New Beardy Mom!

[Dexter_Dragon]

I acquired a 6 month old beardy about a month ago from a woman who said she didn't have time for him any more. Seymore was great the first week. Even though I knew little about them I read everything I could and set about making him a happy guy. For the first week we had a blast. He was such a loving, cuddly guy. Then his health started going down hill fast. Long story short: After three vet visits (one to a specialist) it was discovered that Seymore had a tumor on his left hemipenis the size of a red grape. Surgery was not a guarantee and would have stressed him out worse than he was. We decided at the last vet visit to euthanize him to save him any further pain and misery. I miss Seymore so much even though we weren't together long. Deciding that I wanted to try again, I called our local pet store and discovered that they just had two baby beardy's come in. I went right away and picked out one. I am now the proud mama of Dexter (well hoping he's a guy, but will love a girl just as much). I'm not sure how old he is (he's about 6-7" long) or what kind of beardy (he's white with gray spots). Trouble is I don't think he's eating enough. It's been three days and he's only eating about 2 calcium dusted crickets a day. He is refusing to eat veges and fruit even when I try with tongs or my fingers. He doesn't look stressed and is fairly active during the day. I have seen little poops. Should I be worried that he's not eating enough? Most of what I've read said he should be eating 10-30 crickets a day, as well as some veges. And, does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get this reluctant baby to eat his veges? I've tried various kinds several times a day: parsley, kale, romaine lettuce, and dandelion greens. So far no luck. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Lilya18]

When I first got my beardie he didn’t want to eat his food either. I talked to my vet about it and they said it’s normal for them to not eat when they first come to their new home. If he still dosent eat after a few more days I would call your vet to make sure everything’s okay with him. Another thing is I’ve heard that a lot of bearded dragons refuse to eat their salads if they look boring so you should try adding some colorful vegetables and fruits to his salad just be sure to make sure it’s safe for him to eat. Also I would try to avoid feeding him lettuce especially romaine because I’ve had some people say it was poisonous and I wouldn’t want to take a a chance, it also has no vitamins for them it’s just water. I’m also very sorry about Seymore, I’m sure he’s in a better place.

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

When I first got my beardie he didn’t want to eat his food either. I talked to my vet about it and they said it’s normal for them to not eat when they first come to their new home. If he still dosent eat after a few more days I would call your vet to make sure everything’s okay with him. Another thing is I’ve heard that a lot of bearded dragons refuse to eat their salads if they look boring so you should try adding some colorful vegetables and fruits to his salad just be sure to make sure it’s safe for him to eat. Also I would try to avoid feeding him lettuce especially romaine because I’ve had some people say it was poisonous and I wouldn’t want to take a a chance, it also has no vitamins for them it’s just water. I’m also very sorry about Seymore, I’m sure he’s in a better place.

Oh phew! I was a little worried. I'll keep an eye on him and if his appetite doesn't pick up I will certainly contact my vet. OMGosh! Some sites say that romaine is the lettuce to give if you give any so thanks for the tip about not giving him any. I don't want to take any changes so am glad that he refused it. Oh good idea on adding color, thanks for the suggestion. I did add a few tiny pieces of watermelon to his salad, but that was it for additional color. It was mostly greens. Beardy sites I visited said not to give him much fruit at this time. Mostly crickets and veges with very few wax and meal worms. This evening I'm going to try adding some small squash pieces and see if he'll eat that. Some sites have recommended bell peppers, as well. Are those ok to give him if they are tiny? I've been putting his salad mixture in a food processor to make sure pieces are small. I've dusted crickets in calcium, but need advice on anything else I should be giving him to ensure he gets the right nutrients. Any suggestions? I do make sure he sips water throughout the day even if it's off the piece of vege I'm trying to coax him to try. And, I've been misting him at least once a day. He seems to like it. lol It was a heartbreaking decision to make regarding Seymore, but he was such a sweet guy that I didn't want to put him through any more and he's at peace an no longer in pain. Thank you for the sentiment. And, thank you very much for the help with Dexter. I'll keep updates coming on his progress. I'm quite the proud mama. lol

 

[Lilya18]

you do want to give him lots of crickets make sure they’re the small ones because the big ones can cause impaction. You can also put meal worms or wax worms in his salad so when he tries to get the worm he’ll get some greens in his mouth. This is what I do since my Beardy isn’t a fan of veggies. Bell peppers are a good vegetable but you want to be careful not to give them to much and make sure the pieces are small. You should also be dusting his vegetables in calci powder as well. It’s good that he’s drinking. Do you give him baths? Also what size is the tank he’s in. Sometimes the size of the tank can stress them out. What are your temperatures on the basking side and cool side and what’s the humidity?

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I've been getting the smallest crickets. Great suggestions. I'll try putting a few worms on top of his salad. Great, I wasn't aware I should be dusting his veges too! I'll start doing that. He's in a 40 gallon tank with a front that opens as well as a screen on top as that's what Seymore came with. This morning Dexter seems a lot calmer. He even jumped up into my hand and let me hold him inside the tank. My heart melted. He sat there for about 2 minutes listening to me talk before he hopped back onto his branch. He ate 2 crickets this morning and licked at a piece of squash, but didn't eat it. At the moment I haven't given him an actual bath as he's so tiny and until this morning seemed a little skittish, but I have been misting him and his cage every morning and again in the early afternoon. The basking side of his tank is holding steady between 100-102 degrees F. The shade side of his tank stays between 75-82 degrees F depending on the house temperature. I check temps several times a day. Yikes, I haven't been checking humidity. I'll get a reader today and start doing that. What should the tank humidity stay at? I do have a hollow rock that he can get into for additional shade if needed. He's still not eating veges, but I did get him to eat 2 tiny roaches last night and he did eat 1 more cricket yesterday than he has been. I'm getting his salad ready now and adding carrots and a few pieces of bell pepper for color. Crossing my fingers. I'll get some pics and upload them.

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Here's a few pics. His salad isn't in cage yet as I am getting it ready. See the lil guy will sit on my hand now. It also seems that his spots are turning more brown rather than gray. Do you know what kind of beardy he is? Or too soon to tell?

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Still no luck with veges. Gahh! Stubborn baby. I tried to entice for about 15 minutes with various selections. He'd eyeball the selections then look back up at me as if he's saying, "Yeah, right, I'm not putting that in my mouth." You can actually see it in his look. lol I added 2 small meal worms to his salad. He eyeballed them from his perch on his branch for a bit, but didn't try to eat them off the salad. I have seen him sitting on the edge of his little salad dish so I don't think he's nervous of that. We are taking a break for a bit. Right now he's running around licking things in his cage, then stopping to bask before starting again. He's licked some of the mist drops up so that's good. I must admit he's quite entertaining. I really should be doing housework, but can't stop watching his antics. lol He's a lot faster than Seymore was. Crickets don't stand a chance.

 

[Lilya18]

He’s is very cute! I’ve heard that sometimes with the baby’s you might have to force feed them but I wouldn’t do that unless you’ve talked to your vet. Your tank is great he has a lot of room to run around. It’s really good that hes letting you hold him. If you think he’s ready you can try holding him every day, this will make him a lot more comfortable with you. The basking temp is great but if you could I would try to make the cool temp go up in the higher 80s. You definitely need to check his humidity it needs to be between 30-40. If it’s to high then you can put rice in a sock and put it around his tank and that should help knock it down. Humidity is very important with them especially when there as tiny as him. You definitely don’t want him to get a respiratory infection. It’s good that he’s eating something. What is his body shape ( is his stomach big and round on the sides). Do you have sand in the bottom of your tank and are you giving him UVB and heat? It’s good that he’s being active. He’s going around his tank and marking his territory which is a good sign. They are very entertaining to watch lol. As for his morph I’m not completely sure he still looks pretty young to tell but I would start searching up his colors and trying to see what he’ll look like in the future!

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Thanks! I think he's adorable. lol I talk to him a lot, but haven't tried too much holding, just more petting than anything else. He still gets a little timid when I first walk up to his tank. I plan on getting a humidity reader today. That was a great tip I needed, thank you! Thanks, too, for the info on correct humidity. I do have some rice bags that I can use if needed. I'll know later this afternoon if his humidity is good. Right now his belly isn't as round as I'd like to see it. He's still a little on the thin side, but I'm attributing that to new surroundings and not eating like he should. His appetite (aside from not eating veges, stubborn guy) is improving each day. Yesterday he ate 3 dusted crickets and 2 small dusted roaches. More than he did the day before. I don't think he's quite up to his normal eating habits, though, but hope each day brings improvement. I have a UVB light and a nice heat lamp. I'm using excavator clay instead of sand as I'm told that sand isn't good. He seems to like the clay and at night kinda stretches himself out and wiggles himself into a comfy spot between his heat rock and the side of his tank. Looks funny with his little back legs stretched out along each side of his tail. Today his shaded side is up to 83, but it's quite warm today. The past few days have been a little cooler. I'll adjust his lighting slightly to see if I can get his shaded side a little warmer. Is that what he's doing? Marketing his territory? Interesting and entertaining to watch him do it. I just tried again with small pieces of greens and all he managed to do was lick the droplets off it. lol I tried dry pieces, but nope. Sigh. Is it common for baby's colors to change? When I got him he looked more white with dark gray spots, but today he looks more brown. His spots have darkened and he now has little brown markings on his underside that were barely there before. Is that supposed to happen? Concerned because I've read that color changes may not be good signs. Thanks for all your help. It's greatly appreciated!

 

[Lilya18]

glad to hear he’s eating his bugs. Clay is fine just make sure he doesn’t eat it and you want to be carful for when he’s older because the males have pores on the inside of there legs that can get clogged from lose substrate and then you have to clear them which believe me is disgusting lol but he should be fine now. The baby’s don’t seem to like eating their vegetable . Your have to train them in a way with the worms. At least that’s what I did. There color does change based on their mood, health, age, and shedding. Yours looks really young so it could just be his colors coming in. You just have to keep an eye out for the baby’s since they’re so prone to everything. Your welcome you can always message me if you need help with anything!

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Yipes! Ok, I'll watch out for the clay. It's pretty solid and has very little crumble to it, but I'll be on the look out. Thanks! Certainly don't want to clean out pores . . . does sound yucky! Though with Seymore's illness I did have to watch and gently feel around his manly areas and butt quite a bit. Both I and Seymore found it a little undignified. I'll keep being persistent with Dexter and trying to get him to eat veges. I'm thinking it's more a battle of wills right now. lol He's happy just munching on his bugs and mama keeps trying to make him eat nasty veges. Phew! Hope it's colors coming in as you put it. He was awfully pale colored when I got him and then today, I'm like whoa! You're a very pretty beardy, all shades of browns. Here's a picture of his color today. Thank you, you are so kind! Being a new mama I need lots of help. lol

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Yipes! Ok, I'll watch out for the clay. It's pretty solid and has very little crumble to it, but I'll be on the look out. Thanks! Certainly don't want to clean out pores . . . does sound yucky! Though with Seymore's illness I did have to watch and gently feel around his manly areas and butt quite a bit. Both I and Seymore found it a little undignified. I'll keep being persistent with Dexter and trying to get him to eat veges. I'm thinking it's more a battle of wills right now. lol He's happy just munching on his bugs and mama keeps trying to make him eat nasty veges. Phew! Hope it's colors coming in as you put it. He was awfully pale colored when I got him and then today, I'm like whoa! You're a very pretty beardy, all shades of browns. Here's a picture of his color today. Thank you, you are so kind! Being a new mama I need lots of help. lol

And you can see what looks like crumble in his tank, but very few of those pieces actually move. they are kinda stuck in there and don't even wiggle when he scrambles over them. It's weird stuff for sure.

 

[Lilya18]

he’s very cute! I think he’s in very good hands. I’m always here if you have a question and let me know how he’s doing every once in awhile

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Unfortunately the pet store couldn't confirm his type, but she did say she would contact the breeder to find out for me. Type just listed them as bearded dragons. Gahhh. Good news is that Dexter was cooperative and inquisitive so I was able to get a picture of his chest and belly colors. They look very similar to the western beardy pic.

 

[Lilya18]

he’s really cute! Pet stores usually have leather back bearded dragons so he most likely that with somthing else. Glad he’s getting more comfortable with you!

 

[chardust]

Hi! I'm sorry about Seymore... it's never easy loosing a little buddy. I wanted to chime in and say though that dexter is probably about 2 months old, i looked up a sizing chart for my guy and hes 6.5 inches which means he should be 2 months. otherwise, I'm sure dexter is okay, he's probably just stressed from moving. i think you should give him a day or two longer before consulting a vet or the pet store for more info. good luck!

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

he’s really cute! Pet stores usually have leather back bearded dragons so he most likely that with somthing else. Glad he’s getting more comfortable with you!

Ohhh good to know they usually carry leatherbacks. Thanks! I'm going to go investigate them. The pet store owner did say it was a local breeder she uses often as they take good care of their beardys and the ones she gets into the store don't show up with health issues, but the breeders have a few different types. She wasn't sure which set of parents these two came from. I ordered a CHE for Dexter's tank as she was out of stock, and it won't come in until the end of the week. She said she should have more info for me when I came in to pick it up.

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Hi! I'm sorry about Seymore... it's never easy loosing a little buddy. I wanted to chime in and say though that dexter is probably about 2 months old, i looked up a sizing chart for my guy and hes 6.5 inches which means he should be 2 months. otherwise, I'm sure dexter is okay, he's probably just stressed from moving. i think you should give him a day or two longer before consulting a vet or the pet store for more info. good luck!

Even though Seymore and I weren't together long I grew attached quick. He was such a sweet, loving guy. I must confess, I'm a older lady that cried like a baby for most of the hour drive home. Thanks for the age info. I looked at sizing charts and figured right around there, but wasn't 100% sure. He's just so tiny and I'm so nervous I'm doing something wrong. Fretting like a new mama! His appetite has increased. He's eating about 6 crickets and 2 roaches each day now. Doesn't seem too interested in the meal worm I put on his salads yet. Still no veges, except what vege juice is in the dropper that he laps up. He eats 2-3 bugs each feeding before he loses interest, but we are up to him wanting to eat about 4+ times a day. Watching me trying to catch that last tiny cricket or roach he didn't want and get it out of his tank and back in the container entertains my husband quite a bit. hahaha When I went to the store yesterday I did check to see if the other lil guy was still there. He was. His colors have darkened, too, like Dexter's. They look like twins. I told the lil guy I was sorry I couldn't take him home, too, but I only had room for one.

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Thought I share a pic of Seymore. Pic was taken after 2 local visits to a reptile vet and 2 days before his visit to the specialist. My vet doesn't do reptiles so they recommended a nearby reptile vet, but the local reptile vet confessed that Seymore needed more help than he could provide so he recommended me to the specialist that was about an hour away. At this point Seymore was listless, wasn't eating or drinking, and all he wanted to do was snuggle with me. I was trying everything I could to keep him as comfortable and unstressed as possible until his specialist appointment so we snuggled a lot. At this point I'd only had him for about 3 weeks, but we were buddies. I miss him very much.

 

[chardust]

Even though Seymore and I weren't together long I grew attached quick. He was such a sweet, loving guy. I must confess, I'm a older lady that cried like a baby for most of the hour drive home. Thanks for the age info. I looked at sizing charts and figured right around there, but wasn't 100% sure. He's just so tiny and I'm so nervous I'm doing something wrong. Fretting like a new mama! His appetite has increased. He's eating about 6 crickets and 2 roaches each day now. Doesn't seem too interested in the meal worm I put on his salads yet. Still no veges, except what vege juice is in the dropper that he laps up. He eats 2-3 bugs each feeding before he loses interest, but we are up to him wanting to eat about 4+ times a day. Watching me trying to catch that last tiny cricket or roach he didn't want and get it out of his tank and back in the container entertains my husband quite a bit. hahaha When I went to the store yesterday I did check to see if the other lil guy was still there. He was. His colors have darkened, too, like Dexter's. They look like twins. I told the lil guy I was sorry I couldn't take him home, too, but I only had room for one.

aweee, you're doing great! i feel the same way... i don't wanna mess stuff up and suffer the concequences (i want my baby nice and healthy). and as for the husband part... the first night i didn't realize their were holes at the top that had a latch to close and both crickets escaped... my mom FREAKED haha luckily i caught one with a wrench (cause i didn't have tongs hahaha) and my brother caught the other with his hand. my guy seems to like crickets better than worms or since i switched over he's been a bit sleepy and uninterested. and as for his twin, it's unfortunate but its better to focus your energy on one beardie instead of splitting it between two!