bearded dragon advice needed.

[kellie]

hi all I’m Kellie I’m new 2 this, i have 2 bearded dragons 1 male and 1 female who are absolutely gorgeous. i am feeding them on fresh greens/ fruit everyday, crickets, locusts and meal worms. my male it not as fat as i would like him is there anything i can feed him 2 fatten him up abit

any help would be great

thank you. Kellie

[beardieboy72]

do you know his weight

[kellie]

i dont, he really doesnt eat much at all hes had 1 locust today, is this normal? x

[DragonMan805]

it depends on his age. if he is older like 2 years or so he will not eat much meat but a ton of greens. If he is younger, i would recommend going to a vet to check for impaction or health problems. Also, if it turns out that he is underweight, you might consider feeding him wax worms. they are high in fat, soft bodied, and they are great for fattening up reptiles. I would recommend ordering no more than 50 wax worms just for treats or for fattening up your bearded dragon. i ordered some for max and he eats about 2 a day.

[zebrajanie]

Hi Kellie... A couple of questions.

Are both dragons housed in the same enclosure ?

Have you had a fecal exam done ?


A couple of thoughts... Meal worms should be replaced with Moria (super worms), you can also include Roaches ( I tend to use Dubias myself since they are less... roachy).

What kind of greens are you offering ?
Also, what source of hydration are you offering ?

Hope this helps.

[kellie]

hi yes there are both housed together, i have read on here they shouldent be but i have had loads ov opinions from reptile dealers in my area n they said they will be fine together. they have only been housed together for the last week when i purchased my female, but my male has always been a poor eater.

also i havnt had a fecal exam done as he is very active and pooping normal, the temp and uv lighting is spot on in my viv and they are fed turnip, carrots, tomato, cucumber, pear, graps and apples daily all food is dusted with calcium.

my male is 8mths old and female is 10mths only she is about 1inch bigger that him in length. hes not really thin just seems abit thinner than my female but this could be due to the age difrence.

[kellie]

i also have a large water dish which is cleaned everyday, i spray fruit and veg and mist my beardies, and bath once or twice a week xx

[zebrajanie]

Ah... Just remember, Kellie, dealers are just that... they sell a product.  They are out for the money.  I would highly suggest they be separated.

Now onto the vegetable diet.. You'll want a leafy green (collards, mustard or turnip) as your base for the salad.  You can add to that for color and variety, other fruits and vegetables.  You'll want to avoid using the tomatoes all together.  Also, apples have an appetite suppression value to them.  Carrots are an occasional addition.
Might I suggest this link as a source to help you plan their diets better ?

www.beautifuldragons.com    Check out the nutrition page. 

I would suggest a fecal for both dragons.  This way if there is a parasite involved, you can be aware and get both dragons properly dosed.
Hope this helps out!

[Hercules19]

i also suggest, even though you have a dish in there for water, to soak them in a plastic tub or sink ( if your comfy with that). Just fill it with luke warm water up to around their sholders. This will allow them to soak up a ton of water through their vent ( butt). Because dragons do not usually drink. However it is a great idea to have a dish of fresh water ( replaced daily) in their viv, the reason it is good is it can be an indicator for you. if you see your dragon actually drinking you know he or she is dehydrated.

 soak each of them every other day will help them replace the loss of water that happens when they bask. you can tell if your dragon is dehydrated by looking at the little fat pads on their head located behind their eyes. Another way to tell is by their skin.. you mentioned your male is alittle skinny, ask yourself does his skin seem wrinkly? if it does it could be dehydration, and this could affect his appetite. Try running a bath for him...

  its worked for me every time. and most dragons really like hanging out in the water, its just when they poop do they want to get out haha...

Oh and separating them is a great idea. its true dealers will tell you whatever they can to sell you them.

Bearded dragons are solitary animals, who come together only to mate, they dont even stay with their babies. They do not recognize kin, friends or anything. if you notice, one of your dragons is larger than the other, some people think its a sex thing, but in reality its a dominance thing, your little guy might not be getting a chance at the food ...but no worries, your a great dragon owner and for serious, once you separate them everything will go just fine.

what I did was a went to target and or walmart. I got two large plastic tubs ( rubbermaid) not the big big tall ones but the ones that are like a foot or more deep and as wide and long as possible. they cost me around 11- 18 $ each, but they stack in eachother and its so slippery the dragons cant climb them. then i have my heat lamps and uvb lamp and the heat pads ( attatched to very thick plexi glass. and i have towels in the cage ( never use sand or loose substrate) and every week i take out the towel pop it in the washer and dry it, and im good to go.

I know separating animals can feel expensive but this is the way i did it, and i travel to and from college and i have beasted through it. Best part is the containers stack which make them very easy to move.

*****the reason im giving this any of this advice is strictly to help you be awesome!
Im not trying to belittle you or put you down or anything.
The internet is such a poor device to convey emotion and tone.

I wish you the best! and i hope you'll post pics and let us get to know your babies

[monature]

To the last post, what do you mean by looking at the fat pads behind their eyes?