Newbie asking diet questions for adopted beardie

[petri_love]

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum...so...if you didn't read my introduction post let me tell you that I adopted a 1yr-1yr+4month old beardie named Petri this past July 2010. I have a ton of questions and don't want to be anoying with multiple posts, so, here are my questions:

Is there a certain weight that I need to check that Petri's maintaining, like a 1yr old male should weigh between x-y grams? I've seen some of the pics posted of other beardies and I want to make sure that he's not malnurished....he doesn't have the fat neck or tail that some of the pics have.

Because of the previous owner he's totally visually driven with his diet. I put chopped kale/dandelion greens, carrots/apples in his dish every day and I don't think he cares too much for the geenery....crickets are no problem, but, he doesn't want to eat his daily salad....any advice?

Last question which is not diet related....I think he and I have bonded....I take him out....I hold him with the owner grip not the biologist grip He sits on my chest and I just run my finger down his body...super cool. But, I read that they are very inquisitive and like to roam and explore....what are the odds that I lose the critter in the house? Do you guys let your beardie out and about in the house?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[li]

Hi...well as for what weight he should be that really is a tough answer. All bearded dragons are different sizes and weights. For instance, my guy was 19" and about 500 grams, he was very healthy and looked great. But there are beardies out there that are well over that weight. The best way for us to tell is a picture. If you could post a picture, give us his length and tell us his weight. That will really help.

Greens...Kale, carrots and apples aren't good for every day. The kale has too much calcium and can cause binding. The carrots and apples should be used as a treat. Greens that are good are bok choy, dandelion, escarole, chicory, collard greens and there are many more. You can use fruit, non citrus as a salad topper or as a treat. I used to shred squash over Spyro greens..he loved it.

That is great that he has adapted to you holding him. Sometimes with new owners they don't. Some allow their beardie to roam their homes, but if yours is like mine with lots of crevasses and place to crawl under like the stove and suck a leash is really a great tool.

 

[staylor]

Lisa answered your question about the food but I will add Beautifuldragons.com has a feeding chart that tells you what and how often to feed foods.

As far as the weight, I have tiny little ones. Piggy is still growing, maybe, 16.5 inches and 350g. She does have a fat neck and sort of a fat tail. The vet says she is the picture of perfect health. Oscar is 6, 18 inches and only 370g. He has a fat tail, slim body and no fat neck. He too is perfectly healthy.

I do not let Piggy roam at all. She will run and I will never find her again. Oscar however does get to roam free in my bedroom only (I have cats and dogs that will eat him). Oscar tends to just find a corner and take a nap. Letting them roam free depends on the dragon itself.

 

[renich]

I have to agree with all points stated. Roaming is great. Make sure your dragon is supervised. I've heard of too many horror stories about dragons being lost in houses. Also, ensure they get about 10 hours of UV per day. So, don't let the roaming occur for hours at a time.

 

[petri_love]

Thanks all! I guess my first question would be for "li". How can it be that kale has too much calcium for a daily diet...but...I'm supposed to sprinkle Ca2+ power on his food?? I thought thier diet was supposed to be Ca rich? I did switch from kale after reading the post. I started chopping up mustard greens. I can get others that you mentioned like the bok choy and collared greens but my grocery store/farmers market doesn't carry danelion greens. Are mustard greens acceptable? Thanks!

Also, I would never let my critter roam...I just wanted to see it you guys let your critters roam!! I put the dog outside, take Petri out, and let him do his thing under my supervision.

I will get a friend with a digital camera and I will post pics asap and also his length and that will help some approximation of what his weight should be. I've asked the two vet places up here and neither one see exotics. So, I'm assuming I should purchase a postal or kitched scale on which to weigh my critter?

Thanks all!!!

 

[beardie_love]

Yes you can use mustard greens. In fact, they are all my beardies favorite!

You can use a kitchen scale. They're so much cheaper and do the same thing lol. I have one.

 

[staylor]

I use a kitchen scale to weigh mine. It is good to have on hand to monitor growth and just ease my curiosity.

 

[li]

I am not sure of the exact scientific reasoning but the short of it is this. Some foods like kale and spinach have very high levels of calcium and too much calcium an cause "calcium binding". If you feed foods that are nutritionally good (see http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html ) and supplement with a multivitamin 2-3x a week and calcium w/Vit D3 daily you will be good. The only time you don't need D3 in your calcium is if your beardie is exposed to natural sunlight every day for 1/2 to one hour. I hope that helps.
As for the scientific reasoning with the kale/spinach possibly Ladyknite can answer that if she sees this.

 

[petri_love]

Thanks All,

Back to the Calcium thing I've also heard that I can sprinkle the powder on the cricket's food and that's sufficient because when Petri eats the crickets he will get those nutrients that the crickets ingested? I buy "bugs in a box" or something like that. Crickets are in a box that are sadly given bran pellets and some sort of water source, so, I open the box and keep them in thier own enclosure and give them fresh veggies every day (same as I feed Petri), I sprinkle Ca2+ powder on thier veggies, and that Fluckers calcium enriched water gel stuff. So, if I'm loading up my crickets with calcium is it still necessary to sprinkle it on Petri's greens?

Also, I asked this next question previously and the conversation went more towards the food choices than the behavior question, so, if I can ask this again...(not trying to be anoying but I really am new!!!!!!). The previous owner fed Petri crickets every day and occasionally fed him greens. I understand that they need lots of crickets when they are young because of the protein content, but, as they get older they should be more vegetarian. But, since he was fed almost exclusively live prey he has a....not a dependance....but he relies on visual stimulation to eat. He sees the crickets move and he goes for them. He never drank water out of the water bowl until I put a small aquarium bubbler in there....now he'll stand there and gulp water. If I dangle a shred of green in front of him he will eat it, but, I don't know that he eats any of the greens that are in his food bowl...because they aren't moving. Any sugestions on how to get him to recognize his green prey that doesn't move? This is probably my number one concern with him right now. I read posts of all your guy's beardies that love thier daily salad, and, I'm not sure that mine has ever touched a thing I've chopped for him if it wasn't dangled in fromt of him.

Thanks again All!!!!

 

[beardie_love]

Not completely sure about the calcium thing.

You can try making the salad more appealing by adding different colors, or sweet flavors. If he only relies on visual stimulation, try putting a worm with the salad. That'll get him to accidentally eat some greens.

 

[li]

No, dusting the crix food isn't not enough. You need to actually dust the crix themselves before feeding to your beardie. If you put some calcium into a baggie and dump the crix you are going to feed into that baggie and shake, all dusted. As for that flukers gel stuff...first I am NOT a flukers fan. Horrible company so I don't buy ANYTHING with Flukers name on it. But that hydration gel stuff isn't a good thing to feed your crix. Think of it this way....it is all sticky gooey stuff...that is going into your beardie. If you put a piece of apple or a potato or even a damp paper towel into the crix container, that is enough hydration.

As for the "chase factor". That is a tough one. It is very important that a beardie learn to eat greens since it will be their staple when they are adults. My suggestion would be to take a crix and pull off its legs so it can't hop. Put it in the salad bowl under the greens so when he moves the greens move. Hopefully that will entice your beardie to go after greens.

Hope that helps.

 

[beardie_love]

I am NOT a flukers fan. Horrible company so I don't buy ANYTHING with Flukers name on it.

I'm curious Lisa, what's the issue with Flukers ?

 

[zebraflavencs]

I wanted to address the feeding calcium to the crickets..
Calcium will harden the carapace of the crickets..

Hope this helps.

 

[petri_love]

Thanks again All,

I think I will try the worm with the greens....not sure I'm up for pulling the legs off of any critter, even if it's a bug! I actually did see him eat some of his greens on Sunday. He does seem to prefer the mustard greens to the kale that I was previously feeding him. I've made the note not to feed the Ca2+ powder to the crickets as it hardens their carapace, I will sprinkle them with it instead. I'm sure that Petri will learn to love his daily salad in time, I just have to keep trying different things and I will try the worm next. Super worms right? Mealy worms are bad?

Thanks in advance!

 

[zebraflavencs]

Supers, horns, silks.. all good.