First Beardie

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Yesterday my grandad brought over his friend's dragon, tank and all. She's 2 years old and wasn't doing very well at her old home :x

She's on crushed walnut, her basking light barely reaches 75*F, and her tank looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a month with all the dead bugs and droppings! Everything inside and outside the tank (even the lamps) felt like it had been covered in syrup or something, and I just tossed the food and water dishes in the trash because they obviously had never been rinsed out. She's been staying in my sweater during the day because it's warmer than her tank (even with an added desk lamp). Poor thing has only had a few bites of veggies since she got home, she isn't interested in eating.

Over the weekend I'll be getting proper supplies for her, I couldn't beforehand because this was rushed. I'm so glad she's here now though, I hope she'll be okay :cry: I'm also going to get her to a vet ASAP, because I think she may have mouth rot. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to make her more comfortable?
 

CooperDragon

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Poor thing. Sounds like she was pretty badly mistreated and kept in unsanitary conditions. I'm glad you're able to give her a good home. Petco is still having their $1 per gallon tank sale until Saturday so I'd pick up a 40g breeder tank while you can get it cheaply (regular is $120). Then get her a dome fixture with a 150w ZooMed Repti Basking spot lamp and an adjustable lamp stand so you can easily move the fixture up and down to adjust temps. It's also important to get the right temperature gradient so I'd pick up either a infrared temp gun or a couple of digital thermometers w/probes to go on each side of the tank.

For UVB I'd get a Zilla Slimline T8 18'' fixture and a ReptiSun 10.0 18'' T8 bulb for it. Take the clear plastic cover off because that will intercept the UVB. Get some small command hooks (1lb rated) and put them on the back of the tank just under the top. The fixture has two holes on the back that you can put the hooks into so you can hang the fixture easily. If you want to get the higher output T5, that would be even better but their optimal output is at about 12'' so you'll need a tall tank or low basking spots. If you go that route, these are good options:
This fixture http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ
With this bulb http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/

Or this combo set http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22-t-5-ho-fixture-high-output-with-arcadia-d3-12-ho-bulb/

For substrate I'd use non-adhesive shelf liner for now. It's easy to change out and can be cleaned/sanitized. If you can get some Wipeout! or F10SC disinfectant it's a good idea. You want to keep the substrate and everything in the tank as sanitary as possible. Pick up a habba hut or similar and build up some basking perches and hides. This can be an ongoing project though. Build the basking spot up to within about 6'' of the UVB light for best exposure.

Until you can get the equipment, try to keep her as warm as possible and as clean as possible. Offer her some water by dropping it on her nose from a plastic syringe or dropper. Try to keep her well hydrated. A vet visit is a good idea because you'll want to have a fecal check done, look for infections, and have that mouth looked at. An experienced reptile vet who works with bearded dragons is necessary for this level of care. If you can pick up some Oxbow Critical Care (usually available from a vet) it would be a good idea to feed that to her. If you can't find that, try some baby food squash or green beans and offer that by dropping it on her nose. Hopefully she'll lick it up and get some nutrients.
 
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