Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have been trying to get my new beardie to eat for the last few days with no such luck...and also this new one is a mean little thing...so today i soaked him real well and tryed offering it everything (ie. squash, spring mix, cricket and worms) with no such luck...so i put him back in his cage and he rared up at me and hissed like a mad man...well then i put some squash in his mouth and he ate it...surprisingly...then i repeated this over and over again until he had a whole meal...of course he still was mad afterwards but it made me feel better that he got a meal..i guess ill have to keep trying this everyday until he gets it....

craig

(will post pics of beardies soon)
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0.1 Bearded Dragon (tuesday)
0.1 Wife (Eryn) WC
0.1 Daughter (Lily) CBB
0.1 Brindle Boxer (Marley)
0.1 Mut (Bailey)

Glad to hear that your dragon is eating...I hope he settles down for you.I just wanted to mention that turnip and mustard greens are far more valuable as a food item than squash...they are mandatory as far as nutrition goes.Don't bother with the store bought mixes,they are O.K.,but not compared to the dark leafy greens.Next time stick a cricket in it's mouth...you can kill it first.

Trying to feed in a bath isn't a good idea.

From the sounds of things this you haven't had the new dragon for very long. Its perfectly normal for a newly acquired dragon to refuse to eat for the first week or so in a new cage. Make sure all his husbandry requirements are correct (ie basking temp, ambient temp, etc) and give him time to get used to his new home. Offer appropriate sized crickets in a ceramic bowl so they don't escape and leave your dragon alone. If he is hungry he will go eat the crickets. If he is nervous about the huge giant creature hanging around the cage, he's not likely to want to go eat either.

Handling in the first couple weeks should be non existent. Once put into his cage, he should be left alone as much as possible, just going in or near the cage to feed and spot clean. Remove any uneaten crickets a few hours before lights out. If you are worried some may have escaped, drop some fresh greens in the cage. The crickets will eat these instead of your dragon. (a dish of water is great at luring crickets to fall and drown in. just remove in the morning.)
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PHLdyPayne

thanks for the tips (i will try the cricket trick)...and btw i wasnt feeding him while bathing..this was afterwards...i must have misworded my statement. i had left him alone for about a week and and he hadnt passed any feces in about four days...well sure enough i went to check on him today and he had let out a big one...made me very happy...i will try the ceramic dish...lately i had been trying a clear plastic dish and either they got out or he ate a few crickets...not sure....he is doing better, im glad he finally had a bowel movement today...again thanks for the help..
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0.1 hypo het trans Bearded Dragon (tuesday)
0.0.1 citrus/yellow bearded dragon
0.1 Wife (Eryn) WC
0.1 Daughter (Lily) CBB
0.1 Brindle Boxer (Marley)
0.1 Mut (Bailey)