LG ~ The Handi-Capable Bearded Dragon

[jscott]

thank you. i havent actually named him so to speak... ive just been calling him little guy. i didnt name him at first because i didnt want to get too attatched(just in case... ). now that hes healthy, i suppose i could name him but i kinda feel like any name i come up with is corny or cliche; shorty, stumpy, bob, wiggles, titus, xavier(thats the one i liked the best)... i dunno, he seems happy reguardless of what i call him(as long as i call him, lol)

 

[beardie parents]

How about 'Rocky'? It would be appropriate seeing as he's a fighter. Even if he's a she, Rocky would work.

 

[jscott]

lol, rocky is a good one

i was reading another persons post on the ER forum. the moderator was saying that he should turn off the heat light at night. also they were talking about regular baths. i am afraid my beardie's growth was stunted early on. ill try to post all possible info here for trouble-shooting...

AGE: aprx. 10-14 months

AQUISITION: 2-4 weeks

LENGTH: 7-8 inches

SEX: unknown(suspected female)

ENCLOSURE: 12" cube(with the double doors in front... i leave the screen top off because i have a clamp light). i realize this is too small for him but it was given to me(quite graciously) by a caring friend. i like it because i can open the two doors to interact with him.

SUBSTRATE: half of the tank is covered by smooth aquarium stones roughly the size of marbles. the other is furnished with eco-earth(i sifted it with a rough sieve to strain out the longer stands and fibers). as mentioned in a prior post, i only observe "licking" while outside sunbathing... i havent seen it indoors that i can think of.

LIGHTING: unfortunately i only have 1 hood right now... i got everything second hand from people trying to help. during the day i screw in a 60 watt exo-terra sun glo. i recently got an "ESU reptile MINI compact flourescent(desert 7% UVB)" because i THOUGHT it was better that the sun-glo... it sounds like im going to need to take it back huh? when the sun goes down i screw in a 50 watt exo-terra infared heat bulb(again, they told me this was nessecary)... should i turn that off at night?

VERTICAL RANGE: unfortunately hes quite hanicapped in this sense... eventually i would like a 40 or 60 gallon tank big enough to fit long, gently sloping ramps that plateau under his UV and heat lights... this would be my dream!

BASKING TEMPERATURES: i have no accurate way of measuring right now. he does feels surprisingly warm to the touch when i pick him up from under the light. i make sure to aim the light at one side of the tank so the other side stays cool. he seems to regulate between the two sides through out the day as he sees fit...

HEATING PAD: no, but i do have one if necessary.

FEEDING: the only insects i feed him are crickets. i dust them with "2:0 calcium with no phosphorus powdered supplement with vitamins"... i only dust about half his meals cause he doesnt seem to like the ones i dust as much. i feed him when ever he wants to be fed(moring, afternoon and sometimes even a bedtime snack). if i walk past the cage and he starts wiggling toward me and nodding his head upward that seems to mean hes hungry. anywhere from 2-8 crickets a day is the normal range. i used to feed him romaine lettuce(no more than a few thumbnail sized pieces at a time) but im going to start following the feeding guides on this site and feed greens instead. (((if someone could suggest a tasty healthy treat please let me know... do beardies like sweet stuff?)))

GUTLOAD: i ran out about a week ago and have been using carrots until i get more(are carrots ok?)... or should i even use gutload?

BOWEL MOVEMENTS: it seems to be about every other day unless he just had a big meal(that seems to help it along)... how often is too often/not often enough? what should they look like?

BATHING: i didnt know they needed(or even liked) getting wet... i feel ashamed to say i dont regularly bath him(only when poop gets stuck on his tail)... the reason is i have been avoiding any questionable contact with my beardie since i got him... i didnt want him to dis-like me for treating him roughly so i only picked him up to go outside or for tank maintainace. he seems so delicate and he has no legs, i wouldnt want him to drown or inhale water accidently during bathing. (((if anyone can suggest special bathing methods i would be very interested in listening)))

MISTING: i do not spray him... i was told at the pet store they do not like it. however, if its something i should be doing let me know immediately.

WATER: every day i make sure he has a bottlecap full of water(anything else is too tall). i offer him a drink every day too: i dip my finger into water and put a single drop on his lips. oddly enough, if i visibly lick MY lips that seems to alert him to the water on HIS lips and he immediately starts licking it up. it seems he wants another when he smacks his lips and toungue then sticks his toungue tip slightly out of his mouth. he seems to have a hard time figuring out how a water bowl works, but if i put it under his chin and do the finger drop thing his toungue eventually finds the water under his chin... ive seen him drink for a good 5 minutes, appearently stopping from time to time to swallow and breath.

ROOM-MATES: no way, they would walk all over him... literally!

VETERINARY CARE: there is nothing i would like more than to give him the full spectrum of tests but i was recently let go from my job :| .

i can barely pay for groceries let alone new fixtures, bulbs, substrates, tanks, thermometers and vet bills... you have my word though, that as soon as im on my feet ill buy all that stuff... as for that compact florescent, should i just return that and SAVE the money towards a BAR LIGHT? should i just be using that sun glo? is it the right wattage?

if there is anything i am doing(or not doing) that is having a negative effect on my dragon?! please dont hesitate to correct me! i have alot of questions but hopefully the info i provided will help somebody answer them once and for all!

 

[MissT]

Perhaps you could get the compact exchanged for a bar light? Im not too clued up on costs etc but it may be an option.

Keep checking local ads, craigslist, freecycle for things like a viv - even when you get back on your feet with money, you may find exactly what your looking for for very little money!!

Lighting - You would be best without the infrared light as these can disturb your beardies sleep... it would be best, when you can, if you NEED the extra night time heat, to use a ceramic heat emitter... altho, if its warm enough to take him out every day to bask, I doubt you will need this - its freezing over here at the moment yet the room temp and viv temp never drops too low!!


Gutload - this does need to happen, but from what iv read its fine to feed the crickets the greens which you feed your bd.

Bathing - he might enjoy this..... just make sure the water is quite shallow to ensure he is safe and feels comfortable..lower him in with your hand supporting the front of him and just rest it in the water beneath him - make sure his vent is in the water to help him absorb it. From my own experience, it takes a while for them to get use to this.

Feeding - theres a website beautiful dragons which suggests lots of good foods for them to eat as staple greens. In terms of treats, my 11 month old loves blueberries (with the skin removed - she spits it out if there is skin!)

Bowel Movements - Abu passed a bm every 2 days when we first got her.... now she goes every day - the bath seems to help move it along tho and somedays she will happily pass a few!!!

Im sure someone else will comment on the rest of your info there - hope what iv said so far helps!!

T

 

[jscott]

hey everyone, i have new questions and pics to go with them(i love my camera phone):

since i havn't heard back yet on the licking i let him bask on this cement slab... i figured no dust or particles would be good.

i figured he'd like it but after about 5 minutes he wiggled to the edge and then over it. he wiggled through the grass then rested in one place for about 10 minutes, at which time he exhibited this behavior:

what does this mean?
is he panting?
is this normal or healthy?

after he started "panting" i gave him a room-temperature soak thinking he was dehydrated.

he didnt seem be bothered by it(i cant say if he liked it) so i let him soak for about 5 minutes then took him out and placed him on a fluffy towell.

i heard someone talk about a "vent"... what and where is that? should it be submerged?

if anyone could help me out i would appreciate it, i love the little guy but i still have alot to learn.

 

[Denise Bushnell (RIP)]

The behavior of flattening out and opening his mouth when he's outside is a pretty normal one. They tend to get spooked, for some reason, if you put them down in the grass, or if they see birds or something flying overhead, probably due to the fact that, in the wild, many birds are predators. Everything outside is strange to him, so its pretty normal for him to react that way. He's trying to make himself look larger and more scary as a defense mechanism. If you keep taking him outside for short periods of time, he may get more used to it and stop doing it. When he behaves like this, just stay near him, and reassure him that he's safe.

As far as the term vent is concerned, that refers to the bearded dragon version of his rectum. When the vent area is immersed in water, beardies have the ability to absorb a certain amount of water through their vent, so bathing them is an excellent way to keep them well hydrated!

P.S.: Did you get the pix I sent you?

 

[kirby]

:

what does this mean?
is he panting?
is this normal or healthy?

very similar to panting... its called 'gaping' as in to 'gape' they do it to cool down, as a dog would pant. once his mouth gets really wide open, take him out of the sun.. a small gape like that is nothing to worry about.


you are doing very well, he's very cute, and your very brave and loving.

a few things i would suggest you do emediately is..

1. take out the compact uvb. it will do far more damage then good. at least 2-3 hours of natural sub a day is enough.. but in the future, get a reptisun tube in conjunction.

2. take out the pebbles and coconut fibre. this too could kill him. your far better using a towel or a cloth.. he will be able to move much better on this as well..

3. you could try pheonix worms.. and when you can afford it silkworms.. worms will be easier for him to catch. and for greens try dandelion (the free weeds in your garden ) and collard greens, and try squash and berries etc.

IMO he isnt eatign much, and isnt pooping too regularly. but he is in very good shape despite his disabilities. he is also 1/4 of the size he should be at that age (fully grown) he may not get full size.. but with is to help furthur, he will try..

your going to want 'LOW FAT' feeders. as i can already see his leg fat stores growing bulbus. hsi thighs are swelling as he would usually store fat their, and seeing their is no leg. its simply going to become a balloon of fat...

this is of course assuming it isnt infected swelling.



i almost cried reading your story. and when you cut its leg off.. :0 i'd like to note he should have been taken to the vet for this.. i understand yoru situation tho..

 

[Nasubi77]

Wow, my jaw dropped reading bout your home amputations! We certainly wouldn't recommend that method, but since it worked, what can we say!!

About bathing....I would make some sort of ramp he can lay on, so that his back end is in the water, but his front end is propped up out of the water. You could just wad up a washcloth to do this.

Wow....just, wow.

 

[jscott]

hi, thanks for posting. i know i should have taken him to a vet but i dont have a car and am out of work right now. i tryed to snip far away from the livid, tender part of his arm. i dont think he has any more infection, he really seemed to fatten up over the months. is this something to worry about? can my beardie become so obese it is unable to move anymore :shock: ? if so should i stop feeding him crickets and only feed him worms? i dont know where to get them... so if the compact is bad what about the exo-terra sun glo incandescent? or should i just leave them off and take him in the sun as much as possible?! ill do anything, i just need to save money for proper lighting.

and about the substrate: do you think he may be swollowing the stones when im not looking? it would really surprise me because i only observe licking outdoors it seems(or is this a different danger). so a towell huh? he will make the transistion ok? should i cover one half the first day then complete the next?

sorry for all the questions and thanks for all the answers!

 

[protiemama]

If you check back on the posts Denise and Tracie both approved of the substrata. I think I would leave it as is.

Sandy

 

[MissT]

And keep your sun-glo on - he will need it to keep the temps when hes in his tank, so that he can digest properly.

If he is, as you say, somewhere between 10 - 14 months, he does not need too many live feeders - so im thinking between 4 - 8 per day sounds about right, especially if hes at the upper end of that age range. With his poop, do you find he usually has a poop free day when he pooped the night before (i hope this sentence makes sense - its been a long day).

I also dont think you should change the substrate at present, at first I thought maybe, but then I dont have such a special boy as you!! I think you need to keep him on something which is familiar to him and also which you know he can get around easily on. If you are worried about him swallowing stones, why not just replace the smaller stones with larger stones to prevent this....

 

[momsturges]

Hi! Here is a chart that I have gone by to feed my beardie since I've had him, you will find it very informing:
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

and the licking, yes you should use only paper towels, or repticarpet or newspaper in his enclosure......but licking at things, that is normal, mine walks around flickering his tongue at everything lol.
here are a few care sheets as to a LOT of care info for beardies, you can find a lot of answers reading these:
http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/48.html
http://www.tncbeardies.com/Care_Sheets.htm
http://www.beardietales.net/btcare_behavior.html
There are a lot of others out there but these are my closest bookmarks I had.

Kudos to you & taking good care of this baby! It's so sad that petstores are so darn negligent.

 

[kirby]

If you check back on the posts Denise and Tracie both approved of the substrata. I think I would leave it as is.

Sandy

i have a feeling that is because it is the least of out worries with this little guy. even if a member or two (which are extremely knowledgable) suggest its ok for the mean time, why not be safe, and seek the best and safest substrate. especially seeing his condition.

im more worried about the coconut fibres, this is more likely to be ingested and impacted. just go straight to full towel, i doubt he will worry too much, he may like it. it will be softer on his little nubbs..


take out the compact uvb, but leave in his heat source..

the pheonix worms would be alot easier for him, and may be cheap enough for you. you can get them online.. or your pet store may have them.

 

[vickson420]

Hi
Everyone seems to have it all covered.I just wanted to say how glad I am that your little man has survived. He is a real Trooper which by the way may be a good name for him as well.
Anyway just wanted to add that you shouldnt stop feeding the crix.He is still quite young and needs the protien rich diet.Like Kirby said though calciworms/pheonix worms would be great for him.They are very high in calcium and can help get him stronger.He seems to be doing very well in your care.Dont be afraid to handle him.Even with his nubs I am sure he is alot tougher then you think.Definately put a post on craigslist explaining your story.You would be suprised how many people would donate items to help with his care.As far as his growth I would bet it has alot to do with the uvb bulb you have been using.Also you might want to check out Ebay.Sometimes you can find some amazing deals for next to nothing.

Vicky

 

[jscott]

wow, i cant thank all of you enough! im glad to hear his sun-glo light is ok for now, im going to buy a repti-sun 10.0 asap. he dosent seem to poop every day(24 hour period)... it seems more like every other day.

how long is too long without pooping? taking a bath will help this, right?

ive been planning on overhauling his cage anyhow... when i do i may try a "1/2 tile, 1/2 towell" setup.it seems ive heard more good things than bad about tile.

what is the appropriate way to incorporate tile into the
tank?

can i just cover the whole tank towell then put a single tile on one half of his enclosure with a light over it?

or a heat pad under it?

can taking an x-ray show impaction of stones AND softer stuff like eco-earth?

how much would an x-ray run... i can not afford medical care for myself(i scrape together about $60 a week right doing odd jobs) but maybe i can for my beardie if its not outrageously expensive(more than $60 a visit).

well, thats it i guess. thanks again everyone, i can't thank all of you enough :wink: