How do you handle it

[Pogie]

The changes from juvie to adult regarding their eating habbits are turning me into a nervous wreck.

She used to eat like 60+ crickets a day . . . now it varies from none at all to a maximum of 10 daily. Her average is about 5.
If i offer silks she eats 1-3 (If at all)
And she does eat her greens, but not a whole bowl full.

How do you cope ??? It feels like Im starving her, or shes starving herself. I know according to the caresheet the amounts are OK, guess Im searching for reassurance. I keep wanting to force MORE down her throat to make me feel better.

 

[Justus85]

I know the feeling. Rex slowed down a lot on eating about the time he hit 15 inches. Prior to that his growth was quite rapid and he was eating non stop. Now he eats maybe 15 medium roaches a day but lots of greens. He only shows interest in dubia as feeders so thats all I give him. I have decided to not stress anymore over what he does or doesn't eat as long as he looks healthy and keeps growing. So I'd say if Pogie keeps her weight up I wouldn't stress too much.

 

[pscaulkins]

With my two older dragons, I let them lead me on their eating. If they wanted to eat, they ate, if not, they didn't when they were Pogies age. With my youngest, Jada, she was gaining weight and was eating everything in sight so I cut her down to adult feedings. Well, let's just say, she became imbalanced mentally. Meaning if I put my hand in her tank, she would open her mouth and act like she was going to bite me. Once, when I went to pick her up, she squeezed her hind leg against my finger and her body and it hurt. So I gave up limiting her and she is still eating like a piggy. But she is happy now so to me, that is all I care about.

I would not stress about Pogies eating habits as long as she doesn't lose a lot of weight.

 

[Harley D]

I know exactly how you feel, Harley has cut down so much I was getting concerned...she looks amazing and has not lost any weight, but we went from 50 crickets to 5...10 max...over a period of 1 year, yes it is scarey that is for sure !!

: you are not alone !!!

 

[renich]

Yep, been there, done that. I think shortly after Bernie turned 1 and slowed down with eating and movement, we took him to his first vet visit. He received a clean bill of health. It is an adjustment for us worried parents.

 

[staylor]

I know how you feel, Piggy will not eat any crix, and maybe 5 silks a day. If I want her to even consider a bit of her salad I have to put one super on it, no super no salad is the way she looks at it. Even then she will not eat all of her salad. I too feel like she is starving herself but, she is still fat and still gaining weight so I have decided I am not going to worry about it anymore. Your not alone I think at some point we have all suffered this same stress some where along their long road to adulthood. Hope all the replies easy your mind a little.

 

[Pogie]

Yeah thanx, I do feel a little better.
I just do not handle change very well. I think I have been so preoccupied with all the juvie stuff I never considdered what it would be like once she grew up.
She is still gaining weight (even if its slower than before) Her poop is also fine (Actually it looks the most normal than its ever been)
and she hasnt had any real behavioral changes exept for her not wanting as much heat anymore.

She will sit on her platform till the temp in her viv reaches 91F and then she goes under the platform to hide. If I switch off her basking light she wil come back topside till I switch it on again . . . then it goes right back to hiding.
Is 91 sufficient for digestion? Do some dragons prefer these lower temps?

 

[li]

Remind me of the age again.

91* is a bit low, but some dragons do prefer a lower temperature. My guy never liked the high temps. As an adult his high range was 95-100*. What are you using to measure temps...are you sure that temp of 91* is accurate. Personally I wouldn't recommend that temp, but if you try to go higher and no basking ever occurs, then 91 is better than no basking.

 

[Justus85]

Li do you currently have a dragon? I was just curious because I've never seen you mention another dragon besides Spyro (RIP).

 

[Pogie]

Remind me of the age again.

Hey Lisa,

Pogie is approx 13.5 months old (give or take a week or 2).

91* is a bit low, but some dragons do prefer a lower temperature. My guy never liked the high temps. As an adult his high range was 95-100*. What are you using to measure temps...are you sure that temp of 91* is accurate. Personally I wouldn't recommend that temp, but if you try to go higher and no basking ever occurs, then 91 is better than no basking.

Yeah I was thinking that too. Is 91 sufficient for digestion? She is currently on her basking spot but its still early (9AM) and the viv is cool and the basking temp is 85.6, centre of cage is 80 and cool side is 75.
See on this pic I just took, she refuses to bask even at these low temps she kinda hides from the spot.

I measure the cool side and basking spot temps with a digital thermo with probe. You can see it in the above pic in the basking spot.

This is the closest shes gotten to basking and it lasted 5 minutes.

At first I thought it was due to her UV being outdated because she used to go as close as she could possibly get to the UV light the past 4 weeks, but I bought a new one on Friday and installed it on Saturday and nothing has changed, still no basking

This is where shes spent the past 4 weeks before I replaced her UV and the temps there averaged between 86 and 95

 

[Pogie]

See this is what happens once it gets too hot (Although the temps are within specs)

Basking is now (2PM) 100
Middle 93
Cool side 87- 89

 

[Pogie]

OK so turned the basking lamp OFF, viv cooled down to 89 and this is what happens. She comes topside again (4:30PM)

 

[ladyknite]

I'm fairly certain you're measuring with more than one kind of device. So I suppose there's no need to bring up batteries.
I've come across probes that can get stuck for whatever reason and don't read correctly. they're either too high or too low.
You might also keep in mind that dragons are supposed to thermoregulate. Its part of their normal behavior. That's what I see her doing. But I might get an opinion from Francis and Tim on that.

 

[Pogie]

Yeah we thought it was the thermometers as well, so I put both next to each other the one day on the hot side and on the cool side the next day. The reading differed by 0.5 deg.

I know she is supposed to thermoregulate but she does this 80-90% of the time till she is ICE COLD. She NEVER basks anymore. Thats why I was wondering if I ower the temps to 91 ish will that be sufficient for digestion. And the only way to keep the cool side 91 is to turn off her lights

I tried an extractor fan but it did not do anything as the ambient house temps are 89-91.

 

[li]

Hey Justus...Spyro did pass back in June of 08. Spyro was probably one of the most spoiled dragons, lol! He was great. I do not currently have a beardie. At the time he died I had both kids at home and life was very busy with a teenager and an almost adult in college. I chose at that time not to jump in again. Still have not, I will though at some point. I have chosen to stay in the forums to help people with the information I had gained.

Pogie...has this always been going on with the basking or is it just starting to become an issue? Also at 13 months that is still a little young to be going down so drastically in the crix intake. He should still be eating a pretty good quantity daily at that age. Not until 18 months should you really start to see a big decrease. Could brumation be starting to play a roll? I can't remember reading it or not, but have you run a fecal recently?

 

[Pogie]

This has been going on and getting worse since about beginning of August (When she turned 1)
As i said shes not losing weight, but only gaining slowly. Went from 339 gm beg July to 351 end of July to 385 third week in August.

Dont think brumation is an issue as its spring here now, and when she eats she gulps down 10 cricks in a flash. But when she doesnt want to I practically have to force 1-2 down her throat. (She does what she did on the silks vs cricks video with everything when she doesnt want to eat.)

Havent had a fecal done recently, but her poop is normal the past 2 months for the 1st time since Ive gotten her. Well formed, white urates little bit of clear liquid and absolutely NO SMELL (I kidd you not, you practically have to stick your nose IN it to know it has a smell and even then it is really faint). She poops every 5-7 days with 7 being the usual.

She is really really worrying me with the preference to lower temps. And its not like she is lethargic, she glass dances and eats her salad (Not all) and isnt sleepy during the day, she just preferes the mid temps better.

Could the old UV have done this??? If so . . . How long should it take for the new UV to have an affect? Its been in now for 2.5 days. And the old one was old (was supposed to be replaced in August), I just didnt have the money to replace it, so I tried to take her outside as much as possible.

 

[Pogie]

Sorry just wanted to add these. See she isnt skinny or has stress marks. Shes FAT (OK maybe not FAT but definately not skinny or wasting away) See how her tummy folds over the log.

IDK her condition seems fine to me. What do you think???

 

[li]

She looks great. You know...all beardies are different. Some just don't fall into the "normal mold" that we all assume they should. Not all like high temps (although yours are pretty low)...and not all eat huge amounts of crix. Are you positive about her age? Personally I would have a fecal run. It can't hurt. That way you know for sure that parasites aren't a problem. If it is clear, give it a little bit. If she is gaining wait and looking good, I would just let her be. If anything changes like acting lethargic and or losing weight then I would definitely go beyond the fecal and have a vet actually look at her.

 

[staylor]

Here is the behavior of my 2, between the 2 of them it sounds just like what you have with your 1.

Oscar's basking site is at 95 and he moves off his platform and hides under it, then goes back on, then goes half way on, then all the way on and repeats this all over again many times in the day. He eats all his salad and any live feeder I drop in.

Piggy's basking site is 100-101. She will stay on her basking site all day but if I raise her temps she will gap all day, never closing her mouth unless I walk over to her and look at her for a while, but if I watch her from across the room she will keep it open. She does not leave her basking site except to eat. To poop, she hangs her butt off the side so the poop falls to the ground. About the same time Pogie started having the major decrease in eating Piggy did too. She hardly eats any salad, she used to eat it all everyday, and only a few worms a day. Crix she has turn against all together. She will only eat, salad and/or silkworms if I feed her 1-3 supers first. She ate the most she has in a long time yesterday, she had 3 supers and 10 silks, and half of her salad. She has gained 10g this month, had her 2nd round of dewormer and grew a .25 inches, so I have decided she has caused me so much stress in the past I am not going to stress this time since she is growing and pooping health poops.

Pogie looks great. Try not to worry yourself too much. Your a great mom and she is lucky to have you.