Picky eater?

[Austinjustice]

Thanks again for sharing your bearded dragon expertise here, I’ve learned so much from this forum!

Our new guy is 3 years old, and I know his previous owner fed him mostly kale and peas with occasional crickets.

Since getting him I offer him a daily salad of various veggies (kale, carrots, yellow peppers, peas). He will not touch the salad. We’ve offered him crickets, dubia roaches, and superworms. Pretty much, he only wants to eat superworms. Right now his diet consists solely of superworms. I’ve tried adding roaches and superworms to the salad, did not work...

Any ideas how I can get him on a bearded dragon healthy diet?

Thank you again!!

 

[Bailey]

My guy hasn't eaten salad either, he is five i've tried everything under the sun since I got him last November.

At this point I just make sure to thoroughly gut-load his insects and feed him healthy insects like dubia roaches or black soldier fly larvae.

Also a lot of bearded dragons like bee pollen, you can get this and sprinkle it on his salad and he may go right for it. Try red things such as a red bell pepper too, they are attracted to that kind of stuff.

I have also heard of people wrapping the insect in a piece of greens and feeding it to your dragon that way? My vet recommended this to me but i am not that comfortable around the bugs lol.

 

[Austinjustice]

Ok, thank you! I’ll try the bee pollen! I actually happen to have some...
We tried wrapping the superworm in kale today and it was kind of a disaster haha

 

[Skybug]

My beardie is about a year and 5 months, she doesn’t touch her salad whatsoever, ive tried bee pollen, apple juice, etc. i think some beardies just like bugs, i too heavily gut load my bugs with veg, vitamins, and fruits, i think thats the key to a healthy dragon, the veg will get into them one way or the other, if your feeding supers exclusively they are pretty fatty , how are his stools?

 

[Austinjustice]

I’m going to read about gut loading the bugs! Thank you!
Ok...so the poop...still trying to figure out if it’s normal. Only read further if you want tmi details
He poops daily. It’s about an inch long and all one piece. Dark in color and there’s always some white with it, which I read was normal? There are two things that don’t seems 100% normal, but I’m not sure. First it smells pretty bad, I’m not sure if this is normal for bearded dragons but I read it may indicate something so I plan to have a vet take a look at him. Also, there’s always a little wetness that kind of covers the poop. Not sure if this is normal for them??

 

[Skybug]

I’m going to read about gut loading the bugs! Thank you!
Ok...so the poop...still trying to figure out if it’s normal. Only read further if you want tmi details
He poops daily. It’s about an inch long and all one piece. Dark in color and there’s always some white with it, which I read was normal? There are two things that don’t seems 100% normal, but I’m not sure. First it smells pretty bad, I’m not sure if this is normal for bearded dragons but I read it may indicate something so I plan to have a vet take a look at him. Also, there’s always a little wetness that kind of covers the poop. Not sure if this is normal for them??

Sounds like normal stool to me, formless poo and hard white urate are signs of caution, the smell can you describe it? I know you dont wanna go smelling shyt but it is a good indicator, is it a putrid burn ur nose hair make you leave the room kinda smell? Or is it just smelly? Its poo it ain’t perfume lol.

 

[Zontar’s Mom]

I’m going to read about gut loading the bugs! Thank you!
Ok...so the poop...still trying to figure out if it’s normal. Only read further if you want tmi details
He poops daily. It’s about an inch long and all one piece. Dark in color and there’s always some white with it, which I read was normal? There are two things that don’t seems 100% normal, but I’m not sure. First it smells pretty bad, I’m not sure if this is normal for bearded dragons but I read it may indicate something so I plan to have a vet take a look at him. Also, there’s always a little wetness that kind of covers the poop. Not sure if this is normal for them??

Sounds normally to me. But as skybug says if it smells up you house, then it’s parasites

 

[Sadie]

Take the BSFL and add them to the tops of the salad use them as lures to the salad bowl hand feed him a couple and then put them on the tops of the salad in front of him -- feed first thing in the morning DO NOT dust them --- use as many as you want they are a another great staple feeder--- your gonna haft to try and find something he likes as far as veggies -- lay off all the worms --- gut loading the bugs is feeding the insects what you feed the dragon along w/ keeping them hydrated crystal pellets etc--they usually eat at nite so its best to feed before lights out and feed the dragon in the morning --- here is a nutrition website ignore the kale thing its a great staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html alot of dragons like collards
the poop ------------ if it smells bad enough to make you leave the room its possible its parasites -- is the poop real runny? having a fecal done might be in order ---- NO ENEMAS--- https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=252267
take a fecal in and drop it off - go from there

 

[Austinjustice]

Sounds normally to me. But as skybug says if it smells up you house, then it’s parasites

Ok, this helps...I think it’s normal haha

 

[Austinjustice]

Take the BSFL and add them to the tops of the salad use them as lures to the salad bowl hand feed him a couple and then put them on the tops of the salad in front of him -- feed first thing in the morning DO NOT dust them --- use as many as you want they are a another great staple feeder--- your gonna haft to try and find something he likes as far as veggies -- lay off all the worms --- gut loading the bugs is feeding the insects what you feed the dragon along w/ keeping them hydrated crystal pellets etc--they usually eat at nite so its best to feed before lights out and feed the dragon in the morning --- here is a nutrition website ignore the kale thing its a great staple feeder http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html alot of dragons like collards
the poop ------------ if it smells bad enough to make you leave the room its possible its parasites -- is the poop real runny? having a fecal done might be in order ---- NO ENEMAS--- https://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=252267
take a fecal in and drop it off - go from there

Thanks again Sadie!
Where do you get the BSFL? I was looking into these after reading another post, but wasn’t sure the best place to get them from.

 

[Sadie]

Thanks again Sadie!
Where do you get the BSFL? I was looking into these after reading another post, but wasn’t sure the best place to get them from.

There are several sites but the most common place is www.symtonbsf.com
www.mulberrryfarms.com spendy on shipping but they have butter worms that can be used as salad toppers along w/ horn worms that are great hydration worm those you would need to feed quickly they grow really fast so order like one cup --- they will out grow your dragon so to speak--
I got a email from chewy.com and they are now carrying BSFL but I think they are getting them thru symtons
there are alot of places that carry the BSFL --- they are also called calci worms phoenix worms and nutri grubs --
I know I said lay off the worms so for future reference try some for treats --

 

[Austinjustice]

Thank you so much!! All the local supply stores have a very limited selection, this is wonderful! Thanks again!!

 

[Sadie]

Thank you so much!! All the local supply stores have a very limited selection, this is wonderful! Thanks again!!

Please dont rely on the petstores for insects and worms -- I have more websites for you to shop as well
www.abdragons.com
www.dubiaroaches.com
www.reptilianarts.com
www.coastalsilkworms.com
www.joshsfrogs.com
All these places are really low on worms now --- I read something about the super worms a while back about a fire that is why it has been so hard on getting superworms ---

 

[Austinjustice]

This is great!! I’ve already started shopping..

 

[Scooter93mom]

Thanks again for sharing your bearded dragon expertise here, I’ve learned so much from this forum!

Our new guy is 3 years old, and I know his previous owner fed him mostly kale and peas with occasional crickets.

Since getting him I offer him a daily salad of various veggies (kale, carrots, yellow peppers, peas). He will not touch the salad. We’ve offered him crickets, dubia roaches, and superworms. Pretty much, he only wants to eat superworms. Right now his diet consists solely of superworms. I’ve tried adding roaches and superworms to the salad, did not work...

Any ideas how I can get him on a bearded dragon healthy diet?

Thank you again!!

I have a 3 yr old female that is a picky eater. She eats kale, collard greens, super worms and wax worms. I gave her a few pinky mice and she gobbled them up. I also recently tried babyfood. Green beans, kale, mango and sweet potato. She seemed to like those so far. Have you tried feeding wax or horned worms? Any flowers or herbs? My girl wont eat flowers.

 

[Frank the baby beardry]

I’m reading through this and rilizing I’m lucky. so far frank has no problem with his greens. I just leave them out when I’m at school.( bo co savaltro appl and 1 mealworms or 2. And he will come down and eat it if he gets hungry during the day. Most of the time when I’m home from school. its all gone