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96dak

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I bought my first beardie last week, after a week he still isnt eating nearly enough. hes about 2-2.5 months, in a 20 gal tank, i have a 100 watt basking light and a 18" reptiglow 10.0 (he camt get any closer than about 10"). temps in his basking area are between 102 and 105.6 measured with a digital probe. he is well hydrated with baths every night(currently in shed) and he will drink off the end of my finger. i would be ok but he has visibly lost weight in the last week. i will put a dozen crickets in his tank before work and at lights out im pulling 4-5 out. the pet store i got him from just got 2 new young dragons in and he fed them today and a dozen crickets didnt last anymore than 20 seconds. mine doesnt seem interested at all. any suggestions.

ps. i will be seeing the vet to see about a fecal tomorrow
 
96dak said:
ps. i will be seeing the vet to see about a fecal tomorrow
Click to expand...
That is probably the best place to start right now. If it is determined that he does not have parasites or other physical problems you might try offering him something like mealworms, butterworms or waxworms, although I would go sparingly on the waxies as they are quite fattening and low in nutrients. Dust all food items with a good vitamin/ calcium supplement.
 
ive tried both meal and silk worms with no interest. he ate 1 silkie and 3 out of a dozen mealworms. and have been dusting with vitamins (zoo meds reptivite) every other day and calcium every day. ill have to see what the fecal costs as cash is in short supply with christmas coming up
 
If you are friendly with your reptile vet he may just let you drop one off (fecal) and have you check back for the results. That usually runs around 20-30 bucks for me.

In this case, since he's new to you. I would take him in and have him examined if he doesn't pick up eating for you. That may be cost prohibitive for you right now though, so I guess I should ask you how you've got him set up.

It could be something as simple as the basking spot is too warm or too cold. Either of those things can make them go off feed. Is he in a high traffic area? He may be disturbed if he is. The fact that he is eating some things for you is good.

He may just need time to settle into your home, also. Critters are funny. Sometimes I think they do things just to make us worry about them.:)
 
all info on the setup is and temps are in my first post. the temps im getting are in the right ball park for a juvy.
 
Hello

Hello,

Yes, I definitely think a fecal is the best area to start with.
Also, what type of basking lamp are you using? Is it a bright white light or a colored type of lamp?
Also, I would discontinue with the reptivite though. It has preformed Vitamin A which can cause toxicity, especially with the frequency that it is being given.
For vitamins I suggest repcal herptivite as they use beta carotene which is a natural form of vitamin A & he can convert the appropriate amount needed for him. It cannot be stored like the preformed synthetic type can.
That is also a possibility for his behavior maybe it is affecting him. You mentioned that his stools are regular & not runny? What do his urates look like? Are they hard or moist, & what color are they?

Tracie
 
Duh...

I had read that too, and forgot while I was rambling!

Do you have a UV light for him also as that is very important? Reading the forum posts by Drache613 on UV lighting is very good information, also. If you haven't read it already, sit down while you are eating lunch or whatnot and read the reports linked to. It's a very good, well-written and informative read.
 
drache613
my dragon has only taken the reptivite twice, but i will discontinue that until i can get the herptivite, and his basking light is an exoterra 100w sunglow, very bright uncoloured bulb, similar to a regular house bulb, basking temps range from 100 to 105.6. urates, is that the white stuff that comes out first, if so they are soft and formed.

lakesideboa

i do have a uvb light, exoterra reptiglo 10.0, i have read all the reports drache613 has linked to, as soon as i read them i moved his uv light so he was about 10" away in his basking area, will have to do untill i can order a reptisun 10.0 at the end of the week.
 
Hello

Hello,

Great you have read the reports on the lights. Ok. Good that he has only had the reptivite a couple of times. I was afraid of him getting too much straight vitamin A. IF you want to continue giving it, that is fine. However, just give once a week then, ok, & that should be sufficient for that one. Continue with the calcium (phosphorus free) 5 times weekly.
Good to hear that the urates are soft & moist, so he is not dehydrated or oversupplemented, which was what I was thinking of as well. Yes, the urates or urine are the white portions of the stool. :D
Ok, great that you moved the reptiglo to 10 inches away from him. By the way, was it a flourescent tube bulb or a compact or coil bulb? This would be helpful information for me, ok? Thanks. Your basking bulb sounds like it is bright enough then.
Keep me posted on him.

Tracie
 
the reptiglow 10.0 is an 18" flourescent tube, which i kicked myself because i got it 2 days before you posted the report. the owner at the pet store i got it from didnt have any 18" uvb lights so let me borrow his untill he could get this one in, then you posted the report and i just moved the tube away from his basking area, like lakesideboa he was getting within 3" of it. i havent seen any ill effects other than apetite. from what i can see he is still very active and alert. im not sure that the calcium is phosphorus free though, its just labeled dragon shack farms, either way ill look for some when i take my 2year old to the pet store today
 
Hello

Hello,

Great though, that you have moved the light back now. That should take care of any existing problems you have had.
Good you are looking into the calcium. If it does not say on the bottle, then maybe it's best you try to find calcium with a label stating pure calcium with no phosphorus, because phosphorus binds calcium absorption. The repcal products are usually the best on the market right now.
I hope his appetite starts to improve soon for you.

Tracie
 
he ate a bit more than "usual today which is good, about a dozen by 2 pm this afternoon. i was out at the petstores today and got him some of those moist dragon bites, i hope he eats them.
 
i would like to thank you both but drache613 in particular for posting that study on the reptiglow 10.0 tubes. i think thats what his problem is, its the only thing ive changed (moving it) and hes eaten about 2 dozen crix today, im crossing my fingers that he keeps this up.
 
I think we both would have been missing our lizards if it wasn't for Tracie (Drache613) posting the links for that study.

I thank the powers that be daily that I thought to click on those links even though I don't have beardies. I guess I'm kind of a geek as scientific papers are interesting to me.

I too hope he continues to do better for you. I'm going to get pictures of my frilly tomorrow (batteries). Perhaps you could get pics of your little fellow and we can post them here as a "Thank You" from them to Tracie.

Feed the little one a big fat cricket for me and Mr. Wizard!
 
:D heres a pic of my little guy,
IMG_1009.jpg
(and don't worry, this was the first day i had him and currently have a digital probe thermometer) :thumbsup:
 
Hello

Hello,

Thanks for posting that picture, he is a little cutie pie! Wow he did eat quite a bit today then. I am very happy to hear that he is doing so much better already, that is great!
I am so glad that you read over that report. I sure hope that the lighting situation will improve. Dr. Baines is definitely working very hard at it, so we are lucky to have her working so diligently on all of this!!
Please let me know as he keeps improving for you.

Tracie
 
i just put about 30 crix in hi tank 5 min ago and theres only about 10 left, this is the first time if fed him and he went on a feeding spree. every one that walks in front of hime gets chewed on, i love it. thanks so much for your help
 
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