Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok so im really into balls but my friend had a beardy and i convinced him to give it to me cuz its in bad shape. he is severly underweight. whats the best way for me to help this guy out
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:hris 2.3 norms 1.1 pastel 0.1 spider 1.0 cinnamon 1.0 yellow belly

It is probably dehydrated too,first thing is fluids...[you really should take it to a reptile vet]...if you don't have one you will have to try on your own.Put it in about 2-3 inch deep lukewarm water and see if it will drink.Stay with it so it doesn't drown if it's weak.If it will eat on it;s own,give it turnip,mustard,collard greens.These are very important...more than fruits or other veggies...see if it will eat crickets,hand feed if he will,don't let them run around the cage.Feed him live food twice daily if he'll eat.Hope you can get him to a vet...can you post a pic of him...??

For you to get any really good advice, you will need to tell the experienced guys some help.
They would benefit by you answering these following questions.
The more info you give, the better help you will get.
How old is the dragon?
How long is the dragon, snout to vent, vent to tip of tail and over all length.
What does it weigh?
Is it eating anything? What?
Do you have any supplements? calcium and multi vit?
Has the dragon ever been given supplements?
What type of cage is it in?
What size is the cage?
What substrate do you have it on?
Male or female?
Does it have UVB light supplied?
What are your basking temperatures?
What do you use to measure the temp?

Basically, tell them everything you know or see about the dragon and its surroundings. The more the better.
I will not even pretend I have any advice, however I will second hydration is your first step.

Hi again...just so you know,I've been breeding for 14 years and have sold to many other breeders,big and small.Like Josh D,.,I don't have a website...I sell at many shows.The advice I give was FIRST,get to a vet,,,a new owner will prob.not have all the proper conditions which[the questions that you asked about lighting,etc.]would have to be met.So proper care possible rehydration techniques[also possible force-feeding] are best done by a vet.Also,a pic of the animal can help the experienced keepers to tell if it truly is emaciated and get at least an idea of whether it looks like an emergency.Just some thoughts,,,no doubt you want to help as others will.

I'm assuming this is an adult dragon.

To help with dehydration, I would offer water with an eyedropper or syringe. The next day I would give him some green bean baby food with a syringe/dropper to provide nourishment and fluid. They idea isn't to force feed, but to give him some watery food that he will eat on his own.

The next day I would just continue with a standard beardie diet. Give him rich greens (mustard, collards, turnip, kale), with some chopped fresh veggies(squash, sweet potato, green beans, green peas, etc), and a bit of fruit (cherries, berries, apples, pear, banana on occasion, grapes). Then give him insects such as gutloaded crickets, superworms (not as often), wax worms as a treat, 3-4 times weekly. If he's a baby beardie, he'll eat crickets daily.

He'll need a calcium supplement without phosphorous to dust his insects with, a proper linear UV bulb, and a heat source to bring the basking site to 110-115 (that's just my opinion, basking temp can be controversial).

If he doesn't turn out and begin eating, he will need a vet visit to make sure there isn't underlying disease.