Bearded Dragon Automatic Feeder
How can my bearded dragon feed when I’m away? No one wishes to have their pet suffering. When you are not around, here is what to do to feed your beardie.
Bearded Dragon Automatic feeder is well featured to ensure maximum care of your pet is achieved. It is the right option to give food to your pet at any time when you are gone. It is capable of monitoring the level of food and water as needed by the bearded dragon.
Next time when going for a vacation, you don’t have to bother your neighbors or friends to feed your pet; a bearded dragon automatic feeder can handle that. Continue reading for more details.
Why You Need an Automatic Feeder for Bearded Dragon?
When you are away during weekends or holidays, you need your pet to remain happy, right? You can choose to leave the dragons under your family members or friend’s care. But sometimes you may find it difficult to trust them.
In case you are not confident with other people to look after your dragon pet during those moments, then you need something else to rely on. I will recommend you to look for an automatic feeder. It just works perfectly in feeding your pet just as you would do.
It is very okay to leave your beardie alone, but don’t take a long holiday just because you have something to feed your beardie. More importantly, consider the age and the health status of your beardie. The two parameters matter and can significantly determine how long you can go.
Always remember that your pet needs to eat well to stay healthy and maintain its wellness at all times. Even when you are far from home, ensure that they are under proper care and can easily access what they require. An automatic feeder is easy to use, convenient, and works well in feeding.
The automatic feeder is safe and reliable. It is designed specifically for the reptiles and doesn’t possess anything to expose your beardie to risks. It has been effective in feeding various reptiles, and many pet owners have approved it.
You just load the feeder with your dragon’s meal and set a timer to display the food at the required time.
How Long Can a Bearded Dragon Go Without Food?
Even if you can’t afford a single day to pass without feeding your beardie, this question concerns all dragon owners. It is imperative to know how long can your beardie go without food.
Bearded dragons can fail to eat their food for different reasons. How long they can stay without food depends on age and what makes them not to eat. To maintain good health and the wellness of your pet, ensure you feed them the right way.
Bearded dragons can indeed go without food, but it is not a good idea to keep them without food. Just the way we need to eat every day to grow and maintain a healthy body function, the same applies to the bearded dragons. Follow the right feeding guideline for the beardies every single day.
Staying without food means that they are also not getting the vital proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fats plus other essential nutrients.
If your bearded dragon doesn’t eat food, it can be due to the following reasons.
Mostly, reptiles respond differently to different climatic conditions. When it is cold, they tend to go to deep sleep to escape the extreme colds. Bearded dragons react the same; it is an innate behavior.
Bearded dragons normally hibernate when the temperatures in the enclosure get too cold. During this period, they can go even go up to 2 months without food.
- Changes in the Enclosure
Any slight change in the pet’s enclosure, e.g., the introduction of new things, is enough to make your beardie ignore food. It is possible because bearded dragons are territorial animals, a widespread behavior with wild dragons.
The new materials coming in, or by just moving the beardie to new cages, makes them uncomfortable because space or place is unfamiliar to them. During such a situation, they can go without food, even in a couple of weeks.
- A change of the Diet.
Bearded dragons are very fussy about what they eat. They will not easily accept new food and can remain like that for a week. Just continue giving them the food, and it is only a matter of time, and then they adapt.
- The decrease in Temperature.
Bearded dragons originate from the Australia desert, and that’s the reason why they prefer to live under warm temperatures. The basking lamp in the enclosure produces heat that is high enough to make the bearded dragon digest its food and support other body functions.
Now you know, bearded dragons will not digest its food in the absence of high temperatures; they also tend to be inactive or unwell. If there is no digestion, then there is no feeding, and the beardie can remain like that for several weeks.
If you correct the temperatures, they won’t go for a long time without starting to eat again; it’s only a matter of a few days. Bearded dragons require temperatures of about 41℃ in their basking area.
Being unwell is never good, even with bearded dragons. The first sign that is quick to notice when the beardie is sick is a sudden loss of appetite. Other symptoms are discoloration, no movement, glassy eyes, among others. If this is the case, contact your reptile veterinarian immediately.
A bearded dragon can also ignore food due to stress, which may occur due to several different reasons. Now you can see why it is crucial to know how long can your beardie go without food, and more importantly, to identify the root cause.
If you always want to solve a problem successfully, get to understand the underlying cause first.
How Long Can a Baby Bearded Dragon Go Without Food?
Baby dragons need to eat several meals in a day, about 3-5 times. At this stage, the growth rate is very high, and your beautiful pet needs special care. The babies need well-balanced food with around 60-80% insects and 20-40% plant matter.
The high level of live insects is a must to provide the proteins and fats needed for fast growth. They need water and healthy food frequently for proper growth wellness. Baby bearded dragons have huge requirements that are a must during this stage. They can hardly go without taking food every day.
The bearded baby dragon will often disdain from vegetables, but when they go for even two consecutive days without live insects, it is not good at all. Never allow that to happen at any stage. Babies need to take essential proteins and fats every single day.
They can go for a week without food, but it’s too long for a pet under someone’s care. In case the pet refuse food, and it is now the third day, you need to visit a vet right away. Follow what the vet recommends.
How Long Can a Juvenile Bearded Dragon Go Without Food?
Juveniles are also growing, but this time, a growth rate slightly declines as they are getting older. In this stage, the beardie requires 50% live food and 50% plant matter. They need two meals per day.
Just like babies, juveniles can go for a week without food. In case they go beyond seven days, not eating, you need to see a veterinarian.
Though, it is not recommendable to leave your juvenile beardie for three days without food. They always need someone to attend to them, similarly to the babies. In case you are going somewhere, be sure to leave some food and water that they can access.
How Long Can an Adult Bearded Dragon Go Without Food?
The adult bearded dragons are not growing, but they need food to stay healthy and look good. The most significant part of their diet consists of the vegetables and greens to supply vital minerals and vitamins. Live food makes only 30% of the diet.
Adults will break down the fat in the body and converts them to energy to help them to survive. With such an ability, adult bearded dragons can go up to a month without food and about four months when hibernating.
Usually, provide adult beardies with food once in a day. They need your maximum care, just like the young ones. All beardies are essential, regardless of age. It is your responsibility to ensure they get what they need.
Never miss knowing how long your beardie pet can go without food. It will help you to estimate the number of days when you can leave the beardie alone when on vacation. But ensure you load the automatic feeder with dry food before going, it will help.
Whether it is a baby or an adult bearded dragon, they must get water even if they are not eating. Always remember that.
What need before getting Automatic Feeder for Bearded Dragon?
Before buying the automatic feeder, you need to train your bearded dragon to eat dry foods first. The majority of automatic feeders use dry foods. If your pet is not familiar with dry food, even if you buy an automatic feeder, it will not be helpful.
Training involves several trials, especially when your beardie will not readily accept the new food. During the training, you can start by mixing dry foods with your pet’s favorite diet. Continue with the process until your pet can consume solely dry foods.
Another method that you can choose involves training your beardie with only dry foods. Use any means that can make the dry food like freeze-dried crickets to move. You can easily trick the pet, and they will be enticed to eat when the beardie can quickly eat dry food, its time to buy an automatic feeder.
Also, consider a feeder that can hold a sizeable amount of food depending on how long you will be going for your vacation. It will prevent your beardie from starving. Ensure you know the amount of food your beardie can consume per day. It will help you estimate the capacity of the feeder to buy.
Before you even buy an automatic feeder, know what will be best for your beardie. There are many feeders available in the market. Make sure to buy a product that can cater to all your pet’s issues.
Best Automatic Feeders for Bearded Dragons
Now that you know why automatic feeders are essential, I want to introduce to you a few of the best-bearded dragon automatic feeders. You will also get to see each product’s features and its effectiveness. Don’t just go yet; there is more to learn.
Learn everything about these beautiful automatic feeders below.
- Zoo Med Hanging Mealworm Feeder
A hanging mealworm feeder from the Zoo Med brand is a beautiful little product that motivates the bearded dragons to access live mealworms. Its cup has holes at the bottom to allow the worms to fall slowly.
It has two cups; a suction cup and the other one for holding the worms. Buy one and enjoy watching your beardie having fun while eating.
Product Highlight
I love mealworm feeders; they are not just ideal for feeding, but they add excitement to feeding time. The beardies are very excited to see moving worms falling from the cup. Who would not wish to see their beardie happy as they eat?
A hanging mealworm feeder is indeed the right product and can be useful in feeding some other animals apart from reptiles. Buy the product from Amazon, and you will like it.
What I Like
- It is a high-quality product and is easy to use.
- Low price.
- The product encourages natural hunting.
- It is easy to install; you just hung it.
- It maintains clean food at all times compared to dish food put on the ground.
- It makes the beardie much more interested when feeding.
What I Don’t Like
- The mealworms can fall and hide in the enclosure; they fall all the time.
- Other works like a super worm and wax worm cannot fit through the holes.
- A suction cup tends to lose its suction and falls.
Keep in Mind
- Zoo Med hanging mealworm feeder is excellent for a variety of reptiles.
- The feeder is designed with mealworms in mind.
- Automatic Roffie Food Dispenser for Small Pets
Roffie pet feeder is a perfect product to choose from when you have a busy schedule or spending much time in your vacation. It can hold up to 29 cups of dry food that is enough to feed your beardie for several days.
It comes with a programmable timer that allows you to program the feeder to dispense the meals up to 4 times a day. It also contains a voice recorder that will enable you to record a customized message up to 10 seconds that can remind your pet of its mealtime.
Product Highlight
Roffie pet feeder is reliable and can cater to all your pet’s issues. It dispenses the necessary amount of food and cannot allow your pet to starve. This is because the feeder enables you to keep regulation on your pet’s food. It will enable you to control the amount of food your pet eats.
Its top lid acts as a perfect seal and prevents the food from going stale; it remains fresh; thus, your pet receives only fresh food. View the product on Amazon.
What I Like
- The unit comes in different sizes, there are large and small feeders, and you can easily choose the one that suits your pet.
- The lid covers the buttons completely. If you want to press on the buttons, you have to open the top first. It makes it safe even when there are children around; they can’t access the buttons.
- The hopper holds a decent amount of food, which can sustain your pet for several days.
- The top lid is transparent, and you can easily see the remaining food.
- Both the feeding tray and the food storage contains can easily be removed from the device when you want to clean it. It is effortless to clean this feeder.
- Any small pet cannot move the feeder; it has rubber feet and is well balanced, making it challenging to move.
- It works consistently, with no interference even when the power goes off.
What I Don’t Like
- You can feel the smell of the pet’s food; it might not be comfortable for people that are sensitive to smells.
Keep in Mind
- Roffie pet feeder is only suitable for dry foods, and the size of the pellet food should range from 0.2-0.6 inches in diameter.
- The batteries and power adapter should run at the same time to avoid resetting issues when the power goes off.
- Roffie pet feeder is only suitable for pets less than 40 cm in height.
- Ninuo Reptile Water Dispenser
Here is a superb option product to provide your bearded dragon with fresh water to drink as she needs and helps it stay hydrated always. The product comes with a suction cup that allows you to attach it to the terrarium and does not shake.
Using Ninuo water dispenser helps to reduce your expenses, you don’t have to pay for the high electricity bill. It has a low wattage pump to adjust the flow of the water.
Product Highlight
There are so many reasons to love the Ninuo water dispenser. It helps to supply plenty and hygienic water to your bearded dragons. It dechlorines water and plays a functional role in protecting the health of your pet.
It is a very convenient product and drips water automatically, with no leaking issues. Buy the product from Amazon.
What I Like
- You don’t have to change the water every day, the carbon pads in this water dispenser is an excellent filter and can improve the taste of the water. It dispenses hygienic water to your beardie. It holds the water that can run even for a week.
- It helps to maintain the right humidity level in the enclosure.
- The flowing water gives your beardie a desire to drink it.
- You can comfortably adjust the flow rate of the pump from large to small, just the way you want.
- It is easy to clean and can remain active for many years.
What I Don’t Like
- Sometimes the pump is not functioning when you buy the product.
Keep in Mind
- The reptile water dispenser is tested and approved to be safe for reptiles.
- The product comes with a 2.5W/110V DC pump and a carbon pump for purifying water.
- It is ideal for reptiles and amphibians reptiles.
When to Let Your Bearded Dragon Stay Home Through Vacation
Sometimes choosing to leave your bearded dragon stay home will be a more straightforward option. You only need to ensure that the enclosure is conducive and provide enough food and water.
In case you don’t have someone to care for your beardie when you are away, it is okay to leave the beardie alone. But this is only advised when you will not be staying longer. Between 1-3 days’ vacation, you can afford to leave them.
Since the beardies defecate infrequently, you don’t need someone to come and clean the enclosure if the trip is short.
If you can provide a lamp for light with a timed on and off switch, it will help to maintain the natural day and night cycles of the beardies. Make sure your pet will not suffer either way when you go.
Conclusion
I hope you have got this article helpful, and you now understand the need for bearded dragon automatic feeders. The primary task is to ensure that your bearded dragon can use the automatic feeder; the rest of the work becomes easy.
You can fix all other factors making your beardie to ignore food, except brumation. This is the only reasonable time to go without food. Always feed your pet thoroughly to stay healthy.