I don't think Wrex is eating enough. :(

[valkryja]

He eats anywhere from one to four baby "pinhead" crickets a day, and refuses to eat more than that. After hearing that babies can eat up to 75 a day, this has me really worried. I've tried lots of things - putting him in a little shoebox for feeding, putting them in his actual viv, throwing him right into the feeder cricket's place... When he's in the cricket tank or the shoebox, he eats maybe two crickets and then spends most of his time trying to escape. When I put the crickets next to him in the viv, he just stares at them for a while and then walks away to bask.

I don't have the Tempgun yet (should be shipping soon), but the stick thermometer says that the temperature of the basking spot is 110-115 degrees F, and the shady side seems considerably cooler. He's very active and shows no signs of illness, besides for not eating. He's actually a bit TOO active - that's why he wants to run around instead of eating his crickets, haha. I got him at a pet shop with HORRIBLE beardy conditions (they were in like 50% humidity, eating mealworms with no heat lamp... I talked to the manager and now they have them on crickets, but it's still a sad thing), but he seems to be doing alright now... besides for this hunger strike! I read that bad conditions as babies could lead to loss of appetite and stunted growth - maybe this is it? I don't know why he's being so stubborn. In the past two days he's eaten maybe four crickets.

Any suggestions? I'd be so upset if this causes problems for him. I love my little Wrexy. ;_;

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Since we have help you set up the rest of your viv right, I am a bit stumped ???,

This is the only thing that may be of concern.

When I put the crickets next to him in the viv, he just stares at them for a while and then walks away to bask.

Which could suggest low methabolic temps and him not eating, but without an accurate thermometer it's hard to say what the real temps are.

Wait and see what the others think.

 

[valkryja]

He seems to be at the right temperature, since I catch him gaping all the time... and from what I understand that's a good thing.
He just seems to have a really low attention span. After he runs away from the crickets he sometimes goes jumping from one piece of driftwood to the next, and generally zooming all over his tank.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Quite puzzling behaviour?? (not worrying, just curious) temps to hot perhaps, too much gaping can also be a bad thing (too much of anything can be a bad thing).

Remind me again how long you have had him and how long you have had him in the big tank. It could be something as simple as relocation stress??? How much interaction/handling do you do with him? How long has he been off his food??

 

[valkryja]

I even tried toning the heat lamp down a bit (it has a dimmer), and the gaping stopped a little and the eating didn't start. I've had him in the big tank since um... Thursday of last week. I bought him last Monday, and he's always been inconsistent with his eating... The most I've gotten out of him was six crickets before he tried escaping. I handle him once or twice a day, and he has a very good temperament and nothing that would suggest a hunger strike. He doesn't seem to be too thin or anything.. he has a nice plump-ish looking belly, as seen here:

I don't really understand why he's so finicky, haha. He'd rather be running around in circles in his house than eating crickets, and this doesn't seem like normal baby beardie behavior.

 

[lexi]

He might be going into a shed. When was his last one? They can go off their food before a shed.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Cut down the handling for a 3-4 days to only if necessary (hard i know when they are so cute, but you have a lifetime with him) and see if that works. It could be relocation stress and he is associating the crickets with handling, or as Lexi said going into shed.

 

[crypticdragons]

considering the amount of time you have had him and the amount of changes that have occurred since you got him i think it seems like relocation stress. As suggested above lower handling to a minimum and try to mess with him/stress him as little as possible for a few days. Should get acclimated soon.

 

[lexi]

Cut down the handling for a 3-4 days to only if necessary (hard i know when they are so cute, but you have a lifetime with him) and see if that works. It could be relocation stress and he is associating the crickets with handling.

Second that... a friend of mine has been handling her baby too much (she was never told otherwise by the breeder) and he's exhibiting the same behaviors as your Wrex. He's eating, but not as much as he should be. They are very sensitive to stress - when we brought our newest boy home, he did the same thing. He'd eat a few roaches and then try to escape. It only took a few days for him to learn the routine, and now he's a great little eater

 

[valkryja]

Alright, I'll stop handling him for a little while.

I only had him for a week so I'm not sure when his last shed was, but I give him baths every three days or so... and he tries to escape from those too! He's so restless!

How should I go about feeding him? He clings to me when I take him out for baths or feeding time, then tries to run around my bed. He tries to escape from any confined area that isn't his viv, and he ignores all crickets that I put in there. ??? Without handling him it's hard to find somewhere that he can eat, haha.

He pooped twice since I got him (Is this normal?) and they seemed to be of normal consistency, so I'm really stumped here. Should I buy him a waxworm or something to see if he'll eat that? He's ignoring his greens too.

 

[lexi]

Alright, I'll stop handling him for a little while.

I only had him for a week so I'm not sure when his last shed was, but I give him baths every three days or so... and he tries to escape from those too! He's so restless!

How should I go about feeding him? He clings to me when I take him out for baths or feeding time, then tries to run around my bed. He tries to escape from any confined area that isn't his viv, and he ignores all crickets that I put in there. ??? Without handling him it's hard to find somewhere that he can eat, haha.

He pooped twice since I got him (Is this normal?) and they seemed to be of normal consistency, so I'm really stumped here. Should I buy him a waxworm or something to see if he'll eat that? He's ignoring his greens too.

Young beardies don't usually eat much of their greens. Just keep providing them. As he grows, he'll eat more and more of them.

Baths (for young beardies) should really be every day. If you've been feeding him in a tub or certain box (like a shoe box) it's important to just keep up that routine. If he experiences the same thing every day, it won't take him long to learn that it's feeding time, but if you change up the spot every day, you might confuse him. Routine is really key to make him feel comfortable. He'll get used to the baths, too... some learn to like them, some just learn to tolerate them.

Handling is fine for baths and feeding, but I'd say only handle him for those reasons for at least a week. You will notice (as he eats more and as he becomes less skittish) him becoming more comfortable, and he'll let you know when he's ready for more handling.

 

[valkryja]

Hmm ok.

Also, I'm at school from 5:30am to 4pm (Bus rides are horribly long since I live an hour from my school x_x), so I typically feed him as soon as I get home. Is it bad for him to eat that late? I toss some crickets in his viv before school but he doesn't eat them anyway, and I don't have time for the shoebox routine until I get home... I hope I'm not worsening the situation :'( I know that Kimmy pig got used to eating late and is fine with it now, and I'm hoping that Wrex will be ok with the routine of eating a very late breakfast... I try to feed him again at night, too.

 

[renich]

I would offer salad in the morning. Leave it on the cool side all day. You can give some crickets about 30 minutes after lights are on. Food should be offered 30 - 60 minutes before lights out.

Babies need to eat a lot. I wouldn't leave crickets in the viv all day. It can stress them out. Beardies eat their fill within 10-15 minutes of food being offered.

 

[lexi]

Hmm ok.

Also, I'm at school from 5:30am to 4pm (Bus rides are horribly long since I live an hour from my school x_x), so I typically feed him as soon as I get home. Is it bad for him to eat that late? I toss some crickets in his viv before school but he doesn't eat them anyway, and I don't have time for the shoebox routine until I get home... I hope I'm not worsening the situation :'( I know that Kimmy pig got used to eating late and is fine with it now, and I'm hoping that Wrex will be ok with the routine of eating a very late breakfast... I try to feed him again at night, too.

Whatever your routine is, that's what you need to get him used to. I would follow Renee (and everyone else's) advice and just keep things as close to the same as possible each day and he will feel more comfortable. 4pm is fine to feed him crickets... babies usually eat twice a day, so you could offer crickets at 5pm or so and then again maybe at 8pm, with lights off at 10pm. I always give more time before lights out (usually at least 3 hours) but that's my personal preference. Also, make sure you take the salad out each night when you shut off his lights.

You're doing fine These guys are very resilient and they learn fast - just give him a good routine so he can get used to it and he'll be eating like a little piggie in no time

 

[valkryja]

Alright, I'll do just that. Hopefully he stops being such a restless little guy!
Thanks for all the advice, everyone. ^_^ I guess I'm just way too terrified that I'll end up doing something horribly wrong and he'll die. I want this little fella to live a long healthy life.

 

[lexi]

Alright, I'll do just that. Hopefully he stops being such a restless little guy!
Thanks for all the advice, everyone. ^_^ I guess I'm just way too terrified that I'll end up doing something horribly wrong and he'll die. I want this little fella to live a long healthy life.

It's scary when their whole life is in your hands ~ it's easy for me to say to stay calm, it will be okay, but when something is wrong with one of my babies, I'm a complete wreck.

I think everyone here understands that

 

[valkryja]

Yup! I don't want to repeat the mistakes I made with Elliot back when I was seven. :'( If he doesn't start eating normally in the next couple of weeks or so I'll try to find a vet near here who looks at lizards.

It'll be hard to handle him less, but I think the guinea pig will be happy. She's been very vocally jealous lately. Whenever I open the lizard's cage she angrily squeaks at me, and when I take her out she cuddles up and purrs much more than usual. I've never heard of a jealous guinea pig, but I guess anything's possible

 

[Boogiesmom]

I am not sure if the pros on here will agree but when I know I am going to have a long day, I put silkworms in the salad. It is how I got Boogie to eat them originally. Silks are one of the feeders that are good for them. They have small ones just the right size for your little guy. I left 6 or 8 in the salad and when I got home I would feed the roaches.

 

[zebraflavencs]

I'll back that up...
Janie

 

[valkryja]

Any ideas on what kind of local places could have silkworms? Our local pet shop doesn't have any of them, and neither does Petsmart. They have waxworms, but I heard those were only good as treats.