My Dragon has not eaten crickets for the past 3 days although he will eat the odd bit of veg. He is around 3-4 month old and is 9 inch long snout to tip of tail. He wont refuse mealworm beetles but they are hard to digest and I no longer have any left. He has all the set up he needs like a basking light and UVB light. How can I get him to eat crickets again as I dont want him to starve, bless him.
2007-10-07 11:22:35 · 2 answers · asked by solidreckoning 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
You've probably gotten him addicted to the beetles OR he is impacted from them. You shouldn't feed him those anymore especially when he is so small. Don't even feed him those when he is fully grown.
Is he pooping regularly? At his age, he should be pooping at least once a day. If not, get him to a vet quickly, because it's a tell-tale sign that he is sick.
If he IS pooping fine, don't offer him greens if he is still not eating the crickets. ONLY offer him crickets until he decides to eat them again. It's tough love :P He should be getting more protein in his diet at his size anyway. But it's a good thing he is at least familiar and taste-testing his greens.
Try feeding him in a separate bin so the food doesn't escape and hide.
If he is hungry, he will eat. If he STILL confides to not eating for a couple days, he might be sick or impacted and should see a vet.
If you have him on any type of sand, remove it ASAP! Instead, replace it with paper towel or non-adhesive shelf liner (looks better). Sand can also impact the little guy.
2007-10-07 11:34:43 · answer #1 · answered by ms_lotr_freak 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What are his temps? Should be about 105F for a baby. Have you had him checked for parasites yet? They are a serious problem for beardies. A dragon his age should be eating nearly 100 small (no larger than the space between his eyes) crickets a DAY. Mealworms, and especially beetles, are too hard to digest. He could be impacted from them. Also, if you are using a loose substrate such as sand he could be impacted. Are you bathing him regularly to prevent dehydration? Warm water soaks may help.
http://www.beardeddragon.org/
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/home.html
http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/BD.html
http://www.bearded-dragons.com/tips/
2007-10-07 11:30:03 · answer #2 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋