I just got my first water dragon a little over two weeks ago. After the first day of getting him he hasn't eaten well at all. The first day I fed him a cricket and he instantly nabbed it up, but unfortunatley I havn't seen him eat since then. I have been buying medium sized crickets for him and since some tend to disapear I've concluded that he has been eating. I think that he is only eating maybe one or two crickets a day. He is under a year old and from pictures that I've seen of other water dragons he appears very thin. Most recently he has developed some eye problems too. About three days ago I noticed that he wouldn't open one eye. When he did it looked very glossy and watery. I though he got better within about two days but yesterday I thought he was just sleeping a lot, but today I hadn't seen him awake at all and went to go pick him up to see if he was ok. I then noticed that he was awake and he even started running around withhis eyes still shut. I've also noticed him basking with his mouth opened too. I've heard about feeding lizards baby food or wax worms but am not sure which route I should take. I have also called a couple of vets to see if they knew what was wrong and no one seems to know so far. If anyone knows what could be wrong or how I should go about treating him for these two things, I would GREATLY appreciate any input.
erica

What temps are you keeping him at? I would definitely find a good reptile vet to see him...he may need some antibiotics...and having a fecal test would be a good idea as well...to rule out parasites. Good luck with your little guy.

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

it took my water dragon about two to three weeks to eat normally.
You should get him checked out by a vet to make sure he's clear of parasites.
What kind of substrate do you use? Things like wood chips or even dust can get into their eyes and irriate them. I would definately be worried about an eye infection. If it's still bothering him after a few days, take him to the vet and the vet will prescribe something to make it better.
Basking with their mouths open could be something wrong like a repiratory infection, or it could mean they're too warm. What are his basking temperatures?
It could also be a defensive thing. Sometimes Scarlett, when mad, will puff out her throat at me and even open her jaw. This usually happens when it's clean the tank time. Normally she's a doll.. she just hates having her stuff touched!

Give us some specifics on the enclosure and temperatures.. the more detail the better

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I am owned by:
2 dogs, a Hahn's macaw, 2 parrotlets, 2 parakeets, 1 bearded dragon, 1 cornsnake, 2 yellow belly sliders, 1 razorback musk, 30 gallon saltwater reef, 10 gallon planted tank, 5.5 gallon planted betta tank

i've been keeping the tank at about upper 70's on its cool side and mid 80's on the basking side. For the bottom I use woodchips that I get from pet supplies plus, but this weekend I was told that I should switch to a coconut shredded bedding, which I think I might. i've had lee lee open his mouth at me and puff up his throat too, but recently he's been doing it while his eyes were closed and while he has been basking. Do you guys have any suggestions on what else I should try and feed him? mealworms or waxworms? or I even heard baby food too. i def think if at the end of this week if he isn't eating better or his eyes dont get better then I will take him in to see the vet. thanks too for the input so far!

coconut bark is not something you want to try either. I've heard that those are even worse. Reptile carpet is the best. It's easy to clean and there is nothing that can hurt them. It's not as asthetically pleasing but honestly, what's more important. For the tank to look pretty or for the little guy to be healthy. I started with the chips too and have converted
88 is the ideal temperature so it seems that you're doing ok temp-wise.
Wax worms are good for underweight dragons but should only be used as a treat. Dragons have a tendency to get "addicted" to them. My dragon went through a period of time where she didn't want to eat anything but the wax worms!
You can try some baby food. Get a little syringe and give her a little bit..
Good luck!
It's so stressful when they're so little and picky!

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I am owned by:
2 dogs, a Hahn's macaw, 2 parrotlets, 2 parakeets, 1 bearded dragon, 1 cornsnake, 2 yellow belly sliders, 1 razorback musk, 30 gallon saltwater reef, 10 gallon planted tank, 5.5 gallon planted betta tank

yeah I think putting carpet down would be pretty good too, the guy at this other pet store this weekend told me that the shredded stuff is easy to digest if they happen to swollow some and it keep moisture well. but I could def see how it could irritate their eyes. ugh im just so frustrated right now with all the mixed info that im getting from people. i think im going to stop by the pet store tomorrow and get some wax worms just to get his appetite back up to par, hopefully, if it works. I was wondering too if I have to resort to feeding him the baby food, should I force his mouth open to feed it to him? because i've tried to hand feed him some crickets before and he wouldn't even open his mouth. I just feel really bad too because he looks so skinny compared to most of the pictures i've seen online too... well thanks for all the advice too, ill def be using it the next couple of days =)

If you must resort to force feeding you need a syringe or eye dropper, and dont feed only baby food, all it has in it is sugar, and no potassium-loaded baby foods either, it binds the absorption of calcium . When I force fed my CWDs I used a mixture of babyfood,crix,mealies,calcium,kale and poweraid. Bled it all up in a blender..mmmm...its nice and healthy for him and will help get his appetite back up hopefully!

it could be stress too..

for like the first 3 months I was freaking out with my WD.. everything made me worry!
They're wonderful though I hope the little one is ok... keep us updated.
Savannah, that mixture sounds yummy

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I am owned by:
2 dogs, a Hahn's macaw, 2 parrotlets, 2 parakeets, 1 bearded dragon, 1 cornsnake, 2 yellow belly sliders, 1 razorback musk, 30 gallon saltwater reef, 10 gallon planted tank, 5.5 gallon planted betta tank

Its delicious, you have to give it a try Joie!

forget protein shakes and all that junk.. I'll call it Savannah's Delicious Bug Goop

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I am owned by:
2 dogs, a Hahn's macaw, 2 parrotlets, 2 parakeets, 1 bearded dragon, 1 cornsnake, 2 yellow belly sliders, 1 razorback musk, 30 gallon saltwater reef, 10 gallon planted tank, 5.5 gallon planted betta tank