Reptile & Amphibian Forums

this morning i gave her some jump start, which basically means i made her eat (she hasn't been eating)......and she gave me the dirtiest look when i watered her....oh well its for her own good.....and by the way what else other than pedialyte and jumpstart are high nutritious foods that can go through a test tube??????

thanks again

carbonatom13

I prefer baby food over jump start. IMO jumpstart is crap. go out by some veggie growth formula bearded dragon food from TREX and mix some of that in with turkey baby food. Also I think you shouldn't have to force feed a dragon. I remeber going over somethings with you on a thread below. did you get a fecal done?
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

someone recomended jmp start....but anyways what was that other stuff u mentioned just now and where can i get it.....and turkey baby food??????????????

no, i haven't got a fecal done cause i have to fecal to test..lol

carbonatom13

Jump start has lots of calories but not a good amount of nutrition. Turkey baby food (number 1) is pure turkey liquidfied. It has fat, protien, and carbs. Jump start has under 1% protien, 35% fat, and one would have to assume about 35% simple sugar with the remnants being water. Not what a dragon needs. If a dragon is sick it needs protein and stuff that is easy to digest (hence the 1 type baby food). The Trex veggie growth formula bearded dragon supplement is a supplement meant to be put onto veggies of growing dragons. It is contains protien, and all the vitamin and minerals that the a growing dragon need. Not the mix that is in jump start. I personally think jump start is crappy. Just my thoughts. Baby food with the Trex stuff could be almost a perfect diet for a dragon. It is very easy to digest. Is the dragon losing weight? You can get a gram scale at office max or any office store for about $30. Oh and you can get the Trex stuff at almost ony pet shop, think petsmart, petco, and many others will carry it. If you can not find it put a mix of RepCal herptivite and Repcal Calcium with D3 into the baby food to up its vitamins. I still don't think the dragon needs to be force fed. Force feeding anything leads to stress, and stress leads to a non thriving animal, stressed animals lead to animals going or staying off feed. Just my thoughts.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

......i don't want to force feed her at all but i really need her to eat and unless i make her......and she won't eat willingly....but i need crickets and mine have't arrivied yet (i ordered monday from LLL reptiles but they still haven't come)...ii'm tryin everything (the lights are on the way i'm gettin pedialyte tommorow crixs are on the way)...any thing else u think of let me know)

carbonatom13

Is she annorexic looking? Do you see her hip bones? Are the fat pads on her head sunken in? Is there a pet shop near you you could get a couple of crickets to hold you over. Or even maybe a few waxworms. Or possibly some repcal juvi bearded dragon pellets. Are you attempting to force food on her because you do not have crickets? or because she is skinny and annorexic? Dragons can and do go several days without food. Little ones housed by themselves can go 3 days with no food. It would be less stressful than being forced. Offer her veggies and pellets if she is really hungry she will eat them.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

she's real thin ...like her skin looks bigger than her body and the vet says her hips aren't horrible yet bt there shrinking...that and i have meal worms and wax worms and tons of veggies she just won't eat them....i don't get it?????? i'm trying every thing...... ne thing else u can think of????

carbonatom13

Sometimes a shot of vitamin b complex will stimulate their diet. I would seriously let her be for 2 days. No handling. When u get crickets (go to pet shop and buy them) offer them. Offer a few mealies and waxworms. Give her veggies and or pellets in the morning. I seriously would not attempt to force feed her for 2 days. No handling, maybe cover her tank sides so she sees no one. Just to totally destress her. No handling. See if that helps. Sometimes trying too hard can be a problem.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

ok......sounds good.....i'll give her a soak this morning and then i'll put up some brown paper all around her cage and make sure that she isn't disturbed for a few days.....i'll offer veggies and try and go get some crixs today at the pet store.....look for a post in a few days with an update

carbonatom13

I use pedialyte/his daily vitamins/chicken baby food mixed together. I also use a/d dog/cat food. You get it from a vet. It is high in fat and protein. However, my beardie seems to prefer the chicken over the a/d.