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Super Picky Eater... What do I do???

KatKuMo

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
30
My Murray is about that age and 20 inches long. Sometimes he would only eat the greens after they had dried out and become crunchy, and I had to kinda rotate different things. At this point, he only likes cilantro and turnip greens. Maybe leave some in there a while, see if yours doesn't try them once they're a little dry.
 

Venow

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
Location
NV, USA
you can get a 24" black light setup from Walmart for $20 DO NOT USE THE BLACK LIGHT BULB!!! go to petsmart they will price match chewy on the 10 0 bulb you get the the uvb setup for $40
 

Roo’s Mom

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
23
Location
Oregon
Ok I’ll do that. I have another question about the red light for night time. My house is about 68 degrees at night and there is no other heat source for him. I’ve heard conflicting things about using the red light. He seems to sleep fine with it on. I tried leaving it off one night and he slept all the next day and stayed awake at night. So it seemed to mix up his days and nights. What is your experience with the red light.
 

NeoMc

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
Ok so the light has been in there for two days. His appetite has not changed, it seems like he only wants to eat Waxworms right now. He looks at the Phoenix Worms and just "rolls his eyes" or something. He also has gotten smarter with my fruit trick (getting him to lick the juice, and then pushing it into his mouth). When I smear juice on his face, he turns or runs away from me and then licks. He hasn't had any fruit or vegetables in a week, but at least he likes the expensive waxworms... -_-

Still hasn't grown at all in 4 months. Obviously cause he won't eat anything, but I can't afford to keep going to produce sections and buying stuff he won't eat... Like squash, I don't really cook that.

I think he likes the light though. I've caught him lying on the corner of his hammock with a foot dangling over the side, eyes shut and mouth lolled open. Maybe it will take some time before he suddenly feels hungry again?
 

NeoMc

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
It is above his tank, about 7 inches from where he lies on his hammock. The box said under 6 inches could harm him, so I left it at 7. It is sitting on a mesh screen cover that covers the tank.

No this is the "ah this feels good" mouth open, I know what his basking mouth open looks like haha. I have not weighed him and I don't own a heat gun. I have thermometers in the tank, but they seem really weak and don't really record temps well. I know the cool side is like 75 F or something.

I think he is just a really picky eater. He has always been like this, I think he is just in another phase of taste bud swings and he is just asking me to buy new stuff to eat. Sucks too, just spent $30 to stock up on Phoenix Worms for him to not want them... :/
 

NeoMc

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
If anyone has some suggestions, I'm all ears. Right now he has passed up plum, squash, banana (previously loved), cherries, and mango. I will nab some kale from the supermarket later and try again, but he has never once enjoyed leafy greens. Now he only eats Waxworms, and he eats them with such attitude. It's like "finally you give me the good stuff, lord above help this man" as he mows down a plate of them in 10 seconds...
 

NeoMc

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
I fail to see how he is currently alive if I apparently was giving him no UVB with his old bulb... I was going to grab some leafy greens, but he has never (and probably never) eaten them. The bulb is mounted 7 inches from the lizard...
 

Roo’s Mom

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
23
Location
Oregon
Try picking some fresh dandelion leaves and make sure they have no spray on them. Wash them and try giving him some. They are few and that’s how I got mine to start eating greens.
 

NeoMc

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
Just had a fecal sample done and it turns out he has pinworms. That explains the lack of appetite and the hesitation he has before eating a little food these days.

Where do these come from? Can they come from Phoenix worms?
 

NeoMc

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
32
Day 4 out of 5 of his treatment with Panacur and he still won't eat anything. The vet told me to "forcefeed" him a substance called "Oxbow" and that he needed greens, but since the vet did it once he seems to have learned how much he hates being held open. He has made my experience miserable giving him the doses, it usually takes 15 mins to actually get MOST the medicine down his throat. He bares his teeth together and tries to block me from getting anything into his mouth.

This lizard is literally trying to kill himself, and I have no idea what to do. The vet said she was amazed he weighed 285 grams and seemed healthy for literally going days without eating due to his pickiness. She said she didn't expect the parasites to affect his lack of appetite, and so far she seems absolutely correct. She told me I would have to forcefeed him for his entire life if it came to it, but I can't bring myself to keep pulling his mouth open and getting him flared and angry at me.

I've changed his lighting, I've paid nearly $300 for vet visits and medicine, and hundreds of dollars have been spent on Phoenix worms and other bugs. I am completely out of options and I have no idea what to do. He even tries to spit out food I push into his mouth by rolling his lips down. I can't afford this lizard's ridiculous attitude and I don't know what to do. He seems like such a sweetheart, and then the sassy nature comes out when I try to feed him. I'm convinced this is a lost battle and he is hopeless.
 

JumpinJellyfish

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
319
What does he do if you drip a bit of the formula (it's probably carnivore critical care - oxbow is the maker) onto his snout/top lip? Will he lick it off? If you can get him feeling better, once he's through the meds and not suffering from parasites his appetite may improve, and maybe you can entice him at that point with some nice soft feeders (BSFL, silkworms, butterworms [maybe not as a staple, but still good], waxworms [same], hornworms [good for hydration]). If he gets back to eating on his own with all of that then consider trying dubia or other roaches (depending on what's legal where you live).
 

JumpinJellyfish

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
319
A note on the greens/veggies/fruits. Keep offering them, in small amounts. You can always feed them to feeder bugs (crickets, roaches in particular will enjoy them and that's good gutloading and another way to get the nutrition into your dragon). I have a parrotlet who finally tried veggies after *18 months* of them being offered daily. Be consistent, be patient, and don't give up.
 
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