Can I force feed

[Parker S]

Sooo my bearded dragon is 5 months old and still doesn’t wanna eat much I have checked all of the temps and everything is right 100 degrees F for basking and 80 degrees in his hide. All he wants to do is sleep all day so because I’ve been getting worried I force fed him because he won’t eat food on his own he refuses to leave his hide and I am very worried I give him all of his supplements. 5 days a week calcium powder (with d3) covered bugs BSFL or crickets if I can find some. Then 2 days a week his vitamins also with d3.
lighting specs: 100 watt zoomed repti basking spot lamp. Zoo med 18 inch uvb t8 bulb with zoomed cover

 

[Parker S]

temps outside are low too

 

[Parker S]

Do you think it could just be brumation

 

[Sadie]

Do you think it could just be brumation

Unless your dragon is 300+ grams it is possible but I am thinking it is the uvb are getting surface basking temps w/ a digital probe thermometer-

 

[Badwolfe]

If your uv lighting is correct then cut the d3 supplement down to 2-3 times a week and just use normal powdered calcium for the other days.

With the correct lighting your dragon will be synthesising all the d3 it needs and the supplement will just be being used as a buffer. Too much D3 in your dragons system can be just as harmful as too little.

Its not a good idea to let a 5 month old dragon brumate it can severely interfere with their natural growing process.

It might be a good idea to take the hide out for a couple of hours a day too to ensure that your pet is getting some exposure to the UV in his enclosure but don't leave him without any cover at all.

Force feeding your dragon is also not a good idea because if not done correctly it can cause damage to the mouth which could then result in further problems. It also subjects the animal to a large amount of stress which in turn could just compound the feeding problems.

If your dragon continues to be lethargic and refusing to eat then get it to a vet so that it can get a thorough examination. Leaving symptoms ongoing for too long can be fatal in situations that could have otherwise been treatable if not left to persist.