A bearded dragon from Santa Claus: CandyCane passed away :(

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Like the title says, I'm looking into and thoroughly researching bearded dragons to see if one would be a good fit for my family. My son has been telling me for weeks that Santa is probably bringing him a snake or a lizard and I should prepare myself, so that's what I'm doing. I have 8 year old twins, and a bearded dragon would be their one big gift from Santa Claus. They would not be the primary caretakers for obvious reasons, so I'm also researching what level of care they need, etc. I've learned they need quite a bit when they're younger, and I'm also trying to figure out if this is financially feasible for my family as well. I'm posting mainly because I have a question about habitat. I've been looking at different potential terrariums and I found one called the zen habitat. It's 4 feet long by 2 feet wide, so plenty of room. I'm just wondering if any bearded dragon owners on here have any first hand experience with these enclosures? Also, hoping to find a good breeder in Louisiana that will have some fun morphs, hopefully the bright yellow colors. I wouldn't mind having one shipped, but it would be easiest for us to pick up on Christmas Eve from someone local if that's at all possible. I have a veterinarian (for my dog) that also sees bearded dragons so that's in order. Anyway, just saying hello and introducing myself because I'll probably have lots of questions lol. Thanks!
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
ComicBookMama":3e5phax5 said:
Oh, I am SO sorry and sad to hear about this... it was so clear to anyone who read this thread how very loved Candy Cane was. I’m also sorry that there aren’t many books out there to help your daughter cope with her grief; most focus on dogs and cats. Mr. Rogers did a wonderful job with When a Pet Dies, which is more inter species, but your daughter might be a little old for that. Please don’t beat yourself up over what happened... we all make mistakes, and we are all here for you as you work through this. Sending prayers your way.
Thanks so much. She was loved, the little spitfire lol. She had bitten the heck out of my husband the day before all this too. She was so feisty. In a few weeks we will get her clay paw print and I’ll frame it in a shadow box for my daughter. She was happy about that. She already knows she wants another bearded dragon too, but she said she’s going to miss CandyCane’s sunset colors. I told her we will wait a while because she said looking at Wilbur sometimes makes her feel bad so we will wait until that’s not the case. Hurricane season is thankfully almost over and it was a ridiculous one.
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
ComicBookMama":339r67y9 said:
How is everyone doing? Just following up... been thinking of your family. :)

We're doing good. Looking at other bearded dragons for when we're ready. Wilbur is getting all of the attention lol and he doesn't mind it. Marilou has been doing great with it. She talks about CandyCane, and she's sad sometimes but laughs other times. It's not fresh anymore. She says sometimes she feels weird when she thinks of CandyCane which I know what she's talking about. It's that in between grief/ok I think.
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
opaquelace":1uqpwccg said:
ComicBookMama":1uqpwccg said:
How is everyone doing? Just following up... been thinking of your family. :)

We're doing good. Looking at other bearded dragons for when we're ready. Wilbur is getting all of the attention lol and he doesn't mind it. Marilou has been doing great with it. She talks about CandyCane, and she's sad sometimes but laughs other times. It's not fresh anymore. She says sometimes she feels weird when she thinks of CandyCane which I know what she's talking about. It's that in between grief/ok I think.

It is... the path through grief is a tricky and awkward thing. I'm glad you're all doing well, and are still open to another dragon when the time is right. Keep on keeping on, one day at a time. :)
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
ComicBookMama":4q64wt7g said:
opaquelace":4q64wt7g said:
ComicBookMama":4q64wt7g said:
How is everyone doing? Just following up... been thinking of your family. :)

We're doing good. Looking at other bearded dragons for when we're ready. Wilbur is getting all of the attention lol and he doesn't mind it. Marilou has been doing great with it. She talks about CandyCane, and she's sad sometimes but laughs other times. It's not fresh anymore. She says sometimes she feels weird when she thinks of CandyCane which I know what she's talking about. It's that in between grief/ok I think.

It is... the path through grief is a tricky and awkward thing. I'm glad you're all doing well, and are still open to another dragon when the time is right. Keep on keeping on, one day at a time. :)

I was actually thinking a rehabbed rescue dragon would be nice. I don’t know how to rehab them but I would gladly adopt a rescued rehabbed one for her.
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
opaquelace":275tc9gb said:
I was actually thinking a rehabbed rescue dragon would be nice. I don’t know how to rehab them but I would gladly adopt a rescued rehabbed one for her.

There is ALWAYS something nice about saving a life, and I'm a strong proponent of adopt-don't-shop, but do procede cautiously down that path. Rescued reptiles are unfortunately far more likely than rescued dogs and cats to have suffered extreme neglect, from improper lighting and heating to entirely inappropriate diets, and the results of such longterm mishandling can be hidden until the vet bills start piling up. Go through a reputable reptile rescue, if possible... avoid Craigslist at all costs... or see if any breeders have taken in rescues that they previously sold. And definitely make a post about rescues here to talk to folks who have taken in second-home dragons. The good folks on this list will give you the skinny, that's for sure. Good luck! :)
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
ComicBookMama":208dv3as said:
opaquelace":208dv3as said:
I was actually thinking a rehabbed rescue dragon would be nice. I don’t know how to rehab them but I would gladly adopt a rescued rehabbed one for her.

There is ALWAYS something nice about saving a life, and I'm a strong proponent of adopt-don't-shop, but do procede cautiously down that path. Rescued reptiles are unfortunately far more likely than rescued dogs and cats to have suffered extreme neglect, from improper lighting and heating to entirely inappropriate diets, and the results of such longterm mishandling can be hidden until the vet bills start piling up. Go through a reputable reptile rescue, if possible... avoid Craigslist at all costs... or see if any breeders have taken in rescues that they previously sold. And definitely make a post about rescues here to talk to folks who have taken in second-home dragons. The good folks on this list will give you the skinny, that's for sure. Good luck! :)
Definitely no Craigslist. Rescues or breeder rehabbed ones only. I’ve picked up my fair share of stray dogs and know how those vet bills pile up while I wait for a rescue to accept them. That was one thing I was wondering about the dragons: if the affects of neglect are more permanent compared to dogs and cats. If that’s the case, a baby from reputable breeder is the route we will go again. Not that I wouldn’t want to do all I could financially for a rescue beardie but my husband was laid off in April and is still out of work (but went to college in the meantime) so things are tight. As it is CandyCane’s vet bill was 600 dollars which was less than I expected really, and I’d have spent more for her to survive but she died on her own in the night. I just don’t want to knowingly take a pet that’s going to cost me higher than average in vet bills you know? Lol. As it is my dog has a bad habit of needing obstruction surgery. I have pictures to post too of Wilbur in his dragon pen. He loves it. Put some roaches down, he chases them, watches out the window, and then goes back. Makes him feel like he’s free range but he’s contained.
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
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The top few are from today. I got that playpen from Amazon. It's meant for babies but I figured it would be perfect for the kids to sit in and interact with the beardies while safely contained so they can't run under furniture. Turns out Wilbur also likes being in it by himself. I'm going to have to make him a perch because he likes looking out the window as you can see from the picture of him commandeering the dog bed. The last few are from Houston. He liked running around the rug when the other people in my family brought all the dogs for a walk. I'd let him run around then put him back up. I'd take him out at night too after he'd be asleep for cuddles and one night he decided he'd rest on the dog's belly. For size reference of how large Wilbur is...that's a 30 pound dog lol. He's not small.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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The play pen is a good idea and should work well. I have one that I use for travel sometimes. They can usually climb the walls easily if they want to, so keep that in mind when left unattended.
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
CooperDragon":28fc96va said:
The play pen is a good idea and should work well. I have one that I use for travel sometimes. They can usually climb the walls easily if they want to, so keep that in mind when left unattended.
We have a fairly open concept home so he’s easily visible but yes, he’s definitely a climber lol. The mesh is a larger weave so it’s not an easy climb, but I keep an eye on him because I’m worried about his claws getting stuck and him hurting his hands. It’s nice for him bc it’s different from his cage and has more room and 360 views of his area versus the single viewing window of his cage.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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Yeah it's definitely good to get them some variation in environment when you can. I'm an advocate of letting them free roam and go on adventures as long as it's safe for them to do so (no other animals around, no small bits on the floor to ingest, no places they can get stuck are accessible etc).
 

opaquelace

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
CooperDragon":1me72l9a said:
Yeah it's definitely good to get them some variation in environment when you can. I'm an advocate of letting them free roam and go on adventures as long as it's safe for them to do so (no other animals around, no small bits on the floor to ingest, no places they can get stuck are accessible etc).
I have a lot of furniture that’s just high enough for a lizard to get under comfortably that’s too heavy to move and 9 year old twins ensures there is always some kind of lego on the floor or small toy accessory lol. I’ve actually gotten to the point where if I find a lego on the floor it goes in the garbage and eventually they won’t have anymore. I’m so mean lol but I’m tired of stepping on them! It hurts so bad!
 

ComicBookMama

Sub-Adult Member
LEGO pieces fall into the same category as land mines to me... they go down, get forgotten, then maim the innocent! Lol... so glad we’re beyond that stage.

You asked if rescued beardies would be more prone to lasting illnesses... I don’t know for sure, since so much depends on the honesty of the original owner when surrendering them. I’d like to think the best, but I’ve gotten a bit jaded when it comes to human behavior. :(

If it was me, truth be told, I’d likely do a rescue for myself (with a lot of digging and questions asked), but for my son, I’d lean towards a breeder beardie. But that’s just me.
 
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