Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In hopes to save this poor thing, I just took in a SEVERELY overweight bearded dragon....

What in the world can I do for it? ... if anything... I just feel so bad for him!

I should mention, these are pictures the guy sent to me... when he was still with him, so whatever he's eating in the pictures, is not what I'm feeding him.

Pics of him....

Only way to loose weight is to cut back on calorie intake. It will be better to know just how obese he is by getting a nose to tail measurement and a current weight. ALso, make sure it is not a gravid female.

Cut out all fatty foods and most insects...probably best to only have a couple crickets properly gut loaded a week, with just mixed greens once daily, or even reduced to 2-4 times a week instead of daily. I would say no more than a half a cup of greens per meal.

A good sized cage (at least 4'x2' of floor space) with lots of room to move about and proper basking, uvb etc setup. and some out of cage time for exercise, will help reduce excess fat. May take 6 months on this diet before he is at ideal weight or at least looking less chubby. ALso be a good ideal to find out if he is a German giant, which tend to be more robust than typical dragons.
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PHLdyPayne

Give him access to higher temps. 120 basking with 95 ambient while still maintaining a gradient to normal basking temps. and cool side. You need a large enclosure to properly do this. Take him to the vet for x-rays. This is not normal, he may have a tumor, cancer or other and it is best to narrow that out. Otherwise, stick with crickets and supers, rarely, and in small quantities while giving full time access to greens. The theory is offer greens so he has food and doesn't get lethargic. Just like humans lower calories and increased activity helps. Higher temps. increase metabolism and that helps most.

Personally, I'd really investigate the vet option first. I have never seen or heard of a dragon like him. But, who knows what he was being fed.

I took in a fat rescue last month but there is no comparision.

WOW...

yeah I would undoubtedly take him to the vet. You'd have to get xrays I agree b/c there could be a tumor in there or god only knows what... I've never seen one that fat either.. I'd think maybe b/c it's so big perhaps it's some other problem and not "fat" at all,

good luck and best wishes, let us know what the xrays turn out to show

kris
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4.1 Bearded dragons (Lee,Stumpy,Blackie,Spazz,Lynn)
1 Egyptian Uromastyx (Niles)
(Papa Kunja and Uri have recently passed..we love you)

Thank you for your advice!

like the others said, a vet check is in order, the "fat" is not well distributed, like a person with a pot belly should also have thicker limbs. id also rule out a gravid girl, hopefully not the case if shes coming from a bad home. if it is determined its just fat, i know my beardies (and cats and a dog, though not at the same time) LOVE to chaes a lazer pointer! its good excersize, and cheap!
keep us posted, and good luck!
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!