New Rescue

[KristenT]

I couldn't say no. I got these pictures of a bearded dragon needing a home. He's 4, and according to what I've been told doesn't eat veggies, is 13 inches long, clearly has MBD and was 'treated' a year ago for 'vitamin c deficiancy' but he's 'done with those meds' and is in a 20 gallon tank.
I couldn't say no.
Am I prepared to take a beardie that is in this state and needs a whole new set up and critical care and vet care and lots of time and work? Umm.. no. Will I make it work?
Too late now not to!
Racing to find a vet and supplies now.
Please tell me I'm not the only bleeding heart? Just look at this poor little guy!
I pick him up Saturday, but I swear I want to come save him tonight! :'(

EDIT: I have a vet lined up, but I'm not going to be able to find a better tank for him immediatly. Any tips on what to do there? Would a tupperware bin be better than this, or clean the living daylights out of this one and leave him in it for now? Will pick up plain pedialite and critical care before I get him and start him on fluids immediatly. Any other tips? I'm feeling a little in over my head.

 

[KarrieRee]

I couldn't say no. I got these pictures of a bearded dragon needing a home. He's 4, and according to what I've been told doesn't eat veggies, is 13 inches long, clearly has MBD and was 'treated' a year ago for 'vitamin c deficiancy' but he's 'done with those meds' and is in a 20 gallon tank.
I couldn't say no.
Am I prepared to take a beardie that is in this state and needs a whole new set up and critical care and vet care and lots of time and work? Umm.. no. Will I make it work?
Too late now not to!
Racing to find a vet and supplies now.
Please tell me I'm not the only bleeding heart? Just look at this poor little guy!
I pick him up Saturday, but I swear I want to come save him tonight! :'(

EDIT: I have a vet lined up, but I'm not going to be able to find a better tank for him immediatly. Any tips on what to do there? Would a tupperware bin be better than this, or clean the living daylights out of this one and leave him in it for now? Will pick up plain pedialite and critical care before I get him and start him on fluids immediatly. Any other tips? I'm feeling a little in over my head.

What are people thinking when they get these dragons-- I hope you can pull him thru this --- the most important thing is the lighting and basking temps -- I would keep everything low for him so he does not haft to climb - leave him in the 20 gallon for now and clean the crap out of it - you need to set it up like a hospital tank - I will show a pic its a 20 gallon tote -- what are you using for a UVB and are you familiar w/ the correct lighting like no coils etc -- I am gonna have AHBD help you out here --
@AHBD
@Drache613

 

[KristenT]

Ok, so hospital tank - newspaper, higher ambient temp I'm assuming (what am I shooting for here for a sick one?) and normal basking temps(?), nothing to climb on or fall off of, is a cave ok or a bad idea at this point?
He comes with no lights that I know of, but I have a clamp lamp I can use for heat and will be getting a UVA/UVB 10.0 reptisun bar light. I still have my thermometers I think from my last beardie, but I'll get more if I can't find them.
I also have a CHE lamp that I can use to boost temps at night if needed.
I officially have a vet appointment lined up. I'm thinking I probably need to get fluids in him (plain pedilyte) as soon as possible and let him adjust with that for a few days, then start critical care. Not sure if that's the best way to approach or not? The vet isn't able to get me in until a few days after I take possession of the little guy.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok, so hospital tank - newspaper, higher ambient temp I'm assuming (what am I shooting for here for a sick one?) and normal basking temps(?), nothing to climb on or fall off of, is a cave ok or a bad idea at this point?
He comes with no lights that I know of, but I have a clamp lamp I can use for heat and will be getting a UVA/UVB 10.0 reptisun bar light. I still have my thermometers I think from my last beardie, but I'll get more if I can't find them.
I also have a CHE lamp that I can use to boost temps at night if needed.
I officially have a vet appointment lined up. I'm thinking I probably need to get fluids in him (plain pedilyte) as soon as possible and let him adjust with that for a few days, then start critical care. Not sure if that's the best way to approach or not? The vet isn't able to get me in until a few days after I take possession of the little guy.

Watch the temps over night for the 20 gallon tank you can keep them around high 70's - 80- I would get the Zoo Med fixture 24" thats going to come w/ the 5.0 bulb w/ a basking distance of 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor you can use rolled up towels so he can get propped up closer to his lights if you haft to - if the 20 gallon will allow for a 10.0 bulb they need a distance of 12-15 inches go w/ that one - either way you can use that fixture for him w/ those bulbs - the 10.0 bulb will go into the next tank - as far as the critical care unless he can eat on his own I would do that but offer small meals - salads and slow on the bugs - dust them w/ the calcium D3 -- if not feed him 1 ml at time making it like a slurry hes going to get hydration thru that - feeding 3 times per day for now - critical care is thick so you may see if he will eat off the spoon or the syringe you can snip the end of it off so the hole is wider - I am hoping some body else will respond here so they can pitch in and help

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

People now these days! He looks so sad and it looks like he can't even walk! I hate how people take in innocent animals(like beardies) and treat them like they don't care. I am glad that you rescued him and didn't say no or else he could've been dead in like a month. You should definitely get working on him to keep him alive we becuz on the looks of it, he's thriving and luckily, you saved him. Let's just pray for him

 

[KristenT]

Just a quick update… I have him. Definitely a little boy and SO small and the front arms are very deformed. He walks on the back of his wrists pretty much. I’ll try and link a vid. He’s a little spicy! Lol a good sign that I’ll take. He’s alert. They said he has refused food for about two weeks now but they’ve been giving him liquid calcium daily. I got a dropper of watered down veg baby food and he was more than happy to take some. All good signs I hope! Having a heck of a time finding a uva/uvb bulb in stock… supply issues. Heading out to try another store now.
He’s clean, he’s in a clean cage, has a little food in his belly and is warm and safe.
We’ll go from there!

 

[KarrieRee]

Just a quick update… I have him. Definitely a little boy and SO small and the front arms are very deformed. He walks on the back of his wrists pretty much. I’ll try and link a vid. He’s a little spicy! Lol a good sign that I’ll take. He’s alert. They said he has refused food for about two weeks now but they’ve been giving him liquid calcium daily. I got a dropper of watered down veg baby food and he was more than happy to take some. All good signs I hope! Having a heck of a time finding a uva/uvb bulb in stock… supply issues. Heading out to try another store now.
He’s clean, he’s in a clean cage, has a little food in his belly and is warm and safe.
We’ll go from there!

Try this website they are fast and good www.pangeareptiles.com

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

That's is great that your treating him immediately

 

[KristenT]

This past weekend was a total whirlwind of MULTIPLE PetsMart visits to several locations, among other things. This is the current set up I have. Low temps are about 78 right now, highs are about 92, and basking is about 98. I'm still working on those. He (I've decided to call him Charlie) can move around, but is uninterested in eating real food. He will take baby food from a dropper though, and I'll see how he does with a spoon tonight. In this picture I had set him by the food, and when I went to check on him an hour later he had moved himself to the basking spot. (yay!)
So for the set up, I have a 75w in one side of the double dome and CHE in the other side, plus the UVA/UVB bar, and a UTH on the back. Nothing in his cage but thermometers, towels and food in the far corner.
Can't wait for this vet appointment...
I leaned that last year he actually spent about a week at the vet's on IV, so he must have been in really terrible shape then. I'm praying we're not about to have a repeat of that! My wallet can't take much more in the category of pet emergencies.
Working on getting a scale next. I'm really curious to see how little he weighs. He's so tiny!!!

 

[KarrieRee]

This past weekend was a total whirlwind of MULTIPLE PetsMart visits to several locations, among other things. This is the current set up I have. Low temps are about 78 right now, highs are about 92, and basking is about 98. I'm still working on those. He (I've decided to call him Charlie) can move around, but is uninterested in eating real food. He will take baby food from a dropper though, and I'll see how he does with a spoon tonight. In this picture I had set him by the food, and when I went to check on him an hour later he had moved himself to the basking spot. (yay!)
So for the set up, I have a 75w in one side of the double dome and CHE in the other side, plus the UVA/UVB bar, and a UTH on the back. Nothing in his cage but thermometers, towels and food in the far corner.
Can't wait for this vet appointment...
I leaned that last year he actually spent about a week at the vet's on IV, so he must have been in really terrible shape then. I'm praying we're not about to have a repeat of that! My wallet can't take much more in the category of pet emergencies.
Working on getting a scale next. I'm really curious to see how little he weighs. He's so tiny!!!

Your screen on the tank is a fine mesh like a screen door or wide hole type? This is going to make a difference in the rays the fine mesh will block 30% and he needs full uvb- distance 12-15 inches directly over his towel - if you need to get it higher roll the towel up so he can crawl on it- uth is the uvb?

 

[KristenT]

It's a winder mesh... not like a screen window. I can get the mesh size when I get home. I'm having some trouble figureing out how to get direct basking heat AND UVA/UVB both at his basking spot at the same time, since the tank is only a 20gal and I don't have any way to clamp a heat lamp off to the side. Any ideas?
The UTH is the under tank heat mat that's attached to the outside back wall of the tank. The UVA/UVB is a ReptiSun ZooMed 10.0 and it spans the length of the tank.
I think I can fix the basking spot with a different bulb. I was only able to get a 75w normal lamp bulb, and I think I need a flood style bulb to throw heat out more. Hopefully that will allow me to get the UVA/UVB directly above the basking spot, which is under 15inches away.
I'll get an exact measure tonight!
Any tips on how to arrange the lights on the top so that he gets the best out of both? (besides a better flood bulb)
I thought about trying to mount the UVA/UVB INSIDE the tank, but after looking at it I have no idea how I would do that.

 

[KarrieRee]

It's a winder mesh... not like a screen window. I can get the mesh size when I get home. I'm having some trouble figureing out how to get direct basking heat AND UVA/UVB both at his basking spot at the same time, since the tank is only a 20gal and I don't have any way to clamp a heat lamp off to the side. Any ideas?
The UTH is the under tank heat mat that's attached to the outside back wall of the tank. The UVA/UVB is a ReptiSun ZooMed 10.0 and it spans the length of the tank.
I think I can fix the basking spot with a different bulb. I was only able to get a 75w normal lamp bulb, and I think I need a flood style bulb to throw heat out more. Hopefully that will allow me to get the UVA/UVB directly above the basking spot, which is under 15inches away.
I'll get an exact measure tonight!
Any tips on how to arrange the lights on the top so that he gets the best out of both? (besides a better flood bulb)
I thought about trying to mount the UVA/UVB INSIDE the tank, but after looking at it I have no idea how I would do that.

Use this it works great its like a like a Velcro strap cut into strips wrap around the fixture https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-15-ft-Cable-Ties-Hook-and-Loop-Spool-Black-10375/304220195
if you can next to one another is optimal - if not place it in the tank middle he will go to the light he needs -

 

[KristenT]

I'll take another look tonight and try something like that - thanks!

 

[KristenT]

So it turns out the bar light is just barely too long to be mounted in the tank. It’s the only one I could find though, after four pet stores, so I’m stuck with it. Basking temp is right at 100 now and he was basking when I got home. He ate a little green bean baby food with vitamins and calcium mixed in tonight, but not much. I tried to get a video of how he moves, but he decided he was tired as soon as I got the phone out.
I also had no luck finding a scale small enough to weigh him. I did gently put his legs straight and he pushed himself up like that for a few minutes before sinking back down and flipping his arms backwards again.
That vet appointment can’t come quick enough!

 

[hdochow]

this is the scale we have. when the bowl got to be too small we started using a glass mixing bowl instead. Amazon.com