Force feeding?

[Kayla]

Hello all. My beardie will not eat no matter how hard I try! She's not well and is on a calcium supliment through a syringe.
I read people can syringe feed their dragons when there's no other option and they're not eating.
But I really don't know if I should or what I'd give her even if I did.
Advice?

 

[Luvthemanimal]

Baby food.... Small amounts in syringe.

 

[PatsyB]

You can mix the baby food in with the calcium in the syringe.

 

[Kayla]

How much in the syringe? And any flavour baby food will be alright? Or is there one they'd prefer?
She hates the syringe! Safe to say she hasn't liked me very much recently ((

 

[timbalan]

Usually sqash is a good one

 

[smokejunky]

Squash carrots and sweet potatoes I've found mine love them
Fill the syringe till u think it's enough and not force it on it.if it doesn't want it then try later.it will finally get hungry enough to eat.mine now when they see the syringe they window dance haha

 

[Kayla]

Thanks guys, my boyfriend is gonna bring a little jar back and I'll let you know how it goes! I know they can go a while without eating but it can't be enjoyable x

 

[colin]

How long is it since your beardie has eaten ?

And what temps are in the viv?

 

[Kayla]

Day 3 of force feeding & I'm a very happy girl! She's perked up, but still isn't quite herself! & she pooped today after not going for a week so the food must be doing her some good right? When I give her the baby food through the syringe she just lets me do it and let's it go into her mouth but if I do the calcium separately she won't have any of it! It makes me so sad because she runs up onto my chest away from the syringe

Temps are all fine, 105 under the light, 90-85 in the middle and 80 in the cool end x
It's been weeks since she's been herself and eaten regularly. Occasionally she'll have a few crickets, a locust, a few mouthfuls of salad. But nowhere near the amount she was eating when she was healthy.

Do you think the baby food could have increased her appetite? after I gave her the baby food yesterday she had a locust that was in her tank but before I gave her the baby food she didn't show any interest at all

 

[diegothediggy]

Maybe. How old is she?

 

[timbalan]

Ya it sounds like shes doing good. Just mix the calcium with the baby food. I mixed the vitamins and calcium with the baby food when i had to do it with vinnie. Took a couple weeks but he came around

 

[Kayla]

Around a year maybe a little bit less

Really happy with her today, she's been slowly getting more & more active over the last couple of weeks but today after I fed her & did her calcium she went to bask, then was running and jumping around for ages! Still keeping a close eye though!
Yeah I mixed them both together today, I thought that way she only has to have the syringe once rather than twice!
Still breaks my heart every time I do it though

 

[Kayla]

How long is it since your beardie has eaten ?

And what temps are in the viv?

She hasn't been completely starved but she's literally eating maybe 2 bugs a week on her own & a few mouthfuls of salad.
Whereas before she was eating 10 crickets a day (at the least) a nice big bowl of salad and a little treat of a worm or a locust! She was a monster when it came to food
She's been to the vet & was told that she could be getting ready to lay some eggs but not to worry too much & other than that she seems healthy
But this has been going on for weeks and weeks now & I don't want her to start losing weight if she hasn't already & after 3 days of being syringed a little bit of baby food, she seems happier and she pooped!

 

[colin]

She hasn't been completely starved but she's literally eating maybe 2 bugs a week on her own & a few mouthfuls of salad.
Whereas before she was eating 10 crickets a day (at the least) a nice big bowl of salad and a little treat of a worm or a locust! She was a monster when it came to food
She's been to the vet & was told that she could be getting ready to lay some eggs but not to worry too much & other than that she seems healthy
But this has been going on for weeks and weeks now & I don't want her to start losing weight if she hasn't already & after 3 days of being syringed a little bit of baby food, she seems happier and she pooped!

Ok how old is she and what are the temperatures in the viv ?

Secondly is she carrying eggs and if so what laying nest do you have available for her ?

Thirdly has she lost much weight or are you concerned she will ?

 

[Kayla]

Ok how old is she and what are the temperatures in the viv ?

Secondly is she carrying eggs and if so what laying nest do you have available for her ?

Thirdly has she lost much weight or are you concerned she will ?

She's just under a year
105 under the light, 90 in the middle and 80 in the cool end
She hasn't lost much weight, it's not visible
I'm using a big water bowl filled with sand that I keep damp so it can form
I can't feel any eggs though that's what I find weird! But the vet said she was healthy apart from the possible eggs... So I'm trying to trust her judgement but eh how can she know without doing tests

 

[smokejunky]

Eggs under a yr I highly doubt that

 

[Kayla]

That's what I thought! She's too young! But the vet said she might lay some! & I can't feel any inside her unless I'm completely missing them which I doubt

 

[diegothediggy]

No if sye had eggs n was ready to lay ud feel them n wudnt b able to miss them. How is she today ?

 

[Kayla]

She's awake and alert and has been for the last couple of days so that's good. Still can't get her to cooperate with the syringe though, she even hisses at me when I try open her mouth, & for about an hour afterwards she's grumpy & doesn't want anything to do with me!

 

[Kayla]

She's only ever hissed at me once up until I started having to use the syringe! Poor baby