Baby Beardie on Craigslist

[maiba]

So I’m always browsing on Craigslist to see if there’s anything I can pick up for my little boy Lip, and sometimes I happen to come by a beardie for sale that I become a little concerned for. I’ll put pictures below this, but this baby is in a 10 gallon tank with what looks to be only a basking light. I contacted them to see if I could get more info on the beardie, they say it’s a female and 6-7 months old (which clearly she isn’t). In the pictures she sent her tail is very oddly bent at the base, not sure if it’s normal since I’ve never had an actual baby beardie. I’m just concerned for her overall health and want to know if you guys think I should rescue her or do you think it will be okay if I let someone else possibly find her. Also would like to know if she looks healthy. Thank you

 

[AHBD]

Poor baby has MBD. Severe neglect, she sure needs a good owner to give her proper lighting , a decent tank and regular calcium supplementation.

 

[maiba]

How can you tell she has MBD? Just curious as to how to tell and how to tell how bad it is. Do you see anything else health wise? I currently have a 29 gallon high that I keep my crickets in but I could probably use it for her if I got her since she’s so little. Other tank items as well that Lip has grown out of already. I’m really concerned for her

 

[AHBD]

The tail is deformed, a classic sign that the bones have not grown properly. MBD can also cause fractures that heal improperly. This beardie is fortunate olny in that the tail seems to be the only area rather than the back + the legs which would be painful + cause mobility problems. This baby may have a degree of MBD in her front legs as well, you'll be able to tell if you see her in person + watch how she walks or crawls. May regain some strength with good care. See if they will go very low price since it's deformed, they should really just give it to you + be thankful it's going to a good home. BTW, she may very well be 6 months but stunted.

 

[maiba]

If I could get her for free that would be ideal. I’m in between jobs right now and don’t start my new one til next week so I currently only have $200 in funds. That’s why I’m contemplating this so much. Do you think her condition could be severe enough that she needs rescuing? Also after talking to the seller more they say they’re getting rid of her because they’re moving and don’t have enough to afford crickets at this point. Thank you so much for your input

 

[maiba]

I’ve come across yet another mistreated bearded dragon on Craigslist but this one seems pretty bad. I’m highly considering getting her but I am in between jobs and don’t start my next one for a week so I’m not sure if I could handle it as well financially as someone else might. If I got her do you think with exceptional love and care she could last the next few weeks before a vet visit? Or if anyone else who lives in northwest Washington could help her she needs it. Craigslist post says she is located in Olympia. I will put a few pictures of her current situation and condition below.

 

[Foxxy76]

Aww..Poor baby! I hate to see one like that!

 

[KarrieRee]

If you can get her do it--- she needs rescuing-- she probably wont last too much longer---
Karrie

 

[Claudiusx]

Let us know what you decide and we will be here to help along the way.

And I agree with AHBD. she very well could be 6 months old. Housed and fed improperly, dragons wont grow.

-Brandon

 

[maiba]

I’m picking her up tomorrow. I won’t be able to take her to the vet for a couple weeks so what can I do to help her besides the standard proper husbandry, thank you all for your help and concerns

 

[KarrieRee]

Great!!!! I am so happy your going to get her--- the proper lighting is going to start--- AHBD and Tracie 613 can help you w/ the
medical-- to me she looks underweight-- so some good dubia w/ calcium d3-- and whatever they recommend
Karrie

 

[CooperDragon]

She's going to need a high quality UVB light and probably some extra calcium supplementation for a little while, so it's not going to be cheap if you don't already have the equipment on hand. A vet visit is always a good idea with a rescue dragon but may be delayable for a few weeks depending on how she looks/acts in person. Lighting and diet are critical however and will need to be ready to go.

 

[Jeweledantler]

? im new. How do you know she has signs of MBD? She looks really young

 

[CooperDragon]

Mostly the kinked tail which is a sign of bone deformity. They tend to have rubbery arms and legs or deformed jaws too in some cases. Bone density can be checked through an x-ray but with outwardly visible signs you can start treating it as an MBD case and offer high (sunlight levels) of UVB to bask in to help them process calcium. It's also good to offer calcium rich foods like black soldier fly larvae and collard greens. Calcium dusting on other bugs that are offered is also necessary. In some cases a liquid calcium supplement is used to provide an easier to absorb form. Once they start processing calcium properly, the advancement of MBD can be halted and their bone density and muscle tone improves. It can't be reversed, but it can be stopped and they can still live a good life with proper care. It does take an investment in high quality equipment and vet care as well as focused care and attention.

 

[Claudiusx]

I don't really think a vet visit is 100% necessary. At least not first thing so dont worry about that.

Get the proper husbandry and a proper diet going and then we can go from there. Imo at this point the only real benefit you'll get out of a vet is a fecal test, but I like to recommend waiting a couple weeks to a month before that as relocation stress and stress in general can skew parasite counts up higher than they would normally be.

-Brandon