Eating

[bluedragon1587]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, I guess I am still a little paranoid after Sobe's death, but how much are dragons supposed to eat? Saki is 11 inches long and has been eating 8-10 crickets a day, except today and yesterday. He wouldn't take anything today and yesterday he only ate 2 crickets. He is still deficating regularly though, even though he didnt eat. I'm not exactly sure how big a dragon's stomach is supposed to be, but he doesnt look skinny. I ordered some silkworms today so they should be here in a couple of days. Are dragons just picky eaters sometimes? Today he still ate a little bit of baby food, but not that much. Sorry if this is a stupid question

[DaremoAlpha]

Never a stupid question but always a good chance for stupid mistakes.

If your dragon is anything like my Awol then he will know when he is full and will stop eating, so no worries just don't try to force him.

Yes dragons can become very picky eaters and I have read they do get bored with food hence needing various food sources.

Keep an eye on him for a day or so and don't feed him for a bit just to see whats up, it may just be the winter period slowing him down a bit. Awol goes in spurts where somedays he eats heavy and other days he just eats and eats and eats LOL

No reason to panic yet... wait till it gets older and you see the food bills hahaha then you can panic

[MoMmYoF2DrAgOnS]

No question is a stupid question first of all. Its not uncommon for them to decide they dont wanna eat. Sometimes they get tired of eating the same things. They need a variety in their diet. Try giving some different types of food. Not eating for 1-2 days is not uncommon at all. Dont freak about them not eating for a few days. As long as it is pottying, drinking, staying green that is all good signs. He/she might just be being stubborn and wanting to eat something other then crickets. They will go through lil spurts, one week they may only wanna eat crickets and then the very next week not want anything to do with crickets. Also it is new to you home and may not be completely settled in yet. Give it time. They can go longer then you think without eating. Just keep offering food.
Keep us updated on how he/she does.

[bluedragon1587]

We have a very limited variety of insects here, I heard that silkworms are good for them but I would have to order them online. Are there any good sites to order them from. We have mealworms here, but I was afraid to feed it to him because of all the impaction problems I have heard of. Are there any dangers in feeding Saki mealworms? He is 11 inches long.

[DaremoAlpha]

Wheres here first of all hehhe

www.silkiestogo.com/ is a very good company to deal with in the USA but since they don't ship to Canada I deal with

www.gonebuggy.com/index.html as my local shop and
www.canadianfeeders.com/index.shtml as a back up that will ship across Canada for me.

All 3 of these places were very quick to get back to me about Awols needs and what kind of arrangements would best serve those needs.

[dragosmom]

Mealies are all right for a 11" dragon, but they're really not very nutritious. I tried silkies for the first time and they are GREAT. More expensive, but if you are as tired as I am of finding crickets running around your house, these are a great food source and very nutritious. Mine still love superworms best, though!

[bluedragon1587]

I heard that silkies just stay in place, do the dragons have any issues with eating them? Saki usually waits for the crickets to move before he eats them.
By the way here are a couple of more pics:

[dragosmom]

Cute pics! The silkies will move slowly along the branchesand move slowly if you hold threm in front of the dragon. All 3 of mine ate at least 2 of them and I bought adult silkies as I have adult dragons.

[bluedragon1587]

Hey, I just wanted to say that Saki ate crickets again today. He just ate 4 med sized crickets. I'm still buying silkworms to offer more of a varied diet, lol it just scared me when he went the day without eating. I guess I am just a little paranoid that something will happen to him like Sobe. He also started shedding today

[DaremoAlpha]

There is part of it right there, some dragons tend to slow their eating habits down a bit before and during sheds, and also may not want to be bothered with people for awhile either, betting that old dry loose skin would just make them itch in a big way if held and rubbed.

[dragosmom]

Yep, imminent shedding will put them off-feed for a day or so. Soak Saki in some 77-80F water and GENTLY roll your fingers along the skin. DO NOT peel the skin, just gently exfoliate. What comes off is great-what stays is not ready to come off yet and if you pull it it can leave tears in the skin that can get infected. 4 crickets is great for a juvie!