How to get a hatchling to eat?

[charmander1234]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a hatchling beardie to eat? We have tried small crickets, mealworms, and dubia roaches. He acts interested but does grab the insect. We are now trying to assist feed him with a syringe for water and appetite stimulant.

 

[charmander1234]

He doesn’t grab the insect. Typo above thread

 

[Vic and Mars]

He doesn’t grab the insect. Typo above thread

Can you try hand feeding him maybe? Or put the bugs in and let him chew them each time he opens his mouth

 

[charmander1234]

Yes my daughter helped me hand feed him yesterday. We got him to open his mouth a little and we gave him 2 crickets. Today we could not get him to open his mouth at all. He is so delicate we don’t want to hurt his mouth. We tried a few tricks to get him to open his mouth but nothing seemed to work. I Put drops of water on his nose and he licked it a few times. Also gave him the appetite stimulant in water today. He was a little active in his tank today but we are so worried because he didn’t eat any insects at all today. He tried to chase a dubia roach but didn’t eat it.

 

[Vic and Mars]

Yes my daughter helped me hand feed him yesterday. We got him to open his mouth a little and we gave him 2 crickets. Today we could not get him to open his mouth at all. He is so delicate we don’t want to hurt his mouth. We tried a few tricks to get him to open his mouth but nothing seemed to work. I Put drops of water on his nose and he licked it a few times. Also gave him the appetite stimulant in water today. He was a little active in his tank today but we are so worried because he didn’t eat any insects at all today. He tried to chase a dubia roach but didn’t eat it.

Make sure there is bugs in his enclosure at all times until he starts eating well. Please do not feed him mealworms, he is way too young and they can cause impaction. I would suggest trying to get him to eat waxworms as they have lots of fat. They usually aren't a good staple feed but he'll need the extra weight right now

 

[charmander1234]

Make sure there is bugs in his enclosure at all times until he starts eating well. Please do not feed him mealworms, he is way too young and they can cause impaction. I would suggest trying to get him to eat waxworms as they have lots of fat. They usually aren't a good staple feed but he'll need the extra weight right now

Ok I will leave a few bugs in his cage. Should I also leave bugs in during the night also? Do you think he will start to eat on his own? Today he didn’t eat any bugs at all. He doesn’t look sick or act lethargic. It’s just he is not hunting the bugs. I do see him look at them a bit and walk towards them.

 

[Vic and Mars]

He is very young and might still be figuring things out. And scratch that, sorry. The bugs may bite him. You can leave dubia roaches in an escape proof bowl so they can't bite him and he can try to eat them if he wants

Ok I will leave a few bugs in his cage. Should I also leave bugs in during the night also? Do you think he will start to eat on his own? Today he didn’t eat any bugs at all. He doesn’t look sick or act lethargic. It’s just he is not hunting the bugs. I do see him look at them a bit and walk towards them.

 

[charmander1234]

He is very young and might still be figuring things out. And scratch that, sorry. The bugs may bite him. You can leave dubia roaches in an escape proof bowl so they can't bite him and he can try to eat them if he wants

Miracle! This morning I put a few dubia roaches in the tank and he ran and grabbed 2 and ate them! Hopefully he will start to improve more today. Thank you so much for all the help! I will keep you updated.

 

[Sadie]

Miracle! This morning I put a few dubia roaches in the tank and he ran and grabbed 2 and ate them! Hopefully he will start to improve more today. Thank you so much for all the help! I will keep you updated.

Please do not leave any crickets in the tank -- they will bite -- dubias do not bite - make sure your offering salads I posted on the other post on what else to feed and please do not feed alot of wax worms they are very fatty and are not a real good worm to feed --- those should be fed sparingly as they can cause liver damage if fed too many and too often - your better off w/ BSFL and small super worms also fed every few days on tops of the salads like 1-3 of them - I would look at getting your insects/ worms on line than the pet stores they over charge and are a VERY UNLIABLE source for your dragon -- I have several websites for insects / worms - we had a lot of people last winter had a hard time getting food for their dragons - I recommend setting up a 10 gallon aquarium and getting started on roaches - we are going into winter soon and your little one is going to need his protein--- ordering from here is a good source www.dubiaroaches.com get some dubia food /w some water crystals for hydration and you can also feed the insects squash carrots do not feed the dragon carrots if you do this too much Vit A - also fruit - remember what you feed thd roaches your dragon is getting -- if you need more help or ideas please ask