So you’re here because you’re wondering how long can bearded dragons go without eating. And what are the reasons for not eating for long periods. Luckily for you, this article will provide all the information you need in relation to “How long can a bearded dragon go without eating?”.
Your bearded dragon may go up to 2 months without any food. Yes, that’s right, 2 months, sometimes even longer. There are other reasons why bearded dragons may not be eating, other than being ill. Bearded dragons are stubborn reptiles and in some cases you may need to force feed them so they keep a healthy weight.
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How Long Can Bearded Dragons Go Without Eating Throughout Brumation
Mature adult bearded dragons store reserve fats, and it’s for this reason that they may decide to refuse food. Adults will store fat reserves for the winter months, when they become less active. We call the the Bruation process.
Brumation is very similar to hibernation, however it’s a reptiles version. Reptiles do not actually sleep like many other animals who hibernate. Brumation is a process which slows the metabolism of a reptile, which means they become less active and less likely to need food. The brumation process can easily last 2 months, so this may be the reason why your bearded dragon is not eating.
Food should always be available to your bearded dragon throughout this process as they might want a little bit to eat every so often. It’s never recommended to stop offering them food. A bearded dragon will obviously stay its healthiest if some food is available at all times.
If your bearded dragon is not eating and also not brumating, then it could be a number of other factors that could be causing this. Please click on this link for further information on this.
How To Make Your Bearded Dragon Eat
First of all I have to start by saying before you start this process to seek professional advice for a veterinarian. They may have other solutions for you before you attempt to force feed your bearded dragon.
The veterinarian may suggest not to force feed them at all. However some may give you the go ahead, if all else fails. The process is very simple, but can be tricky. This process will no doubt stress your bearded dragon out slightly, but this is a risk you have to take to ensure they are feeding.
The Process
1) First of all, make sure you have a good grip on your bearded dragon, but remain gentle. Just enough to they can’t wriggle and get away, but soft enough so you aren’t hurting them in any way.
2) Ensure your bearded dragon is comfortable and relaxed as much as possible. Maybe stay in this position for 5 mins before attempting to feed, just so they can relax a little further more.
3) With your other hand picking some food with your thumb and index finger. Ideally you’d want this to be either crickets or mealworms, something high in protein.
4) With your middle finger, slowly and gently start to pull down on the lower jaw. This should cause your dragon to open its mouth slightly. However this may not be for long, so you have to act quickly.
5) When the opportunity rises, and your dragon has opened its mouth, insert the food. You may find they just hold it in their mouths for a while before consuming, but this is normal.
Sometimes bearded dragons will be stubborn, so I would recommend only trying this process for a maximum of 5 minutes. They may even spit the food out and if this is the case, then I would recommend putting them back into their enclosure and trying again in a few hours time.
Hopefully after a few tries they will start to eat the food which is being offered to them. More times than not this will activate their instincts to start eating again. If this carries on then it could be that your bearded dragon is ill and in need of veterinarian support.
How Long Can a Bearded Dragon Go Without Water?
This is definitely a more serious question than how long can bearded dragons go without eating. In the wild, bearded dragons can go anywhere between 3 day to 14 days without water. Of course this all depends of the environment they are in, and their exposure to every day elements.
Bearded dragons natural habitat is very dry and very hot. So they are used to the extremes that us humans aren’t so well equipped for. They are sued to being slightly dehydrated quite often and can reserve water for this exact reason.
Pet bearded dragons should never be left without water. Like all animals, in the wild they have to fend for themselves and will usually find a source of water. However, pet dragons do not have this luxury and have to rely on their owners to constantly refill their water bowl.
If you realise that your bearded dragon is not drinking the water you have provided, and it uses it for bathing purposes, then there are other options you can try to keep your dragon hydrated. Bathing in water will naturally keep your dragon cooler and slightly hydrated through its skin, but there is a better way to reinsure this.
The answer is in it diet. Vegetables to be precise. Vegetables and plantations contain a lot of water and is on of the main ways bearded dragons stay hydrated in the wild. Water can be hard to come by, so leaves and vegetables which all contain water, is a primary source for staying hydrated.
The Bad Bits
A real catch 22 situation with offering your bearded dragon too much water and vegetables, is that it can commonly cause diarrhea. Diarrhea will cause your dragon to become more dehydrated than it was before, so keep this in mind and be cautious about feeding them too many vegetables at any one time.
As a rough guide you should feed your bearded dragon a mixed diets of 80% with protein sources such as crickets and mealworms. Then 20% vegetables and plantations. This should keep Diarrhea to a very minimum.
Why Is My Baby Bearded Dragon Not Eating?
Have you ever tried feeding your baby bearded dragon, but to no avail and thought, why is my baby bearded dragon not eating. Luckily you’ll need to search no further, as we have everything you need to know, right here.
Bearded dragons are known to be very temperamental and have moody swings all the time, no matter what age. So don’t worry from the moment you realise your dragon isn’t eating. There are loads of aspects which can cause a bearded dragon to stop eating temporarily. The problems could be aspects as simple as dealing with stress levels, to dietary changes. Before becoming overly worried, there are a few things you should check before consulting your veterinarian.
A great starting point would be to think back over the last week or so, and try to remember anything that has changed. This could be absolutely anything from, cleaning the enclosure, putting new furniture or substrate inside, changing a light bulb, different foods you may be offering. There’s loads.
The Six Main Factors Why Your Baby Bearded Dragon Isn’t Eating
There are 6 main factors that we think are the most likely answers for the question “whys my baby bearded dragon not eating?”. These factors are; Lighting, Temperature, Brumation, Furniture, Illness and Age. All of these factors have to ability to raise stress levels for a bearded dragon which in turn will cause a lack of appetite.
Lighting
Bearded dragons are diurnal. So this means they are most active during the day, and usually sleep at night. Having the correct amount of day light hours inside the enclosure could be a factor which needs to be taken into consideration. Think about the surroundings of the enclosure. Even thought the enclosure lights may be off themselves, is there another form of light which could be affecting the dragons sleep. Maybe a side lamp in the room, or a TV screen which is directed towards the enclosure. Any direct light at night may cause your bearded dragon to stay awake longer than it should. Sometimes they may not sleep at all and will naturally be very tired for the next few days.
Temperature
A change in temperature could also be a reason why your bearded dragon isn’t eating. Regularly checking the heat lamps will ensure your enclosure is always at the optimal temperature, 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes a heat lamp can still light up, but not give off the correct amount of heat it should. This is usually just down to age of the lamp, so keep this in mind.
Early in the morning bearded dragons like to bask. This warms them up from the cold night and sets their bodies up fr the day ahead. A bearded dragon will bask until it has reached its optimal temperature, so if this is never reached, they could be basking all day.
Brumation
The brumation process is completely natural throughout the winter months for a wild bearded dragon. However for pet bearded dragons, if the temperature inside the enclosure is too cold, this could actually cause the start of the brumation process. Even if it’s not the right time of year.
This process it caused by a change in temperature and is completely natural. Bearded dragons have no say when the process starts. Through brumation, bearded dragons will eat considerably less than usual and little become ver docile. If you notice this change in behaviour, and the temperature seems cooler than usual, then it is most likely to be this.
Furniture
What I mean by furniture is, the things you put inside the enclosure. For example rocks, branches, substrate etc. Bearded dragons will get used to their environment and it becomes s home, or safe haven. So changing this enclosure around completely can cause a lot of stress for a bearded dragon. The confusion may cause it to worry slightly, and for this reason could potentially stop eating.
It’s recommended to change the furniture around every so often to keep your dragon entertained. However they do find comfort in furniture such as basking rocks, so it’s best to keep these the same as it’s something familiar. This will reduce the chances of high stress levels, and hopefully will keep your dragon calm, eating properly.
Illness
If you have taken the time to check over these first few points and everything seems to be okay, then your bearded dragon may be ill. Most bearded dragon illnesses are hard to detect. Commonly you won’t see any signs of illness other than the lack of movement and eating. If this is the case, then please seek professional advise, or go visit your local veterinarian.
Age
Finally we have age. As a bearded dragon gets older, just like humans, they start to lose their appetite slightly. This is completely natural, but only for senior bearded dragons aged 10-12+ years old.
Bearded dragons will eat much less as they get older and slower. This is because they don’t need to eat as much, as they won’t be burning the energy they once used to in thee youth. Keep this in mind, however if they stop eating completely then again please seek professional advise from a veterinarian.
So How Long Can a Bearded Dragon Go Without Food?
A quick answer to this question would be roughly two months. This time is based on a healthy living bearded dragon at its prime age. Mature adult bearded dragons will naturally have plenty of fat stores or reserves. This is just natural instinct to keep these reserves, and this can allow a bearded dragon to go up to two months with out a meal. Although this is not recommended at all. This would be a very serious case in the wild.
We hope this has informed you further on “how long can bearded dragons go without eating?”. Head back to the main page to find out more on this amazing reptile.
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