Drive across country 2700 miles with bearded dragon

[Mango44]

I’m looking into moving across the country and have had my dragon for year. I’m curious if this move would be too much for his system being in travel bag, without heat, and just being on the road with me, cat, dog. I would like to take him but want to do what is best for him.
I’m not sure if buying him a new enclosure might be best in terms of saving space but also how long he can go without being in a big box rather than travel bag.

Thanks also if anyone has or has not done this successfully please share

 

[ChileanTaco]

How many days are you planning for driving?
Where will you sleep in between, and once arriving? I think when you can arrange to sleep somewhere in your room, instead of sleeping in your car, that would be fine (to have access to power).

To keep him warm you can use (when you have access to a microwave where you sleep) a cherry seed pillow or similar that you can heat up and pack in his carrier. Also self-heating hand/feet warmer are a solution. Where you sleep, you can also plug in the lamps for some time during evening.
And I'm sure in the car you will maintain a temperature that is okay for you too and not freezing temperatures, so no danger for your dragon.

It will likely stress him a bit. But being given to another person, having a new environment (even if the person cares well), but even maybe the new person will not care well for him will also stress him. And being a few days without optimal but okay-ish conditions is not dangerous. Unpleasant yes (like a bad weather period in nature), but not dangerous as it might be e.g. for some fish when the conditions cannot be met.

Another option might be flying, if the reason for driving is not that you have to get your car to your new location. In that case, the dragon must go into the cargo hold like your other pets would need to, but it would be only one "not so comfortable" day for your dragon. Whether there are some airlines in your country that take reptiles is something you would have to look up, but likely they are.

How I would decide:
If I had to move and could not leave my dragon with a person I trust 100% that they keep the optimal conditions long-term, I would take my dragon with me as far as permitted. Better a few non-optimal days than a non-optimal rest of his life. If I could leave him with somebody who keeps everything right I might rather leave him there. (Let's say I would have to go for a year or so to another location for work, or some months for helping my parents and my husband would stay at home: dragon would stay with him. Both my husband and me leaving: dragon would go with us as far as permitted (might not be permitted into foreign country, or if he must go through long quarantine I would have to find another person that takes him and I would worry very much).)

 

[xp29]

I’m looking into moving across the country and have had my dragon for year. I’m curious if this move would be too much for his system being in travel bag, without heat, and just being on the road with me, cat, dog. I would like to take him but want to do what is best for him.
I’m not sure if buying him a new enclosure might be best in terms of saving space but also how long he can go without being in a big box rather than travel bag.

Thanks also if anyone has or has not done this successfully please share

I've moved from Florida to Oregon to Las Vegas to Kentucky to Vegas to Washington abd now back to Vegas all with my dragons in tow. It is very doable.

 

[xp29]

You can use hot hands wrapped in a towel for extra heat on the trip. They are like a buck each and last 6 to 8 hours each. You can keep it a bit warmer in the car 75ish to 80ish also. They won't be ill from a couple days without uvb or basking bulbs. If you stop and it's sunny, roll diwn the window and let tbe natural sunlight hit your beardie for a few minutes. (The glass blocks 100% of the uvb)

 

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

I’m looking into moving across the country and have had my dragon for year. I’m curious if this move would be too much for his system being in travel bag, without heat, and just being on the road with me, cat, dog. I would like to take him but want to do what is best for him.
I’m not sure if buying him a new enclosure might be best in terms of saving space but also how long he can go without being in a big box rather than travel bag.

Thanks also if anyone has or has not done this successfully please share

Hello! I have traveled with my bearded dragon perfectly fine for 2000 miles. He was not car sick or anything. I kept him in a see through plastic box and removed the lid. I have done this verious times. If it's cold in were you are, or will be traveling at very early times in the morning, I recommend you use hot water bottles. You could put the plastic box by the window of your car for more heat (not uvb, glass stops it). He should be perfectly fine, but keep in handy toilet rolls or the like in case he poos. Most bearded dragons don't get car sick so that shouldn't be much of a problem.

 

[Mango44]

Thank you so much for sharing, now I don’t feel as worried

 

[SkittlesK]

I've moved from Florida to Oregon to Las Vegas to Kentucky to Vegas to Washington abd now back to Vegas all with my dragons in tow. It is very doable.

I'm planning to move with my dragon within a few years.

 

[CooperDragon]

I've done many long road trips with my dragon with very good results. He seems to really enjoy seeing so much (this varies between dragons). Some helpful things I've found are to use a nice comfortable carrier. I have an oxgord cat style carrier that is soft sided with screen windows and clips onto the car seatbelt. It has a soft bottom which is comfortable for longer trips.
I stop at rest areas along the way to provide some sunshine when the weather allows, but they seem to do OK without lighting for a few days otherwise. I stay at hotels that are pet frendly (these are getting easier to find) and even when they typically charge a pet fee, they tend to waive that when they see I have a dragon rather than a dog or cat which could require additional cleaning efforts. On road trips I'm usually only in the hotel late at night after his bedtime and leave very early so I don't bother with setting up his travel light unless I"m going to be in the hotel for longer. He just sleeps in the carrier no problem. It's good to have some extra small towels or blankets to put in the bottom of the carrier so you can easily swap them if a mess is made. It's also good to have a bag easily accessible that has some waste bags, paper towels, vinegar/cleaner, carpet cleaner (Folex is amazing), and some F10/disinfectant so you can easily clean messes and get back on the road. Other than that, they tend to be really good copilots. I suggest enjoying your trip and the adventure/enrichment you get to offer him along the way.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree that it is very doable to travel across the country & move with your
dragon. They usually travel very well. As long as you have all of his creature comforts, him safely contained, keep him hydrated, then he should have a great time traveling with you.
I feel it's better to take him with you than to give him away, if at all possible.

Tracie