Old but New Dragon - any advice?

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alikate

Member
I have just acquired a 9 year old beardie called Puff as his owner was no longer interested & the poor guy has been pushed to the side to make way for kiddies new laptops & iPhones.
So being an animal lover, I couldn’t bear the thought of him not being cared for properly. I’m completely new to reptiles, hands up, I’m not completely confident I know what I’m doing but Doctor Google has been a great tool & this forum has been fab. Puff is booked to go to a reptile vet on Monday to make sure all is well.
My initial thoughts were that he was a bit underweight. His tank was tiny & he had inadequate heat/light. Heat pad at one end & an old uvb lamp at other in a 1.5ft tank. I’m not sure how long he had been kept like this. Oh, he had a solitary branch also as habitat ? asked how much he was fed - he got a couple of crickets a week & the odd handful of pepper.
Next day I bought him a basking lamp & the correct uva/uvb and an hour long trip to collect a new Vivarium which is 4 x 2 x 2 ft!
I’ve got him calcium powder, ReptoBoost for the bath, some wax worms & crickets. His new Viv is kitted out with all sorts of cool hide outs, hammocks etc. However, he’s eaten a few crickets & worms but is not even slightly interested in any veggies. I’ve tried pepper, apple, blueberry, pineapple, salad greens, grated carrot - tried a good mixture of everything. Not interested. He’s had a couple of baths with ReptoBoost. His poo’d at least twice in the past couple of days & OMG it’s foul!! Like...I have horses, dogs, cats... and nothing has smelt like this before. Not even my nephew’s bum ever smelt this bad!! Could be normal for BDs - as I say, I’m relatively new.
I also had to clip his claws a little as they were ridiculously long. I think that’s made him a bit comfier.
He seems bright, active enough, basks quite happily, goes round licking, glass surfs a little, back to his basking spot. He’s not really eaten much yesterday or today.
I hope I’m doing all the correct things for this wee guy. I’ve become really quite fond of him. We cuddled last night & he crashed out on me. He’s currently sitting at my patio window taking in the world outside. I’ll try attach photos - could any experienced beardie owners please offer up any advice? Or do you think he looks ok?
Roughly 18.5 inches long. Top image was when he first arrived. Next image was after a couple of baths & in his new Viv after a tasty bug meal
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KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
OMG that poor dragon- thank god you rescued him!!! He looks under weight to me-- is he on sand? I would get rid of the sand if he is on that! I would suggest either shelf liner or ceramic tile - not smooth but w/ a rough surface so to speak cant think of the name -- what kind of lighting did you get? A UVB I would suggest is a either a Reptisun 10.0 T8 mounted inside the tank w/ out the reflector shield or a Arcadia 10.0 T5 mounted inside the tank no reflector shield-- how are you taking his temps for basking etc? The poop smell is normal -- if you change out the flooring it will be easier to keep clean-- a bottle mixed w/ vinegar and water a little heavier on the vinegar side will get rid of the smell after you clean it up- I would keep offering him greens as that is what he should be eating by now mostly greens like mustard-- collard-- berries like straw and blue- apple - sweet potato-- green pepper occasionally -- I would offer him some dubias roaches but only after you change out the flooring - other wise you could feed him in a different container- have you weighed him -- if you have a kitchen scale you can weigh him on that-- there is a page that has nutrition listed I think its on the feeding page -- I am sure he is a lot happier and it sounds like your wanting to get things right for him --- it makes me so sad to see this type of treatment for these poor dragons -- I hope he starts to gain some weight -- keep us posted
Karrie
 

alikate

Member
Original Poster
Hi Karrie. Thank you for your reply ☺️ I think it was ignorance & lack of knowledge on behalf of the previous owner. I’ve just researched as much as possible on internet so I can do the best by him.
He was on sand when I got him & they gave me a massive bag which is why I just used it up. But that totally makes sense re cleaning out etc. Is vinegar quite safe for them?
The lighting I’m using is the Arcadia. The guys at the local pet shop were pretty helpful in that respect.
I have a wee thermometer that I’m using to check the temperatures. From what I’ve read online it seems to get hot enough - he tends to sit with his mouth open regulating & as flat as a pancake ?I think that means he’s cosy enough!?
He’s off to vet on Monday for a 30 min consultation/check up so I’ll chat through everything with them then. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I’ll keep doing my best for the wee chap!
 

alikate

Member
Original Poster
Oh I meant to say, I can’t find my darn kitchen scales after having my kitchen refitted last year, but I reckon the vet will weigh him on Monday? I’ll report back once I know more. Thanks again.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I would recommend a Infrared temp gun they are like $10 at Walmart etc-- the shelf liner or ceramic tile you can get at Home Depot or your local home store -- its cheap- yes the vinegar is safe- I always clean Hiccups tank w/ it after he has pooped- hes on ceramic tile -
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-- yes let us know how his check up goes -- and they should weigh him - you can get a little kitchen scale at Walmart as well - they are like $10 too --

Karrie
 

alikate

Member
Original Poster
Omg look at your wee guy! He looks so happy & what a beautiful colour.
When I was registering Puff on Friday the vet nurse asked me what colour he was... I was like, erm, ‘bearded dragon colour?’ ? she must have been laughing to herself. Now I’m realising how many wonderful colours they come in! What an ***** ??‍♀️ Although to be fair, Puff has changed colour since I first got him!!
Just checking, please excuse my ignorance, is your shelf liner the plastic or paper based type?
Thank you so much for the information.
 

Terry15

Sub-Adult Member
You can always scoop out the sand and vacuum out the rest. Get the non adhesive shelf liner, cheap & easy to clean. You pick up a roll at Bed Bath & Beyond. It’s plastic with the other side being soft & spongy. It makes a good liner to put down if you want to put some tiles on top. He does look skinny. You could get some Repashy grub pie powder to mix up, which sets up like jello with hot water. You can cut it up to worm size or mix it with some unsweetened applesauce. Definitely post the update after he goes to the vet.
 

alikate

Member
Original Poster
Hi Terry. Thanks so much for replying. I’ll research the Grub Pie & thank you for the link. I’ll definitely be getting rid of the sand - it’s messy & gets everywhere so I’ll be glad to see it go!
I’ll keep going with the veggies also. He just doesn’t seem interested at all. But he has had a new owner, new habitat & more interaction than he’s probably had in years so I guess if he’s a bit stressed it may take a few days to settle.
Is it just regular tiles that you would suggest? Like floor tiles? They don’t get too hot?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Hiccup is a Citrus Orange Tiger- and his substrate is ceramic tile- I got it from Home Depot for $13- had to cut it to fit tank and its easily removable for cleaning! Yes its floor tile -- and no they do not get hot!
Karrie
 

alikate

Member
Original Poster
Wow Hiccup is a very grand looking chap indeed!! ?
I am in Scotland & it’s freezing here just now, quite literally and the days are very short, so I guess Puff may also be bruminating? Am I right in thinking they might not eat as much if in that phase?
I shall get some shelf liner & tiles tomorrow from the local shops - get rid of that pesky sand. Thanks again Guys, it really is appreciated! Hopefully we can get Puff healthy!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I am in MN and it has been below zero the last week -- w/ that being said I have been running a CHE in his tank to keep it warm- his basking light does a good job as well and his tank runs different temps in different spots!
Karrie
 

MarlowAndMe

Juvie Member
Welcome to the page :)
I see you have had heaps of good advice re the best page to look at for a feeding guide, the Arcadia t5 12% ( if that’s what you got?) is the best uvb, he is a bit underweight and the foul smelling poop mine had for a few days when I first adopted him as a 9months old and I think it was the increase in coccidia level that can happen from stress of moving - sometimes it settles on its own within the first week so it’s a good idea to wait 2 weeks for a fecal test after you first get a new dragon so you get a good indication of the parasite level
 

alikate

Member
Original Poster
Thank you! I’m glad everyone else thinks he’s underweight as it was my very first thought & I’m by NO means highly experienced. I used to have a tortoise (again which I rescued at 85 years old!) so am vaguely familiar with the reptile world but WOW am I learning so much stuff.
The lamp is the Arcadia D3 version? We’ve fitted into the new viv as it was only equipped with an infrared & UVA basking lamp. The UVB he came with was a coiled bulb type, not a lot of heat. And the small heat pad was at the other end of the tank. So I think anything would be an upgrade on his old living conditions! Just been to the shop to pick up a whole basket of collards & other greens ? I’m going to be very healthy soon if Puff keeps refusing his veg! Thanks again everyone. Appreciate everyone’s advice.
 

Terry15

Sub-Adult Member
I only have the non adhesive shelf liner, no tiles. A lot of people use the slate tiles, that way they can keep their nails pedicured. I shop for a few fresh greens where they sell it by the pound, mine does not like his greens to much. I hate having to buy a whole bunch of kale or collard greens, I just get fresh leaves every week. I’ve tried a lot of things on the nutrition list, when I use things to cook with, I chop up the rest for him. Which he usually does not eat. The Grub pie is a good staple.
 
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