I'm shocked... rescued beardie *Update 11/1*

Today I picked up a 5 year old beardie who's owner no longer had time for him. I'm in shock right now. He's a fully grown beardie who's been kept in a 20 gallon tall his entire life. He was on dirty shredded newspaper with nothing else in his tank but a log. His previous owner was using a Repti Glo UVB. If that wasn't bad enough it was behind plastic so it was useless His basking bulb is a good one, but no thermometer. He has clear signs of MBD. He cannot walk very well with his back legs. He has a large lump at the base of his tail. His left foot curls inward.

When I first saw him he was super puffed out, mouth wide open and lunged when I bent down to look at him. I was greatly concerned the lack of attention and good care had made him hate people. When I got home he calmed down immediately. He seemed to know I wanted to help. I got the courage to take him out and he melted in my arms, laying his head against my chest. I started to cry and told him his life was going to get better. He's such a sweetie and it breaks my heart that he's had to suffer for 5 years.

People can be so cruel and foolish, i never get an animal without researching every thing i can on them, a high intensity uvb and calcium with d3 should help your new little buddy, i wish you all the luck and please post how everything is going

Hi. He's a cutie pie Glad he has a caring owner now.He'll be much happier.

Hello,

Poor boy, that is too bad he has had to endure years of abuse & unhappiness. I will
never understand what is wrong with people.
He looks happy now & I know he will be well loved now. He is a real sweetie now.

Tracie

Aww! What a sweetheart! I'm Soo glad you saved him! That's so horrible that he had to endure all that for 5 freaking years!!! One good thing about it was that he wasn't on a loose substrate. At least it wasn't sand or walnut shell. :? He Looks soo sweet. I Instantly fell in love with him when I saw that picture. :love5:

I Really hope he settles in well with you! :love5:

What's his name?

I've been calling him Bugsy :lol:

He's settling in very well. He doesn't mind the other critters. If anything he finds them all fascinating. He's eating great! Has only pooped once and that was 5 days ago. Kind of concerning but I'm trying not to worry too much since his appetite is so good.

I feel so bad about his MBD. I bought him this really large and awesome basking log but he cannot climb onto it. His back legs are bow-legged and do not bend well. They shake a bit when he walks. I try to make him walk anyway because he had so little room in the 20 gallon, I want to help him gain muscle strength. He seems very happy though.

Today he had butternut squash for the first time along with collard, mustard and turnip greens. He was very happy. Got very bright colors. Here is a pic I got of his happy colors

Check out his brand new terrarium! I had to help him onto the branch. Will have to figure out a way to make it more easily accessible for him. He really doesn't know what to do with himself with all the room

He's doing fine …. well done …. he's landed on his feet with you and can look forward to much happier and more enriched life in your hands.

You might find this interesting - a wee study I did on Peppa & Toothless : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=232446

Aww! Bugsy is a great name! He look's so happy now. and I Know how you feel on the MBD, :? I Used to have a MBD beardie. He was a sweetheart and it was heartbreaking watching him struggle by flopping around and having a neurological disorder (I Also think he had muscular dystrophy). But he had it all his life so he had figured out how to deal and was the sweetest thing ever.

and I Hope Bugsy will do great with you, He's already showing great improvement But thankfully he's got a little case of MBD that's not too serious so it could possibly be reversed if you start treating him soon. :study: (Be prepared for a whole lot of vet bills if you do so).

My Advise for MBD is, Lots of sunlight treatment, Liquid calcium (Like .25 mls per day) A Good strong UVB bulb, and Lots of love.

I am so happy for Bugsy that he finally has the loving, caring owner he deserves! Thank you for rescuing him! I hope he will gain some strength in his legs, with the good nutrition and the room to move about. He certainly looks like a happy guy in the photo. yay, Bugsy!!

That’s an amazing story, I feel so bad about the MBD, it’s really hard seeing animals struggle like that,and I’m so glad he has a good home

Thank you everyone!

An update on Bugsy:
He's settling in very well and really changing colors from good care. In the morning I will be making a vet appointment. I think he would benefit from calcium injections (some shaking when walking) and I'm almost positive he has parasites from the gross conditions he was living in. His poop has not been very well formed since he's been with me. I got a sample tonight and placed it in the refrigerator (yuck!).


Turns out Bugsy is a total cuddler and loves soft blankets. I'm amazed at how a desert lizard can love soft things so much :lol:

We had a really special moment together that made me so thankful that I did rescue him. He was sitting next to me on my bed while I was on my laptop. All the sudden he comes up to me and starts digging in the blankets. He gets himself nice and comfy snuggled against my arm and just falls alseep. It was so adorable!

:love5:

That is adorable -- he obviously trust you and is very happy now -- good luck at the vet -- hope things go better for him now in your care!!

Karrie

Awww! That sounds just like how Loki was when we first got him. He even looks like him. Bugsy seems to be getting better and better everyday with all that love and care you're giving him. He's also getting more and more orange and yellow

I Would totally suggest putting a blanket in his cage because that really helps rescue beardies settle in better while they're adjusting (Plus it's nice and soft for them and they really do love that).

Pastella":3q0fvu46 said:

:love5:

With these two pictures I Actually thought it was photos of my Loki (especially the bottom one). You're taking great care of Bugsy. :love5:

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and Lol, You're going to do a Whole lot more of storing poop in your fridge as samples for your vet Lol. Welcome to Beardie rescuing my friend :lol: :lol: (and half of your medicine cabinet and fridge will soon be filled up with beardie medicine and food Lol). But it will be very rewarding.

and I Too hope the vet visit goes well, Keep us posted please!!