My Beardie (Pogotis) stopped eating almost a year ago.

[Kate_Jordan_85]

Hello, I'm KD and new to this forum I'm really desperate to resolve my beardies health issues.
I'll go back to the start of the issues.
When he was 7 months old my son accidentally left his blanket on top of his tank and he cooked Friday hours when I discovered him he was dead. Completely black with his mouth open and crispy. I was bawling and in the state of slight insanity I tried to give him CPR. (With a bic pen outter tube) when his eyeball started moving I had to look away and look back at him to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Color started coming back to him and they rushed him to the emergency pet hospital. $500 later he was okay. Thru the whole ordeal he lost his tail. Fast fwd a year and I had a friend keep him while I was on vacation, 10 days and when I got him back he was barely alive. He had gotten metabolic bone disease. Again I nursed him back to health. It was bad. I bottle fed him and slowly he got well. He always ate well, crickets, meal worms, super worms, etc. But since me leaving him with a sitter he will not eat. It's been almost a year and I am still having to make him eat. He won't even look at worms or crickets. He will eat vegis if I open his mouth and put it in..he will eat it. But he hasn't taken a bite on his own in 20 months. I don't know what to do. He's on a diet from the vet which I bottle feed him daily but I want my normal worm eater back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You lizard lovers!

 

[Sadie]

Hello, I'm KD and new to this forum I'm really desperate to resolve my beardies health issues.
I'll go back to the start of the issues.
When he was 7 months old my son accidentally left his blanket on top of his tank and he cooked Friday hours when I discovered him he was dead. Completely black with his mouth open and crispy. I was bawling and in the state of slight insanity I tried to give him CPR. (With a bic pen outter tube) when his eyeball started moving I had to look away and look back at him to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Color started coming back to him and they rushed him to the emergency pet hospital. $500 later he was okay. Thru the whole ordeal he lost his tail. Fast fwd a year and I had a friend keep him while I was on vacation, 10 days and when I got him back he was barely alive. He had gotten metabolic bone disease. Again I nursed him back to health. It was bad. I bottle fed him and slowly he got well. He always ate well, crickets, meal worms, super worms, etc. But since me leaving him with a sitter he will not eat. It's been almost a year and I am still having to make him eat. He won't even look at worms or crickets. He will eat vegis if I open his mouth and put it in..he will eat it. But he hasn't taken a bite on his own in 20 months. I don't know what to do. He's on a diet from the vet which I bottle feed him daily but I want my normal worm eater back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You lizard lovers!

That is remarkable --- I am thinking the cooking part did some sort of mental damage --- is he moving around like a normal dragon? What are you using for a UVB? Brand and bulb and where in the tank is it? Coil or tube? Basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons they are inaccurate--

 

[Kate_Jordan_85]

That is remarkable --- I am thinking the cooking part did some sort of mental damage --- is he moving around like a normal dragon? What are you using for a UVB? Brand and bulb and where in the tank is it? Coil or tube? Basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons they are inaccurate--

Hello thank You for responding . I have a solar bulb for his heat and uvb and a. I use a digital thermom. And I have thought that before too but he was fine for almost a year after the cooking. Some people have said that they think he got depressed when I left him. My vet seems to think that when he got MBD and couldn't eat because of soft jaw even tho he is healed from that he still thinks he can't eat in his own. I don't think that's the case..I mean he used Togo crazy for worms now he won't even look at them.

 

[Kate_Jordan_85]

Hello thank You for responding . I have a solar bulb for his heat and uvb and a. I use a digital thermom. And I have thought that before too but he was fine for almost a year after the cooking. Some people have said that they think he got depressed when I left him. My vet seems to think that when he got MBD and couldn't eat because of soft jaw even tho he is healed from that he still thinks he can't eat in his own. I don't think that's the case..I mean he used Togo crazy for worms now he won't even look at them.

I think he's less active than other dragons. He's very chill..sleeps a lot but normally interacts with us and loves car rides

 

[Sadie]

Hello thank You for responding . I have a solar bulb for his heat and uvb and a. I use a digital thermom. And I have thought that before too but he was fine for almost a year after the cooking. Some people have said that they think he got depressed when I left him. My vet seems to think that when he got MBD and couldn't eat because of soft jaw even tho he is healed from that he still thinks he can't eat in his own. I don't think that's the case..I mean he used Togo crazy for worms now he won't even look at them.

My recommendation is to get another UVB for him - its going to benefit him in the long run - the Solar Bulb is what brand and wattage-- sometimes they do not give off enough UVB -- how old is it? I am going to recommend you get him a 24" fixture w/ reflector if the tank is 40 + gallons and a Arcadia D3 12% bulb - this may help the eating part as well -- have you tried putting food in his mouth to see if he will chew it? You can find the fixture and bulb on pangeareptiles website - they are good on shipping and they are fast and ship Fed Ex --

 

[Sadie]

My recommendation is to get another UVB for him - its going to benefit him in the long run - the Solar Bulb is what brand and wattage-- sometimes they do not give off enough UVB -- how old is it? I am going to recommend you get him a 24" fixture w/ reflector if the tank is 40 + gallons and a Arcadia D3 12% bulb - this may help the eating part as well -- have you tried putting food in his mouth to see if he will chew it? You can find the fixture and bulb on pangeareptiles website - they are good on shipping and they are fast and ship Fed Ex --

Please post pics of your dragon

 

[Kate_Jordan_85]

My recommendation is to get another UVB for him - its going to benefit him in the long run - the Solar Bulb is what brand and wattage-- sometimes they do not give off enough UVB -- how old is it? I am going to recommend you get him a 24" fixture w/ reflector if the tank is 40 + gallons and a Arcadia D3 12% bulb - this may help the eating part as well -- have you tried putting food in his mouth to see if he will chew it? You can find the fixture and bulb on pangeareptiles website - they are good on shipping and they are fast and ship Fed Ex --

It is about 8 months old and yes he does chew it when I put food in his mouth. As soon as I open it and put something in he will chew it and pull it into his mouth. For instance; a green bean..if I get the end in he will take over and pull it in and eat it all.

 

[Sadie]

It is about 8 months old and yes he does chew it when I put food in his mouth. As soon as I open it and put something in he will chew it and pull it into his mouth. For instance; a green bean..if I get the end in he will take over and pull it in and eat it all.

Ok so the brand and bulb of UVB that is the MVB what is it? lighting in the tank is crucial and it will control their eating -- if hes not getting enough UVB he wont eat as he cannot absorb his calcium- are you giving calcium supplements? Please post a pic of him

 

[Joesmom]

Don’t know if it will help but when ours was dehydrated and wanted to just lay in her cave most of every day we gave her some pedialyte mixed with water every other day to get her rehydrated and also sprinkled bee pollen powder on her veggies a few times a week. Also don’t know how much you’re handling her but maybe try to take her out of the tank more - could be depression?

 

[Julee1971]

Hello, I'm KD and new to this forum I'm really desperate to resolve my beardies health issues.
I'll go back to the start of the issues.
When he was 7 months old my son accidentally left his blanket on top of his tank and he cooked Friday hours when I discovered him he was dead. Completely black with his mouth open and crispy. I was bawling and in the state of slight insanity I tried to give him CPR. (With a bic pen outter tube) when his eyeball started moving I had to look away and look back at him to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Color started coming back to him and they rushed him to the emergency pet hospital. $500 later he was okay. Thru the whole ordeal he lost his tail. Fast fwd a year and I had a friend keep him while I was on vacation, 10 days and when I got him back he was barely alive. He had gotten metabolic bone disease. Again I nursed him back to health. It was bad. I bottle fed him and slowly he got well. He always ate well, crickets, meal worms, super worms, etc. But since me leaving him with a sitter he will not eat. It's been almost a year and I am still having to make him eat. He won't even look at worms or crickets. He will eat vegis if I open his mouth and put it in..he will eat it. But he hasn't taken a bite on his own in 20 months. I don't know what to do. He's on a diet from the vet which I bottle feed him daily but I want my normal worm eater back. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You lizard lovers!

Why haven’t you taken him to the vet??? Are you kidding me??? You waited one year....He needs the right heat and Uvb, baths and calcium. Buy the ZooMed basking bulb 100 watt of its a 40-60 gallon tank and the Reptisun 10.0 T5 make sure Its 10.0. He needs uvb and heat for 12-14 hours per day in summer and 10-12 in winter and can’t eat unless his temp is up and he’s warm and been basking. Temp should be 100 minimum to 102 max. Humidity Thrive brand hygometer and should be 30-40 percent never higher than 40. NO sand substrate at all it impacts their tummy and so do mealworms. Only feed crickets and Dubias and lots of greens and veggies. No spinach kale or lettuce it does nothing. Dandelions, mustard/collard greens endives yellow squash butternut squash and snap peas only. Hornworms 1-2 per one per week if he’s 1.5 yrs or older same with super worms u can do like 5/day and those are the best proteins but those worms are high in fat. Also he’s priolyndehydrated he needs a bath 2-3 times a week for 15min in lukewarm water dechlorinated water. Buy reptisafe and it’s 2drops per cup in drinking and bathing water. Play mediation music to relax him and do not get water in his ears. Also calcium powder 5 times a week dusted on veggies or proteins. NO colored bulbs ever it burns their eyes. This is very sad to hear. Please try all of the above and then try feeding him a hornworm he will love it u can give him 2/day for a few weeks then 1-2/week cuz it’s high in fat. If nothing works take him to the vet ASAP but get he lights and temp handled rite away and find out what that family did to him. Here’s a pic of how the long uvb should be placed and the ZooMed basking bulb is on the right which is my Hot side in the back u can place the hanmoxk I have a towel. My uvb covers the whole back of the tank but yours should only cover 70 prcnt I’m getting a bigger tank. Let me knwk

 

[Julee1971]

Don’t know if it will help but when ours was dehydrated and wanted to just lay in her cave most of every day we gave her some pedialyte mixed with water every other day to get her rehydrated and also sprinkled bee pollen powder on her veggies a few times a week. Also don’t know how much you’re handling her but maybe try to take her out of the tank more - could be depression?

They need baths twice a week in lukewarm dechlorinated water for 15min. If u don’t have dechlorinated water; u need to buy reptisafe and place 2drips for every cup on bathing water & in drinking water. Also bee pollen is only to get them to eat their veggies. Beardies need calcium powder dusted once a day on the crickets or sprinkled on veggies 5times per week very very Impt or they will lose their mobility and get MBD and will start shaking and getting seizures and eventually die. Also no sand substrate and no colored bulbs ever it burns their eyes

 

[Kristi Allred]

They need baths twice a week in lukewarm dechlorinated water for 15min. If u don’t have dechlorinated water; u need to buy reptisafe and place 2drips for every cup on bathing water & in drinking water. Also bee pollen is only to get them to eat their veggies. Beardies need calcium powder dusted once a day on the crickets or sprinkled on veggies 5times per week very very Impt or they will lose their mobility and get MBD and will start shaking and getting seizures and eventually die. Also no sand substrate and no colored bulbs ever it burns their eyes

Bee pollen is actually very good for bearded

 

[Julee1971]

Bee pollen is actually very good for bearded

Thank you I’ll get some. Where do u get it from? Amazon? What brand is best? And hopefully you are giving your Beardie baths twice a week in Like warm water for 15min w/Reptisafe drops. It’s very Impt baths twice a week some people don’t know this they also absorb a lot they their skin