Getting my new beardie to eat fresh food

I've had Zola for about 5 days, she's a total sweetheart and seems to be doing well with adjusting. No signs of serious relocation stress, no stress marks or anything. But her previous owner fed her a pellet only diet since she was a baby, so I've had a lot of trouble getting her to eat the things she should eat. She has no issue with live roaches and superworms, but she will not touch her salad. I give her salad in the morning and don't offer bugs until evening, so maybe she'll get hungry enough to eat her veggies, but she just holds out for the bugs. Yesterday I didn't give her any bugs hoping that she would eat some veggies today. I gave her turnip greens, arugula, yellow squash and a couple of blueberries in her salad this morning, well she ate the blueberries but still didn't touch anything else.

I've tried putting worms in her salad, she picks them out without getting any veggies. I've also tried spritzing her salad bowl, putting her salad on a paper towel, and picking the veggies up and dropping them to try and entice her but she just looks at me like I'm stupid, lol.

What should I do? Should I give her bugs today so she doesn't go hungry or hold out so she'll eat her veggies?


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Hi and congrats on your new beardie! This is a long process, you just have to be patient. It took my oldest Wally a month before he would eat salad. But he eats it every day and sometimes two bowls a day now. All you can do is keep offering it to her. You can also feed your feeders the greens that she doesn't eat instead of throwing them out.

Can I ask how old she is with regards to holding off on the bugs, I would need to know how old before I could answer that one.

She's 2 years old, but she isn't very big. She's not malnourished by any means but could definitely use a little fattening up. Should I still be giving her pellets at all or no? Seeing as she did eat them for so long. This is her.


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I did gutload the roaches yesterday as well


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No do not give her pellets. They are not good for beardies. I think I've even heard they can dehydrate them but don't hold me to that. You know how people put things on the internet and some times they are not true. I personally would not use them as they are not nutritional and if she's eating roaches for you then definitely stay away from the pellets. You don't want her to not eat the roaches and go back to those pellets. That was a great question! Thank you for asking!

She is very pretty. She looks loving as well. You will fatten her up in no time!

Thank you for your help! I will just keep gutloading the roaches and offering her salad every morning. At this age it's fine to feed protein every other day right?


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You're welcome! 5 days is not a long time. I completely understand your worries. You're a mom, it's our job to worry! But let's give Zola some time. Shes still adjusting to her new forever home. Getting used to all the new smells and sounds. Her eating her salad will come one day out of blue. You will be shocked, I know I was, when mine started eating the salads.

You are doing everything right! I just want to reach in the picture and give her a big hug! She is so adorable. I would just stay with putting the salad in the bowl and not try to change it up. That might be more confusing since all this is still very new too her.

Please keep us updated. We love seeing pictures and videos!