My science class has two bearded dragons and they have are starting MBD. Ive bought Reptivite for them with the calcium so my teacher can dust their crickets. I drop off a salad when i can, and try to feed them (which they love) with calcium. + once amd a while i buy them superworms (i havent been able to rescently). The femeale is firtile and VERY lethargic and hides behind a log, the male sits on top of a log and sits there. He doesnt have fat pads neither does the female (they are housed together in a 40 gallon with sand ive told him nicely that they CAN get impaction from this, he didnt listen.) there light is rarely on. Please help, im going to buy some calcium for them too,
Hi. Poor girl. I'd print off a care sheet from here and show the teacher. Hopefully that would wake him up on how to properly take care of them. If that didn't work maybe talking to the principal would work. Good luck.
That's terrible, they shouldn't even be housed together. They probably need a new uvb on top of that. I would definitely speak with the principal if the teacher isn't going to do anything. Maybe you should threaten to tell the news about them if they don't listen. This is so upsetting.
This is always so frustrating when you have no control over housing of a dragon (s) in another location other than yours, such as a school.
All you can do for now is to try & educate them on the proper care & help out with supplementation if possible. Definitely stress the importance of the UVB & the calcium especially.
I hope things turn out for them, I hate seeing animals suffer.
As others have mentioned all you can do is try to educate the teacher. Sounds like he has a few lessons he needs to learn. Sounds like you are really trying to help both beardies out and that's awesome of you! Unfortunately you can only do so much without the actual owner being on board
I seen that another user on here recommended you having a chat with the principal, I think that is a really good idea. You've tried talking to the teacher and he's not open to suggestions so maybe this would help. After all this is a school where to entire purpose is to properly educate, not the opposite.
Thank you for the help! Sadly its late its break now, i am going to get a print out of a care sheet and get calcium for them. The female was a bit more active today. I told him he can also dust the veggies and with almost anything they eat. But the salads are lettuce and red tomatoes ill try bringing more in for them though i have told him before to get rid of the sand for obvious reasons.
Good luck, I hope you are able to talk some sense into the teacher or the superintendent/principal.
That's good to hear the female was a little more active today though, how is the male?
Keep us posted on the situation.
Hi Tracie!
The male is extremly active, loves attention too, they both have the begining of MBD. I forgot to mention they arnt as healthy a normal dragon is, there arnt fat, rather moslty just bone and mussle, he says he gives them crickets and i dropped off some fruit on friday, i hope they'll do well over break!
Thanks, Lauren
I forgot to mention, the male and female both have bloches or orange,brown, and yellow peices of skin, with some shed (i also read maybe its just retained shed?). I was thinking maybe there is yellow fungus? Or maybe just the dye from the sand?
Im not sure if anyone is still looking here, but i have an update, the male is more fatter, yippie! but the female looks the same,she looked very tired and stressed as usual. I will print out a care sheet, poor girly.
Can you get some photos of their skin? It could be just retained shed as you mentioned or it could be something worse. Hard to say without having a good look at them. I'm glad one of them is feeling better. Hopefully they can both thrive with your improved care and attention.
Ill try to, though we arnt allowed to have out phones out during class, maybe on momday morning i will be able to. Though the female looked like she has stayed there for about two weeks. I really want to take her home and make her happy again. Eek, he said hed give me one by the emd of the school year.. Which is a long time and i dont think she will last that long.. Thanks though, i will send in a picture if i can.
Oh and i forgot to ask, what UVB bulb should i recommend? And is UVA necissary? And how many times for calcium dusting is needed? Poor dragons , thanks for the help!
UVA will be produced by a regular basking light. Just a plain halogen flood light should do it. A T5 Arcadia or ReptiSun 10 UVB would be ideal at 12" above the basking area but a cheaper (in the short term) option would be a T8 ReptiSun 10 with a reflective fixture sitting about 6-8" above the basking spot.
SilverGravity had a similar fight with poor Steve who was in terrible shape. She managed to get the principal to assist while she took care of the little guy over the summer. He ended up going to a rescue but he's alive because she cared enough to do something.
You can make a difference in these 2 little beardies lives. Please keep up with the work you're doing and let us know how we can help.