Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted long ago about our temperamental dragon. He's about 6 years onld, has always been very cranky, didn't move much but ate well, never like to be touched, except to be lightly stroked between the eyes. The last few months, he's been eating less and less (crickets and greens, more greens than crickets. He seems to have a hard time catching crickets so I move his basking branches and dishes out so there are not places for the crickets to hide. We have a young beardie, about 6 months old, in a different enclosure with a completely different personality, likes to be held, always has a fat, full belly. So I know its not us necessarily. Jassie, the elder, the skin on is belly is wrinkly, its never full and round so I feel he never eats enough. He frequently opens and closes his mouths, not gaping from heat, almost like gagging. He gets water, he's not impacted, I don't think because I have to clean out the cage. Is he just like I said, temperamental and maybe just not a "healthy specimen"? He's never looked as big and robust as others we've seen. Our young one seems fat and happy, though.

gagging, wrinkly and not eating all sound like extreme dehydration to me, possibly respiratory infection, if he is gagging alot. Give him a nice soak in luke warm water for about 10-20 minutes, to give him plenty of time to drink. Offer fat juicy silkworms and hornworms...these have lots of water and good nutrition, are soft bodied and even the most laziest dragon can catch them.

If this doens't make any improvement, or he starts to get worse, you will need to get him to a vet for a proper examination and diagnoses. It could simply be him starting to show old age, though a 6 year old dragon could live for another 6 years with proper care and good health.
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PHLdyPayne

do you buy on the internet?

hey,heres a really good site thats got good prices and top quality feeders..also,the delivery system is really good too..nothing wrong has ever happened during shipping..i suggest getting silkworms,hornworms,and phoenix worms..check it out..
www.mulberryfarms.com
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Jonny Blaze
1.0 Nosy Be Panther
1 Bearded Dragon--sex not determined yet
0.1 Yorkshire terrier Brandy,10 years old
1.0 Golden lab-Dusty R.I.P May 16,2007,14.5 years old
1.0 Black lab "wiggler",2 years old
s136.photobucket.com/albums/q173/jonnyblaze_04/?sc=3

I've had some quality issues recently regarding my supplier in California. I can't mention names since it's against the rules. I can say that I have used Coastalsilkworms.com and silkwormshop.com with no problems and good quality. The best by far supplier for hornworms is greatlakeshornworm.com, once you buy his you'll never want to buy hornworms anywhere else.

I buy on the internet and at reptile shows when I can. I also have raised my own silkworms time to time but not for about a year.

There are plenty of places online these days that sell silkworms, hornworms and other feeders. CHecking the classifieds under feeders/supplies will show a bunch of them. Also looking under the 'businesses' tab above will list quite a few.

I typically try to get them at shows as I save on shipping, which often is quite high.
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PHLdyPayne

I have a BD that we believe to be close to 10. He can't catch crickets and can barely catch butterworms! He needs more fluid lately and we make sure to give him plenty of water once a month or so. Sometimes we have to bathe him to get him to drink or offer him fluid by syringe. Because he can't catch crix, I put them in a deep glass bowl for him. They climb around, but they can't really escape unless they jump. He picks him out of there pretty easily. He won't eat leafy greens any longer, but will eat green beans, limas, and peas if I hand feed him. I give him sweet potato baby food. He also likes a treat of fruit...if I hand feed him. I believe some of his problem might be a calcium decline, because I noticed his face was shortening. His temps and UV are fine, but he was spending too much time in his hidey (more than half the day). I removed the hidey and gave him extra basking time outside. The outside sun increases his appetite and overall health. I know he's getting up there in age, so I just watch him every day and keep adjusting to what he needs.

Thanks for your input. To clarify: basking outside: do you simply move the whole tank, or purchase a smaller tank for outside basking? And bathing, we've put him in our regular tub which seems ok .... is it? Our town has only 1 exotic vet, which I'll consult when I need to but I seem to get the best, quickest info here. I've never been successful at hand feeding him, should I continue to try with plastic tweezers? Lots of questions, I know.....

When I take my bearded dragon out, I usually do it in a tall clear plastic container, one that is big enough to allow for a shaded/cooler area and a low basking spot. I bring the cage out first, set it out in the sun, either half in the sun, half in shade, or I just use the lid to cover half the top to provide shade. I then bring the dragon out and put her into the cage. If she is not used to being handled, I may just put her in the cage first then put her outside, then place a hide and basking rock/branch into the cage.

Screen cages can be used as well, just don't use glass tanks as these will over heat fast outside.

Important thing is not to leave them unattended outside, even in an all screen cage. Dogs, cats, birds and neighbors can get at your bearded dragon, scaring it extensively (if in a screen cage and a bird, cat or dog tries to get through the screen to get to your dragon) or worse, allowing it to escape and maybe get eaten, injured or lost. Neighbors may try and steal it, freak out when they see a lizard and cause you no end of trouble or worse, try to kill it. Thus, once your plan to bring your lizard outside, bring your phone out with you, if portable, put on teh answering machine if not, don't be cooking anything or doing laundry at the same time etc. Bring a cool drink and something to read or do something outside that doesn't take too much of your attention (being on the far side of the house trimming the bush while the neighbor's cat is eating your dragon when you are not looking...isn't good at all. Sit or stand next to your dragon, watching it like you would a 2 year old toddler.
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PHLdyPayne