New here :)

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

Hey Guys my name is Justin. Im 15 years old and from Ohio. Ive had a bearded dragon for 3 and a half years now. I have been feeding him crickets,meal worms,wax worms,and greens such as lettuce etc. All the sudden he has stopped eating the greens and crickets. He will only eat the worms. And when I give him crickets he just lets them walk all over him. And sometimes they even sit on his head. I am very concerned about all of this and have been looking all over for answers but it seems like nobody really has a solid answer about what to do. Can any one help?

And also I was in petsmart a month ago and was buying the calcium sand and the lady working there said it is not good for them. Is this true ?

Thx Justin . All the help is appricated

 

[zebraflavencs]

Hi Justin and Welcome to the Family !

Here is a wonderful list of foods to help you give your dragon the very best diet !

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

For daily staples, Green , for treats 1-2 times a week, Black. Just ignore the rest.
Roaches- dubia, turk, lobster are all great feeders !
for worms- silks, supers, horns, phoenix those are your staple/semi staples.
Avoid meal worms, wax worms (other than a snack now and then). These just don't have the necessary proteins and low fat content to make them a good staple.

The clerk is right... Calci sand can actually cause a blockage leading to impaction in bearded dragons... any non particulate substrate like paper towels, ceramic tile, non adhesive shelf liners are great for adult or baby dragons.

I would hold back on your choices of worms until your dragon starts to take to the crickets, or even roaches okay ? And when you look over that list of foods, you'll see why lettuces are not a good greens to offer your buddy.

Justin, we would love a photo of your buddy too ! We looove pictures here !
Welcome again, and don't hesitate to ask questions.. that's what we are all here for... to help and learn from each other !
Janie-Roach Queen

 

[ladyknite]

hey hey!

 

[renich]

Hi, Justin and welcome. When was the last time you had a fecal done on your beardie?

Bearded dragons can be finicky eaters and switch up on you without any worning. Janie provides a great list of foods for your beardie. But I would also recommend a fecal if you haven't done them before.

 

[crypticdragons]

welcome welcome

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Hello and welcome!

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

I always thought super worms were bad for them. And I have never gotten a fecal done.

I will add pics soon

 

[zebraflavencs]

Justin...Once a dragon gets longer than 16" then as a semi staple they are just fine... The Mealworms on the other hand don't have anything to recommend them as even a snack for dragons.

Pictures ???? *sits down to wait... grinning*
Janie

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

Ill go take pics right now just for you lol

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

 

[renich]

I would get a fecal run on him. It's a good thing to do every 6 months to a year. Also, if you haven't gotten a fecal, I'm thinking you've never had him in for a vet visit? You may want to consider getting him in for a check up. Here's a link to find a herp vet in your area (if you don't have one) -

Herp Vet

I noticed that he appears kind of dark in the pics. What UV light do you use? And when was the last time you changed it.

Some other thoughts on your original question about eating and crickets, when was the last time he pooped?

 

[crypticdragons]

It could just be the picture but you dragon doesnt look to happy/healthy. The splotches on the underside and and overall darkness seem to show signs of not feeling 100%. Also, and it could just be the pic, your dragon appears to be dehydrated.

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

Last time he pooped was about 3 days ago. It was very runny. ANd I use a Zoo Med PowerSun UV 160 Watt bulb. I change it about every 4 weeks. ANd thanks for the vet link I am going to schedule an appt with them on monday

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

I just sprayed him with mist and he was so happy. He changed color automatically and started drinking water (which ive never seen him do). You guys dont know how much i love you right now lol. Thanks for the help. ANd Im not sure how big his tank is but how big should I look for?


Thanks

 

[renich]

How often do you bathe him?

I think that is a great idea. Let us know how it goes at the vet's office.

Is it the ReptiGlo UV light that you have? Do you know the number of it?

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

UPDATE:

 

[crypticdragons]

the Zoo Med PowerSun is a Mervury Vapor Bulb and a very strong one at that. What are the measurements of that tank as it does not appear big enough for a bulb of that strength. Also your dragon should not be able to get closer than 12 inches to those types of bulbs. Also with soaking you want to do it 2-3 times a week.
Good luck with the vet.

 

[SvviFt Iz BacK]

Its 36 x 12 and 16 deep