Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had a female beardie, Bailey for, about 6 1/2 years. She has only eaten once or twice in the past month. I realize that beardies do go into semi-hibernation and don't eat (she only did that once, and it was about 4 years ago). I am a little concerned because it has been a while and she is getting skinny. When should I start to worry that she might be starving herself? She is still alert and active.
Normally, she is a good eater, where her diet is a combo of carrots, corn, superworms and occasional greens (I give her more greens but she is very picky with them). I was thinking about giving her some waxworms because she might be bored, but she has been happy with this diet for 6 years. Would it help if I switched her diet?
BTW, how long do beardies normally live for? Is she getting old?

BDs can live as long as 12 years but the average is far less, usually 6-8 years. It is important that adult BDs have 80% or more of their diet made up of greens. A diet high in animal protein for BDs over two years of age increases the risk of fatty liver disease. This is very stressful when they stop eating because it can cause liver failure. The first thing to do is get a fecal done to test for parasites and bacteria. Make sure the vet does a float as well as a gram stain. Wax worms are candy, high in fat with no nutritional value. They will only make things worse. Carrots should only be used as a treat and corn is pretty much nothing but filler. Check my site for links to some good info on food
www.beardiedragon.com/pages/links/Links_Diet.html

If you decide to try force feeding, use RepCal adult pellets soaked in water and administer with a syringe. Be very careful so your BD does not asphyxiate.

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Bennett

beardiedragon.com
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