Miss Lennon didn't make it. To try again, or give up?

On keeping beardies, I mean.

My boyfriend's Razual is doing wonderfully, he's 10" long (having grown 4.5") and has shed his full body twice in the two months he has been here. He is a beautiful orange and is starting to like being handled.
I'm trying to decide whether I should try to get a third beardie for myself, or just be satisfied to share in the pleasure of having Razual here.
Both of my previous attempts have failed- the first, I picked an unhealthy dragon, it was entirely my fault for not recognizing this. The second, she seemed fine for three weeks, before proving to have an issue with coccidia.

I think about the space for an adult enclosure, and feel like I should probably just be happy with interacting with Razual. I learned a lot about exotic vet costs with Lennon, and I can recognize that, with our hours cut at Petsmart, I really shouldn't try to support two dragons... what if they BOTH got sick at the same time?
So I'm leaning toward selling her old 20L setup on Craigslist or something, trying to get back a bit of what I spent. I know it was at least $150, but I don't think I could even get $100 off Craigslist.

What would you do, in this situation? Try a third time, or just stick with the pets you have more experience with until moving-out time comes, with more space and hopefully more ability to leave the house as well as more than 8-12 hours a week of minimum wage work.
I feel really sad and even guilty, looking over at her dark, empty enclosure. I wish I would have known what coccidia was sooner, so that I would have suspected it and mentioned it to the vet on that first visit.

I'm sorry Miss Lennon didn't make it. Anyone can go bankrupt if the beardies get sick enough. There is an insurance for pets, beardies are about $9 a month. I understand about the money situation and I, also, understand that regarding beardies, no one can have just one. Only you can decide whether to get another one or not. However, I would keep the setup you have incase someone comes to you and says "do you want...?" It has happened to me, that' how we got Speedy 3 days before Redrock was fatally injured.

Oh I am so sorry about Miss Lennon.I was really hoping she would pull through for you.You mentioned working at Petsmart?Did you get both of the beardies that past from there?

I would not beat yourself up,its not you.I know you did everything you could but if you get an unhealthy animal its not easy to bring them back to full health.I wouldnt sell the tank.I would wait and give yourself some time.I have no doubt your capable of raissing a healthy beardie succesfully but you need to know that too.I also wouldnt buy from the same place you got the last two because thats most likely the problem and common link.

i'm so sorry that miss lennon didn't make it. it's so hard when one of our family members passes.

in answer to your question, it sounds like you have already answered it. if times are rough now with a reduction in hours, it may be difficult to keep the new beardie fed. i know we have noticed an increase in supermarket prices and proteins can be expensive.

you may want to consider saving the viv. you may be in a better position down the road and want to tri it again.

I was thinking it might just be better to keep it. I mean, I can't get back all the money I spent, and then I'll have to buy it all again later if I change my mind. But some of the stuff expires before I think I will be wanting/affording another beardie...

I don't know, this just happened last night. I've collected everything and put it out in the garage. I guess I can wait a little bit before deciding.
Thank you.

vickson420":e1274 said:

You mentioned working at Petsmart? Did you get both of the beardies that past from there?

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No, just the second, Miss Lennon.
The first I got from the same breeder as my boyfriend got Razual.
However, my picking skills are and have always been pretty awful. I tend to go for either "I feel sorry for"s or "Ooh what a pretty color"s.
As opposed to looking for activity, stress marks, injuries, etc.
The first was the brightest shade of yellow. She was sleeping in the cage. I interpreted this as her being tired from all the excitement of the Expo (it was the end). However, she never perked back up. She died within a week and a half.

Miss Lennon I picked from my store, the biggest and best eater.
But she had constant stress marks. And from reading about Coccidia, this was just really bad news for her.
I have only noticed in the past week, I think, that Razual always has a beautiful white belly and throat. Both of mine have had the "pretty" stress patterns.

I do definitely know more what to look for now.
But, with $200 in my savings account, and making $100 or less now a week, my $300 rent and expenses for other pets is starting to feel strained.
So I surely cannot afford another beardie right now, realistically... We discussed maybe someday, when we move out and have a whole house to decorate with pets, and not just a bedroom. But that could be years from now.
The money I would make back from her enclosure is less than half what I spent. But it would still be useful for sustaining myself, currently.

Arrgh. I've always been bad at these decisions... Make it easier for myself now, or make it easier for myself later?
MAYBE I could sell the tank, but keep the fixtures and temperature probes and things that I would need for an adult-sized tank. I could always skip the 20L in future, go straight to a 40-or-more. Thus making money and saving some too. Hmm.

Yes you couuld but I stil think you should wait just a little while before making any decision.You wont get alot for the tank anyway and if you really need to sell it then do so but I would rather see you hold off just a bit so you know your very sure.

I'd stay away from pet store beardies i'd get from a breeder

I'm very sorry to hear about Miss Lennon.

just keep the tank, its not worth selling it at all. . . at most your going to get like 50 bucks for it. . i bought a 40gal breeder tank with hood and heatlight for 70 bucks sooo if that gives you and indication as to how much you could except. Why not use it for feeder or something, try to learn to breed supers or something. . . i dunno

h0ndap0w3r":cba7f said:

just keep the tank, its not worth selling it at all. . .

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Yeah... The boyfriend and I have a million pets, and I expect we will get a million more when we have the space.
So, in the end, it will be put to use, somehow. I'm just not sure when.

Thanks, everyone. I did spend a lot of money on everything, and as much as I would like to get some cash quick, it really is not worth it. I hate thinking how much would have been wasted, should I sell it for cheap. Blah.
I guess I will just keep it stored in the garage until it proves useful.

Im so sorry you've had such a terrible time.
Id be utterly heartbroken and my heart goes out to you.

I cant offer anything particularly usefull im afriad, but if I were in your position I think Id wait a while, and then, if you still feel the yern for another beardie, find yourself a reputable independant breeder.
Ive read so many horror stories and found so many pet stores so clueless about beardie care that I could never bring myself to buy from one again.

Ethelia":f3dbb said:

Ive read so many horror stories and found so many pet stores so clueless about beardie care that I could never bring myself to buy from one again.

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Reptiles in general, you mean!
Last night I had to input our Store Use write-offs, and I was pretty appalled at how many crickets had been fed to the entire reptile community:
10 Large Crickets, and 35 Small Crickets.

We're only really supposed to feed them once, in the morning, but typically when I close I will give them some more.
For example, last week, I used 70 crickets for the water dragons alone.

I am so happy that we aren't carrying beardies right now.
I took Miss Lennon and my Vet Receipts in to work last night to talk to my manager, but she wasn't there.
And with these cut hours, I don't work again until Thursday and Friday night.
(Eight hours last week and this week, UGH.)
But on Thursday night, I will discuss with her again.

I honestly believe that me simply saying "She died from internal parasites." will be enough for her to seriously consider talking to corporate, trying to change our vendor.
It's not about me getting money back, or just bitching because I am angry; I do not hear anything good about Sandfire's contributions to pet stores and I know that she will really listen to me. I get praised for taking good care of my pets and the store's animals, so if my pet died, I don't know, maybe she'll see that there is a problem with these tiny, stressed out lizards.