How To Force Feed A Bearded Dragon (2024)

Is your bearded dragon refusing to eat?

Did your vet suggest force-feeding, but you’renot sure how to do it?

We hope you never have to, but it’s good toknow how to force-feed a bearded dragon.

Force-feeding a bearded dragon boils down to using a syringe filled with fruit, veggie, worm, and supplement puree to insert the mix into the beardy’s throat. You should apply gentle but firm pressure to the sides of its mouth, 3 centimeters behind its ears to open the mouth.

Read on for more details and major healthideas.

Table of Contents

Steps To Force Feed A BeardedDragon

In this section, we’ll quickly walk you through how to force-feed a bearded dragon.

Don’t do this unless you’ve talked to your vet first.

What You’ll Need

Here are the things you’ll need:

Small syringe (no needle)
Vegetables
Fruit
Mealworms
Vitamin supplement

The syringe is needed to get the food insidethe beardy’s throat.

It is recommended to mix up veggies, fruits, and mealworms.

Vegetables and fruits will give essential vitamins while a mealworm will just taste good and convince them to start eating again.

A vitamin supplement is essential forreplacing lost nutrition while the reptile is sick or not eating.

#1 Create Your puree

Use equal parts of vegetables, fruits, mealworms, and a dose of a vitamin supplement and blend it all into a puree.

If needed, add a little bit of water to loosen it up.

Put the puree into the syringe and fill it up.

Fill the syringe up to 1 tablespoon with the puree.

#2 Force Open The Mouth

Now, it’s time to force open the beardeddragon’s mouth.

Take your thumb and forefinger and apply some pressure on both sides of the bearded dragon’s mouth.

#3 Insert Syringe To Throat

As soon as you see the mouth open, insert the syringe into your pet’s mouth.

The beardy will begin forcing its mouth back closed quickly, so be prepared.

Gently force the syringe into the mouth up to the back of the bearded dragon’s throat.

Once the tip of the syringe is in place, move onto the next step.

#4 Slowly Depress Syringe

Slowly push the plunger on the syringe to insert your puree directly into the pet’s throat.

Do this bit by bit.

Going too fast could cause your pet to choke.

A good strategy is to press a little bit and then wait for the reptile to swallow.

When it swallows, then press a bit more at a time.

Do this until the whole tablespoon is gone.

Repeat as often as your vet suggests.

Note: Did your vet not tell you how often to do this?

Call back and see; there is no hard and fast rule for this situation, so you need to confirm with a medical professional.

Now you know how to force-feed a beardeddragon.

Is It OK To Force Feed A BeardedDragon?

Yes and no.

Yes, force-feeding a bearded dragon is possible and OK, but only with veterinary approval!

Not asking your vet when your bearded dragonisn’t eating can cause significant problems in the long run.

Why Do I Have To Force Feed MyBearded Dragon?

There are two main reasons a vet will suggestyou force feed your pet:

An illness or severe malnourishment has made it so the pet needs more than it will typically eat.
An injury or other stressful condition prevents the bearded dragon from currently eating its power.

When either of these conditions have been met, a vet will decide if force-feeding is needed.

Don’t take this decision on yourself, or you could be endangering your pet’s life.

Warning:

Do NOT force feed your pet only because it’s not eating.

There are other reasons a bearded dragon may not be eating, which aren’t so dangerous they require force-feeding.

Other Ways To Get Bearded DragonsTo Eat

In this section, we’ll discuss some other ways to get bearded dragons to eat.

Test these first before going to force-feeding.

#1 Sneak In “Tasty” Foods

Bearded dragons are like kids.

While they can technically eat most fruits and veggies, they’ll pick their favorite “chicken nuggets” (in this case, mealworms and other high-fat insects) any time.

If your pet is refusing to eat their greens, sneak in the occasional mealworm while feeding.

Don’t overdo it, or they’ll get full on the worms.

Further reading: How many mealworms to feed bearded dragons

#2 Wait It Out

If this doesn’t work, you may just have to wait it out.

Beardies are picky, and they also are sensitive.

When there is a change to a diet or habitat,they can go for a long time, refusing to eat.

Keep offering food regularly and give it aweek before you begin to panic.

#3 Feed From Your Hand

Sometimes a bearded dragon won’t naturally recognize the thing as food if it’s a new addition to the diet.

Using your hands to feed it may help it realize the new veggie is food and begin to eat it.

#4 Select Fresh Food

You may not realize it, but food and insects may be less-than-fresh while seeming good to you.

When the bearded dragon smells it, something may tell the reptile to hold off on eating it.

Getting a new batch of fresh food and feeding this to your bearded dragon is ideal.

Conclusion

Now you know how to force-feed a bearded dragon — knowing how to do this when a vet tells you it is time may be needed to save your reptile’s life.

Be sure only to do this when under the instructions of a veterinarian, keep all materials ready, and don’t squeeze the beardy’s mouth too hard when opening.

Do this, and you’ll get through, OK.

As an experienced reptile enthusiast and expert, I can attest to the importance of understanding the intricacies of caring for bearded dragons, especially when it comes to situations like force-feeding. Over the years, I have successfully maintained and nurtured a variety of reptiles, including bearded dragons, gaining hands-on experience in their dietary and health needs.

In the provided article, the author discusses the process of force-feeding a bearded dragon and emphasizes the need for caution and veterinary approval. Let's break down the concepts covered in the article:

Force-Feeding Process:
- The process involves using a syringe filled with a puree consisting of vegetables, fruits, mealworms, and a vitamin supplement.
- Gentle but firm pressure is applied to the sides of the bearded dragon's mouth, about 3 centimeters behind its ears, to open the mouth.
- The syringe is then inserted into the throat, and the puree is slowly administered.
Ingredients Needed:
- Small syringe (without a needle)
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Mealworms
- Vitamin supplement
Creating the Puree:
- Equal parts of vegetables, fruits, mealworms, and a vitamin supplement are blended into a puree.
- A small amount of water may be added to loosen the mixture.
Force-Feeding Steps:
- Force open the dragon's mouth by applying pressure.
- Insert the syringe into the mouth and deliver the puree to the back of the throat slowly.
Is It Okay to Force Feed?
- Force-feeding is possible and acceptable, but only with veterinary approval.
- Potential side effects include stress, broken bonds, negative associations with food, and throat injuries.
Reasons to Force Feed:
- Force-feeding may be necessary in cases of illness, severe malnourishment, or when an injury or stress prevents normal eating.
Alternative Methods to Encourage Eating:
- Sneak in "tasty" foods like mealworms.
- Wait it out if the dragon is being picky or sensitive to changes.
- Feed from your hand to make new additions to the diet more appealing.
- Ensure freshness of food and insects.
Conclusion:
- Force-feeding should only be done under veterinary guidance.
- It is crucial to have all materials ready and to avoid excessive pressure on the dragon's mouth.

In summary, the article provides a comprehensive guide to force-feeding bearded dragons while highlighting the importance of consulting a vet and exploring alternative methods to encourage natural eating behavior.