this is so funny!!

[raigan_lizz]

At our house we get heeps of christmas bettlees.so when i let my lizard out on the floor he goes around and eats all of them dead or alive.so i took him outside with my family at our back table.my dad told me to find some bugs for him and when i come back with somebugs he was trying to eat my mums buderburg rum can!it was so funny. when we had friends over their kids left and mnm on the floor and i didnt know and i let carlton out and he ate it. i was worried because that it was chocolate but hes not sick and hes still alive.

 

[Vesta]

Please be careful what you let your little guy eat. Some bugs can be toxic to your dragon. Lightning bugs are a sure death to your dragon!! And any bug found in the wild can be exposed to pesticides which can also kill your dragon. Even an ant that has been exposed to poison can kill your dragon. They also can carry parasites that can make your dragon sick. I know you love your Dragon and would not want anything to happen to him so please be careful and only feed him the things you know are good for him.

 

[packfan74]

Funny now, but if you continue letting your dragon eat wild caught prey, you'll pay the price in expensive vet bills later when he gets parasites and/or digestional issues which will cause him not to eat or poop properly. Mine is the voice of experience - I've learned this the hard way! My total cost in vet bills for just this sort of thing has run me over $300.00 USD in just one month alone PLUS at home care for a sick dragon takes up 3+ hrs. of my time per day!

My guy is still very sick after months of snowballing issues. Going back to when the weather here was warmer (July/August) I too allowed him short adventures outside cuz I thought it would be nice for him. He ended up eating a couple of bumble bees, a praying mantis that was as big as he was (which lead to a game of tug-of-war between us - he won!), a couple of stink bugs, a earth worm, etc. In 20/20 hind sight, I'm sure this behavior of MINE (not his cuz he's only doing what is natural, totally my bad for giving him the opportunity), is where he picked up his parasites. Which I did not find out he had until months later in early November. His parasite issue lead to eating problems, which lead to pooping problems, which lead to behaviorial problems, etc. Now here we are in late December and I'm still dealing with a very sick dragon that I have to hand feed via a dropper 3 times a day.

I know you feel like you are being kind to your guy by letting him out often and letting him eat what you may feel is "natural" prey. But remember, you bought a captive bred dragon, he does not have a wild immune system, he is not in his native enviroment and you are allowing him to eat non-native food. His time out needs to be strickly controlled or you are just begging for my kind of trouble. I know what you must be thinking.....I too hated to see my guy always locked up in his tank BUT his tank is the safest place for him. If you're going to let him out often, then try making sure he is well fed first, stuffed in fact - young dragons can eat enormous amounts of food! Remember too, they are exactly like little children. Give them the opportunity and they will run head first straight into trouble! They are so cute & sweet we want them with us all the time, but Mommy & Daddy can over do it sometimes cuz we love them so much. Be a stricter parent and you will have a better young man for it!

Best wishes and good of luck with your guy. I know you'll do your best to keep him health, happy & safe - enjoy!

Cheers