New Adopted Baby Beardie! (and his backstory)

Hi everyone! My name is Jenin, and I've been a ghost user on this site for a few weeks and decided to make an account today!

I recently adopted a baby bearded dragon from PetSmart. Long story short, he was in the back since April 2nd and I have a few friends who work there who tried their best to care for this lil' beb but unfortunately, there was only so much they could do due to policy. I was informed about him (as I usually am with most of their animals for adoption), and decided to take him in. It was kind of short notice when I decided to take him, so I did the most research I could in that time frame and setup his temporary enclosure. I will be adding pics later on of his setup.

The reason he was for adoption was due to his lack of appetite. He was incredibly dehydrated and lethargic when he arrived to the store and I was told he could barely hold his head up and open his eyes. He was doing significantly better when I dropped by to look at him and his condition. He was alert, and constantly giving me that glaring beardie look of judgement :lol: My friends who were employees at the store attempted to feed him crickets, but he would only take one or two at a time and then refuse to eat. They started feeding him mealworms and he seemed to take those much better. I know that mealworms are a big no-no especially for such young beardies due to the high amount of chitin. So I was already concerned that he could be impacted. His feces looked normal at the store. Solid white urates as well. He has also already defacated while in my care and all looked fine.

I brought him home 2 days ago, on Tuesday, and has already shown some improvements. He still has a poor appetite and only ate 3 crickets for me yesterday. I did feed him 2 freshly shed mealworms along with the crickets, too since I was worried he was hardly eating. I thought maybe freshly shed mealworms would be slightly better than one with the hard exo-skeleton. If it still isn't good for him, I will gladly completely stop offering mealworms (even the freshly shed ones). I'm planning on starting a dubia roach colony as a staple feeder for him but I'm still on the lookout for sellers around me locally. So for now, we're sticking with crickets.

That's kind of the gist of it.. I know that was kind of long lol! I will be posting pics of his setup and general info about him (weight, length, temps, etc.) on this post so everyone can tell me if I have to change anything or improve anything with his setup. I just want the best life for this lil guy!

Here’s his setup. It’s a temporary 110qt bin setup with a 65w flood light w/ ceramic fixture & Reptisun 10.0 T8:

Temps under his basking spot:

Left: when I first brought him home, Right: 24 hours after a soak, and a small meal:

Overview of him and his cuteness:

He weighs 9g and is 6in long!

Please let me know if there’s anything I need to do to improve my setup! I’m very open to suggestions!

He's looking much better. I'd say you're doing a fantastic job.

A few questions, though.

Is he eating every day? Even if it's just a few feeders a day then that's better than nothing. He's probably feeling a little stressed from both his poor condition and then now his new environment, which is a very common thing. Most bearded dragons don't have a big appetite after moving to a new home but if he's still eating something every day then that's okay.

Is he eating more than he used to? Even just a tiny amount of progress is better than none.

Do you know how old he is? Because he looks pretty darn small for a dragon his age. If he's been in the back of that PetSmart since April 2nd then that means he's at least eleven weeks old if not older. If that little one is at that age or more, then his previous lack of care likely stunted his growth. Either that or he is a runt. My dragon, Lyrica, is seven weeks old today and she's 7.5 inches long and weighs 20 grams. That's more than double your dragon's weight.

Here is a pic of my dragon in my hand. The size difference is amazing to me.


Either way, it's a good thing you took him in when you did because he needs some TLC.

How often do you handle him? When you bring a new dragon home, it's recommended that you give them about a week of settling in and that you don't handle them. Or at least don't handle them any more than necessary. It allows them to get comfortable in their new home and to get used to you. Be careful not to handle them too much or else they can get very scared and stop eating altogether. Though that doesn't seem to be the case.

Is he alert and moving around? If he is then that's good. If he's lethargic then that's a cause for worry. By lethargic I mean does he lay down and sleep all the time. If he's just chilling under his basking spot most of the time then that's fine. But does he at least move around his enclosure a little? Maybe climb up onto some new things and explore? In the picture of his enclosure he seems to be watching you intently so it seems like he's alert.

Have you taken him to a vet? Considering what he's been through, I'd recommend you take him to a vet if you haven't already. If he has any parasites or diseases in him then that can cause him to lose his appetite. Though I wouldn't panic, it sounds like he's doing okay. But still, take him to an exotic animal vet in a week or two just to be on the safe side.

The most likely culprit of his loss of appetite is relocation stress. I just got my bearded dragon, Lyrica, on Tuesday as well and she doesn't have as big of an appetite as she likely would have had before she was shipped to me. But she is eating. First day she ate only two bites of collard greens and about five dubias. Yesterday she ate close to ten roaches and today more than ten. She's slowly gaining back her appetite as she gains confidence. I got her from a breeder though and I'm not sure how your beardie's life was before you got him.

Still, your setup is pretty good so far. The basking spot could be a little warmer, maybe around 110 degrees, but it's not bad so no need to panic. As far as your setup goes, the only thing I'm concerned about is him getting out of that open bin. It seems as if he won't be able to, but I've seen beardies make crazier jumps so just watch out for that. Other than that, I'd say you're doing very good. Definitely get those dubias if you can, they're awesome. One or two meal worms might not hurt your dragon but they're still not a good feeder at all. Also, keep up on the calcium and vitamin supplements too.

If he stops eating for a few days then you might want to schedule a visit to the vet ASAP.

Regardless of what may be going on, what you've done for him so far is awesome. He may have been doomed had it not been for you and your friend. Keep an eye on him and look for any signs of illness. As long as he's still eating, his poops are normal and he's active and alert then he's as good as he can be at this point. If he seems okay then give him some time to adjust to his new home. Keep doing some research, though. I don't claim to be an expert, this is just what information I've gathered during my four years of research.

By the way, if you live anywhere in Houston then I can give you some roaches from my colony.

Hi! Yes, he is eating every day. Yesterday he took 4 crickets and 3 or 4 freshly shed mealworms dusted in Calcium (w/o D3, I still have to grab a new bottle). Today he ate 3 crickets and 1 freshly shed mealworm also dusted in calcium. I tried to offer him some greens yesterday but he seemed terrified of them lol. He seems to only be interested in food for a very short while and then backs away from it. I offer him food about 3 times a day to see if he'll take.

I'm not certain if he's eating more than he used to, but from what I have heard my friend say at the store, he would seem interested and eye the feeder and just not eat it. I did however, put him in a separate container today with the crickets and he eagerly hunted 2 of them down and I hand fed him one that I was surprised he even took.

I'm not sure of his age. But he is at least 2 months old since he has been at the store since April. They send them in so young from who knows where. I do know that he is very small, but that's not too surprising considering his previous care.

I only handled him when I gave him a soak yesterday which he happily drank from, and when I moved him to the separate bin to hunt some crickets. Other than that, I just stay by his enclosure and observe him and let him get used to my presence. Having 6 other animals and knowing the settling in process, it's not as impossible anymore to leave an animal alone to settle in haha! Still very tempting, though.

He is indeed moving around and alert. He raises his body when he's basking, sometimes he'll pancake and take a nap on the basking spot, but he's constantly eyeing me and is very curious of my movement. I've also witnessed him gape for the first time today which was stinkin adorable

I am going to see a vet if his conditions aren't improving. Our exotic vet here is about an hour away from my apartment, but only 30 minutes away from my actual home. I am definitely going to be taking him in a few weeks once he's settled and eating. I just didn't want to make that drive just yet to avoid the extra stress. He seems to be doing much better, so I'll see it out from there.

The temps on the basking spot vary anywhere from 98-110 actually! So he does have access to higher temps on the platform if he so chooses. So far he seems to prefer to only be under the 110 side for a few minutes and then he decides to move over to the side near the 102-105F temps.

Yeah, I was concerned about the bin being open, too. I was going to make a screen top out of the lid, but I was worried that it wouldn't be enough ventilation. I don't have any cats or dogs that can get to him, and basking platform has the screen mesh on it so he can't really get out from that side either. But if I do notice that he starts figuring his way out, I'll make a lid of some sort haha!

I absolutely agree about the research. To this day I haven't stopped researching about any of my children that I keep! Thank you so much for your feedback. I wish I lived near Houston, but I'm located in North Carolina. I'm definitely going to get some Dubias and start a colony!

I do have a question about soaking though. I know most people say to limit it to a week or twice a week, but I'm worried the little guy isn't getting enough hydration especially considering his past condition. Do you think soaking 2 or 3 times a week would be overkill for him? Any thoughts would be great. Thanks again for your input, I really appreciate it!

The recommendation for soaking really does vary from person to person. I'd say two or three times a week is fine. As long as his pee is normal and his skin looks normal then I wouldn't panic. I offer Lyrica water with a syringe three times a day. The first time I did it(which was just after she arrived on Tuesday) she drank several gulps. Since then she's only drank maybe a gulp or two. I also spray her veggies for extra water, which she eats sometimes. If you can get your dragon to eat veggies then it will definitely help. Nearly all veggies have water. I also offered Lyrica fruit before. She likes nectarines(just the flesh, no skin). Also a piece of peeled apple will work(with no skin). Or cucumber.(again, without the skin)

They won't dehydrate themselves. I don't think you need to worry too much. As long as he's alert and having regular pees then he's hydrated enough.

RarestDragon":3u3bccqs said:

The recommendation for soaking really does vary from person to person. I'd say two or three times a week is fine. As long as his pee is normal and his skin looks normal then I wouldn't panic. I offer Lyrica water with a syringe three times a day. The first time I did it(which was just after she arrived on Tuesday) she drank several gulps. Since then she's only drank maybe a gulp or two. I also spray her veggies for extra water, which she eats sometimes. If you can get your dragon to eat veggies then it will definitely help. Nearly all veggies have water. I also offered Lyrica fruit before. She likes nectarines(just the flesh, no skin). Also a piece of peeled apple will work(with no skin). Or cucumber.(again, without the skin)

They won't dehydrate themselves. I don't think you need to worry too much. As long as he's alert and having regular pees then he's hydrated enough.

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Okay! Thanks again for your input. The veggies is a process with him but I’ll keep trying! I offered him some squash and banana too, interested but reluctant haha. Hopefully soon!

Don't feed him too much banana. It's a calcium binder. Banana once a week is fine. Apple is probably best since it doesn't have a too much vitamin A and it has a decent amount of water. Nectarine is fine as a treat too. I'd like to see pics of his progress as time goes on.

RarestDragon":301tzkos said:

Don't feed him too much banana. It's a calcium binder. Banana once a week is fine. Apple is probably best since it doesn't have a too much vitamin A and it has a decent amount of water. Nectarine is fine as a treat too. I'd like to see pics of his progress as time goes on.

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Thanks for letting me know! I do have the list of safe beardie foods and how often to offer them. I just figured I would try something on the sweeter side to even entice him to eat fruits and veg. And I will definitely give an update on him in the future

I should probably mention that it is possible to give a beardie too much water. Too much water can give them diarrhea, which can then dehydrate them as well. That's why a lot of websites advise against giving them lettuce and such. To be honest, I think your dragon looks fine. They retain water very well. They also get a little water from the feeders they eat. That's why people also recommend a bath once or twice a week. Though if your dragon is shedding, like mine, an extra bath will help more than not.

I’m so happy to say that lil’ beardie’s appetite is back this morning! He ate about 12 crickets for me and happily hunted one that was below his basking rock too! He’s way more active and alert and he seems like a completely different beardie with his new energy!

I’m off to get more crickets now and hopefully the next update on him will be about his weight gain!

thejzoo":bt8xhbez said:

I’m so happy to say that lil’ beardie’s appetite is back this morning! He ate about 12 crickets for me and happily hunted one that was below his basking rock too! He’s way more active and alert and he seems like a completely different beardie with his new energy!

I’m off to get more crickets now and hopefully the next update on him will be about his weight gain!

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That's awesome! Sounds like he's off to a great start. I suspect he'll grow like bamboo in the next few weeks if he continues to eat well.

That's awesome! Sounds like he's off to a great start. I suspect he'll grow like bamboo in the next few weeks if he continues to eat well.[/quote]

I hope so! He also ate some collards & turnip greens after his crix. And he seems to really enjoy yellow squash! Thanks for all your input!

thejzoo":33f4621u said:

I hope so! He also ate some collards & turnip greens after his crix. And he seems to really enjoy yellow squash! Thanks for all your input!

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Awesome! By the way, does he have a name?

Not yet, a few names in mind but still waiting for him to gain weight to officially name him haha