Refusing to eat? | Feeding | Bearded Dragon .org (2023)

Mine is doing the exact same thing. He is around 19 inches long and probably about 8.5 months old. I've been looking online and it seems a lot of them start acting like this around our beardie's ages. Mine will eat a few bites of salad here and there. I have been giving him apple juice & Gatorade baths to help keep him hydrated. He will eat a few licks of baby chicken, apples, pears, and butternut squash but that's about it. He used to go through 1500 crickets and 800 ReptiWorms a week.. Can't say I miss being broke all the time haha.

Also, on some days, mine won't even crawl out of his baby blanket when lights come on. He just lays in it for hours. Other days, he runs his tank to death and never calms down.
I really think its their age. It's reassuring to know mine isn't the only one doing this!

I am the same way!! I worry nonstop over him. I see dragons every single day at my job. Some have never had UVB lights. Others have only been allowed 1 or 2 crickets a day since tiny babies. Some have been kept on sand since they were brought home and stuffed with mealworms. One in particular who is a rescue was not given water or a bath for NINE years of his life. He also never had UVB. His previous owner claimed he got water through the dried up carrots buried under the sand in his 20 gallon tank. :roll:

When I see these beautiful beardies fighting to stay alive and living 5+ years in these conditions, I realize that our dragons probably have a pretty good shot at life. Thanks to this forum, we probably don't have to worry nearly as much as we do- althought it's easier said then done :wink:

I have a new beardie who is doing the same thing and i don't think its relocation stress anymore. He's got happy colors most of the time, and will eat a bite of salad every day or two but shows no interest in his roaches.

I am surprised by all of the contradictory information on this site and others. Beardies being a desert species would rarely if ever come across water in the wild - other than that from their food source. So why would one believe they need baths, water bowls, etc?

My guy hated baths. However, I was persistent with him. I made him take one everyday. He would get special treats in the bath, such as a lick or two of juice. Finally, he got over his bath issues and now he loves them! He enjoys having something to hold on to- a rock or a folded up towel. It makes him feel safer. Maybe try that?
And as for going outside, they do freak out! But take yours out as much as you can! Mine used to black beard and everything but now he loves to run around in the grass and bask in the sun. Once he got used to it, he loved it! He gets sad when he has to come back inside haha.

My boy has a water bowl. He doesn't drink from it. He just likes to run through it and make a huge mess with it. I have to offer him one just because of the random chance he decides he wants to drink. I agree- in the wild, they wouldn't have access to water all the time. However, he's not ever been in the wild so I just want to make sure to give him the opportunity to drink, if he wants. As for baths, he thoroughly enjoys them. He tries to jump into the bath tub as soon as I turn the water on. He likes to swim around in it. I have also found when he starts getting wrinkly and sort of dehydrated is when he doesn't eat as well. I have listened to the advice from these forums since the day I brought him home and he's already outgrown other beardies older than him. I am a firm believer in everything said on these forums. However, everyone should be doing what they feel is best for their own beardies