green]

hello i have a dragon thats about maybe a year old or more, ive had her for about a month. she doesnt eat crickets, she doesnt even look interested in them, she only eats pinky mice and meal worms, neither does she like veggies. what can i do?

 

[lexi]

hello i have a dragon thats about maybe a year old or more, ive had her for about a month. she doesnt eat crickets, she doesnt even look interested in them, she only eats pinky mice and meal worms, neither does she like veggies. what can i do?

Could you go over your set up? How big is the enclosure and what substrate (bedding or flooring) is she on? How are her poops? How big, how often, etc.? Also, what are her temps at and what UVB source does she have? What greens are in her daily salads?

Pinkies are not good for them - too much fat and meal worms are not good, either - too much hard shell. Have you tried roaches? A lot of reptile shops have them. Dubias or Turkestan roaches are a good staple feeder for beardies. You could try a few and see what your dragon thinks of them.

Beardies are pretty smart and will go on strike, so to speak, holding out until you give them the food they want. You can hold off on feeding any protein for several days and see if she gets interested in her greens. If you decide to do that, just keep offering the greens daily and don't feed any bugs for a few days.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Como Esta, Jaun... Mi Yama Jauna...
Okay, Hi and welcome !
In addition to what Lexi inquired... where are you located, so we know what to offer you in suggestions..
I would say, though, you might want to consider some tough love with the pinkies and the meal worms...
A steady diet of those can contribute to fatty liver disease... baaaaaaad stuff.
Welcome again...
Janie

 

[juan green]

when its hot i let her be in the sun for maybe a half an hour. she loves to be there! her terrarium is about 3 feet long, and 2 wide, she has enouph sand to dig in... today i offered her lettuce again and she only nibbled it a bit. tomorrow ill try roaches then. i really dont remember the tempeture but i recall that they are fine...

 

[renich]

One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of babies do not eat their salad. But it should still be offered daily. A mixture of veggies and greens should be offered. Once your dragon turns 1 year old, salad will be her daily meal.

Another note. Sand is not the best substrate for babies. They poop a lot and bacteria will harbor in the sand. Another known issue is that babies can digest the sand, which can lead to impaction. Sand is ok once a beardie has reached maturity, but it is still not the best. It must be replaced regularly and poop must be cleaned out immediately. Some possible substrates for babies are papertowels, shelf liner or newspaper.

Temps are very important when it comes to your beardie eating and digestive process. You'll want to ensure your hot side is b/w 105 and 110F. The cool side should be 85F and night temps should not drop below 65F. What you use to measure your temps is important too. A digital probe provides a close reading to the actual temp. A temp gun is said to be more accurate.

Here's a link to our basic caresheet. It goes over the basics needed for caring for your little one.
Bearded Dragon Care