Bearded Dragon Not Eating: How to Troubleshoot and Fix It Fast

Introduction: What to Do First When Your Bearded Dragon Is Not Eating

If your bearded dragon not eating, stay calm, act fast, and think like a detective. Loss of appetite is the first clue that something in the enclosure or the dragon’s health needs attention; missed meals can lead to dehydration, weight loss, impaction, and fast decline in young dragons. Start with a quick reality check: is the basking temperature too low, has the UVB bulb died, is the dragon actively shedding, or are there signs of stress from a new tank mate or a recent move?

Try these quick fixes before panicking: raise the basking spot to 95 to 110 F, replace old UVB lighting, offer live, gut loaded insects, and provide a shallow warm soak to encourage appetite. If appetite does not return within 48 to 72 hours, or if you see weight loss, bloody stool, swelling, or severe lethargy, book a vet visit. Short term fixes work for environmental issues, but persistent refusal usually needs professional care.

Quick Triage Checklist for the First 24 Hours

If your bearded dragon not eating, act fast but stay calm. Use this triage checklist in the first 24 hours to assess severity and cut risk.

Check temperatures, aim for a basking spot of 95 to 105 F and a cool side near 75 to 85 F, use an accurate probe thermometer.
Look for red flags, such as open mouth breathing, black beard, swollen or hard belly, bloody stools, or no feces for 48 hours; these need vet attention.
Hydration test, offer a 10 to 15 minute lukewarm bath and mist the cloaca, observe whether it urinates or poops.
Offer high value foods, live dubia roaches or smoked turkey, see if there is any interest.
Inspect habitat and recent changes, new substrate, recent handling, or missing UVB light can trigger appetite loss.

If any red flag appears, contact an exotics vet immediately.

6 Common Causes Your Bearded Dragon Is Not Eating

When your bearded dragon not eating, start by narrowing causes into four buckets, then eliminate the easy fixes first.

Environmental: Check temperatures and lighting, they are the most common culprits. Basking should hit about 95 to 110°F (35 to 43°C), cool side 75 to 85°F (24 to 29°C), nights 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C). Broken UVB or low temps will kill appetite fast. Also inspect humidity and substrate; dusty sand can cause impaction.

Biological: Age and seasonal brumation matter. Juveniles eat constantly, adults slow down. In fall and winter dragons often brumate, showing reduced interest in food. Stress from new tanks, loud pets, or frequent handling will also shut down feeding.

Dietary: Look at prey size, variety and prep. Overlarge crickets, unappealing vegetables, or non gut loaded insects lead to refusals. Try smaller, live movers and brightly colored greens, dusted with calcium.

Medical: Parasites, mouth rot, respiratory infections, and impaction are serious. Signs to watch for include lethargy, abnormal stools, swollen belly, and mouth discharge. If basic fixes do not work within 48 to 72 hours, get a vet visit with fecal testing and an exam.

Immediate Actions That Often Kickstart Appetite

If your bearded dragon not eating, try a few low risk tricks before calling the vet. First, warm baths work fast. Use lukewarm water around 90 to 95°F, soak for 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a day; this raises body temperature and stimulates digestion. Dry and warm them under the basking light afterward.

Scenting food gets attention. Lightly coat crickets or veggies with unsweetened chicken baby food, or briefly dip feeder insects in the liquid from canned sardines rather than straight oil; use these sparingly. Offer high value treats like a single waxworm to spark interest, then switch back to regular diet.

Hand feeding and movement are powerful. Wiggle tongs so prey appears alive, then try offering a small cricket by hand once confidence returns. Keep handling minimal for 24 hours before feeding, and always confirm enclosure temps: basking 95 to 105°F for juveniles, 90 to 100°F for adults.

If appetite does not return in 48 hours, seek veterinary advice.

Check and Fix Husbandry: Temperature, Lighting, and Humidity

When a bearded dragon not eating, the first place to look is the environment. Follow these step by step checks and fixes.

1. Basking temperature, measure and adjust. For juveniles aim for 100 to 110°F (38 to 43°C) at the basking spot, for adults aim 95 to 105°F (35 to 40°C). Use a surface thermometer at the exact basking rock, change bulb wattage if it is more than 5°F off.

2. Create a thermal gradient. Cool side should be about 80 to 85°F (26 to 29°C), so your dragon can thermoregulate. If both sides are too cool add an under tank heater or higher wattage lamp.

3. UVB placement, position and type matter. Place a quality T5 10.0 or strong coil so the head gets UVB while basking, typically 10 to 12 inches above the basking area, following manufacturer guidance. Replace UVB bulbs every 6 to 12 months and verify output with a UV meter.

4. Night temperatures and enclosure setup. Keep nights 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C). Provide hides, branches and substrates that allow normal behavior. Small adjustments to lighting and temps often fix appetite problems fast.

Feeding Strategies That Work for Picky or Sick Dragons

If your bearded dragon not eating, use tactics that trigger appetite and reduce stress. Start with prey choices: try dubia roaches, small silkworms, hornworms, or black soldier fly larvae, they are more digestible and often more tempting than crickets. Gut loading matters, feed feeder insects leafy greens, carrots, and calcium rich feed for 24 hours before offering them. Dust feeders with calcium powder at every juvenile feeding, and for adults dust every other feeding; add a multivitamin once weekly if UVB or D3 exposure is limited. Warm soft foods slightly, to about body temperature, to boost scent and activity; warm vegetables in a microwave for a few seconds, check carefully before serving. For juveniles, offer small meals 2 to 3 times daily, target roughly 80 percent insects, 20 percent greens. For adults, shift slowly over two to four weeks toward 20 percent insects, 80 percent vegetables. If picky or ill, hand feed with tongs and offer moisture rich items like hornworms or blended veggies to maintain hydration.

When Appetite Loss Is an Emergency, and When to Call the Vet

If your bearded dragon not eating is paired with any of these, go to the vet now: open mouth breathing or noisy breathing, obvious swelling or severe bloating, blood in stool or vomit, inability to right itself, sudden weight loss, or seizures. For baby dragons, loss of appetite for more than 24 hours is urgent; for juveniles, 48 hours is a red flag; for adults, 72 hours warrants prompt attention. At the clinic expect a physical exam, weight check, X rays for impaction, fecal testing, and likely bloodwork and fluids. Ask your vet these concrete questions: What is the likely cause, can you show me the X ray, will my dragon need tube feeding, what home care changes do I make, and what are clear signs I must return immediately? Take notes and get a written treatment plan before you leave.

Preventing Future Feeding Problems With Routine and Monitoring

Make monitoring part of your weekly routine. Weigh your dragon once a week on a digital scale, tare with a container, log results in a spreadsheet or app. Watch for a 5 percent drop over two weeks; that is a red flag. Track season and light cycles, lower temps and shorter daylight often trigger appetite changes. Brumation in winter needs less force feeding, but continue to monitor weight. Rotate protein and greens, gut load feeders with collard greens, dust calcium as recommended. Do a simple enclosure audit monthly: check basking and cool side temps, verify UVB output, confirm humidity at 30 to 40 percent. Keeping these logs makes it easier to spot triggers behind bearded dragon not eating episodes.

Conclusion and Quick Action Plan

Start here. If your bearded dragon not eating, check temperature and UVB first, then hydration and diet. Low basking temps or expired UVB bulbs are the most common causes. Next look for stressors, brumation signs, or obvious illness like mouth rot. Gut parasites show as weight loss and abnormal stool, get a fecal from your reptile vet.

Quick action checklist:

1. Measure basking and cool side temps, adjust to species and age.
2. Replace UVB bulb if older than six months, ensure correct fixture height.
3. Offer gut loaded insects dusted with calcium, plus leafy vegetables.
4. Hydrate with a syringe or soak if dehydrated.
5. Collect stool for vet fecal, seek urgent care if lethargic or not eating over five days.

Further help: consult a reptile veterinarian and reputable care guides or local bearded dragon community groups.