help with my rescue

[stangbanger]

my 5 yr old rescued beardie has been progressively getting worse tempered

before i got her she lived with no heat or uvb, just a fluorescent light.....she was only hand fed carrots and strawberries, and occasionally got some crickets

now i got her and i have her setup right.....when i first got her she was very calm and docile, i got her out and handled her once a day, everything was fine

then once i got her in a nice new viv, got all temps right, etc she got worse....her health is great, vet said she is in awesome health, nice and chubby like she should be, flares up etc..but her attitude is horrible

she started to run when i tried to pick her up, so i started doing it slower and it didnt help....whenever i pick her up she tries to escape my hand (but she doesnt run from me inside her viv).....so i finally decided since she has had little contact with people in awhile since the other owners neglected her, that maybe she just doesnt like being handled

now i only pick her up when its necessary (maintenance, baths, etc) but i try to pet her a little inside of her viv to let her know that im not gonna hurt her or anything...hand feeding, etc....everything has been fine

now the past week or two she has stopped basking (she hangs out in the part of her tank that is about 90 degrees), her appetite has gone way down, her bowel movements are less frequent, she hides and digs against the shelf liner on occasion, and she has gotten progressiely more aggressive

now when i pet her she puffs out, tilts to the side, and opens her mouth like she is going to bite me ....she does not appear to be gravid, she already brumated for 2-3 months and woke up in february sometime, she doesnt have parasites

basking spot is 100-107 depending on room temp, cool side 78-83, warm in the low-mid 90s.....reptisun 10.0 tube, hot and cold hide....4x2x20" viv

i dont know what to do with her....im worried that she isnt basking anymore *she will bask after a bath and thats it*.....she doesnt eat much but isnt losing weight (she still devours live feeders like its her job, just not much else)....and im not sure why she is getting so defensive all the sudden....shes in a nice quiet room, husbandry is good, im stumped....

its to the point i feel like it may be best to not even interact with her anymore, since she appears to get upset when i do....should i just stop petting her all together and leave her alone? any ideas about the change in attitude, lack of basking, etc?

 

[AHBD]

You can try picking her up [ if you need gloves, then use them ] and immediately hold her to your chest. Sometimes this shocks them, and they can't squirm so much or scratch if you have on a thicker, long sleeved shirt. Be very calm, speak softly, and you can even walk around very slowly , like with a baby. At times this will do the trick....and be very gentle and slow but firm as you take her to and from the tank.

 

[Claudiusx]

Honestly I think it would be best to just take baby steps, just like you would with trying to build trust with a baby.

It takes time to build trust, especially if the dragon was mistreated before.

Perhaps something as small as placing your hand in the tank for a few minutes each day until he is calm with your hand in his tank.
Then move to perhaps touching him in his tank, then holding him in his tank.
Baby steps like that are what I would personally recommend.

He has every right to be grumpy and mean, but that doesn't mean he can't turn around and be a sweet beardie.

-Brandon

 

[AHBD]

By the way, you can't really rule out her being gravid, so please watch to be sure she is not anxious because of a lack of a good laying spot. If she digs even sporadically, you may need to set up a lay box. There's a good tutorial in the " breeding " forum if you need it. As far as handling, there is a reason that she went from being initially docile to angry now, and the slow baby steps seem to be what you are doing now. I've had grouchy beardies that don't respond at all to the slow method, but continued to act aggressive, like a spoiled child. Sometimes just doing the pick up and hold to your chest will work to calm them down, they aren't given the chance to " act out ."

 

[Claudiusx]

Well of course sick dragons are going to just lay there and let you hold them. When they feel better and get their energy back is when they start having the spunk.

It is nothing you did to make the dragon act like this. Its just simply that now he has the strength.

Both methods could work, I am just giving you what I think will work the best. We all have our opinions.

-Brandon

 

[AHBD]

A sick beardie will try to bite just as well as a healthy one, just not as much strength.....and yes, both methods have their merit. But again, be sure that you have what you need for a lay box if need be.

 

[Claudiusx]

A sick beardie will try to bite just as well as a healthy one

I disagree but that's a topic for another thread.

-Brandon

 

[AHBD]

Well, the o.p. didn't mention the exact condition of the beardie, and of course, if it was extremely weak it would not have had strength to fight. I was just looking at the mention of the attitude change he mentioned once it was put in the new tank. So it seems to have been all at once ? And holding the dragon to your body actually calms it down, and usually does it pretty quickly. That can build trust.

 

[stangbanger]

I hold her to my chest when I do have to move her, that's the only way she doesn't flip out.. just don't like force handling so I keep it to just the necessity

and the digging has been on and off almost as long as I've had her.... set up a lay box and put her in it... She hung out for 30mins then wanted nothing to do with it and hasn't looked back

 

[bunnyrut]

i would suggest continuing to get her used to your hand.

my adult started freaking out when we moved, i found that taking him out and giving him a tour of his new home helped him a lot.

how long have you had her?

 

[stangbanger]

since about September

 

[mgodfriaux]

Try putting a shirt that you had on in her viv for a while I've been told this is a good way to get used to your scent. Do you use a strong deodorant or perfume because sometimes they don't like them especially if you change the scents a lot :?:

 

[stangbanger]

well, been taking it slow with her...havent forced her out to handle her, havent bothered her much....just reaching in and petting her sometimes (every few days)....when i do pet her and shes nice i give her some worms as a treat....if i upset her somehow like with the vacuum, ill give her a treat to make up for it

she is just completely nasty.....idk what her problem is....should i just give up?

took this video to show how she reacts to me....before i got the camera she was actually hissing at me too and trying to bite





click picture to play video

 

[stangbanger]

shes about to shed....but this is how she always acts, its not shed related