I am me and these are my dragons

[dolcedragon]

Hello,

Welcome to the forum. I own that book, too. Unfortunately, even though recently published, it does contain some outdated information. Books and pet stores are still trying to catch up on the science of beardies. I've done a lot of research in my 5 years as a vet assistant and I truly believe this is the best resource out there for beardie care (plus lots of fun pix and stories )

I do have to agree with diamc though, about the health of your little ones. I'm not sure what kind of care they had prior to you, but they do look weak and quite dehydrated. How often are they bathed/misted? Parasites are fairly common in beardies, but don't worry a bit of meds from the vet can fix it in a couple weeks. The way the legs are splayed also concerns me. The number 1 problem I encounter regarding beardies is MBD; those suckers require a lot of calcium and correct lighting. If you have proper UVB and are dusting with calcium there shouldn't be a problem. (If you already are sorry, I lost a rescue to MBD so I'm paranoid. :mrgreen: ) One more resource I give all the new members is a food list. http://beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html I find it helpful to pick and choose the easiest (and cheapest) foods I can get around here. Hope that helps!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Your dragons show potential of some really beautiful colors. And they can make such great companions.

-Kate

 

[OneSidedPrism]

Hi Jubal, :wave: welcome to the forum. It looks like you are now a "beardie slave" like the rest of us. :mrgreen: They have great names and a variety of coloring.

So, you've only had them for 2 months? Did you get them all from the same place? You must be working hard on getting them all fattened up, which can take a little time. Do you happen to know if Saphira had been breed recently? She actually looks like she may have not had everything she needed prior to you getting her, looks thin and dehydrated. Have you thought about taking a fecal sample to be checked or taking her for a check up? Her coloring also looks erratic. I recently lost a beardie and I know they can go downhill very quickly, so I was concerned that she looks kinda weak. All of us here have a big passion for beardies and do everything we possibly can to help new members. :wink:

Actually Phenom and Saphira came from the same store and she had in fact laid eggs the day before I got her. I took her and Phenom to the vet within the first few days I owned them and they checked out fine. Saphira was given a 30-day calcium supplement which did wonders for her. She just laid eggs a few days ago so I've been soaking her so she can drink up and all that good stuff.

The juvenile who has now been named Kanga was purchased from another store and she's been healthy, keeps her tail up when she's running around etc. I'm pretty pleased with her.

Hello,

Welcome to the forum. I own that book, too. Unfortunately, even though recently published, it does contain some outdated information. Books and pet stores are still trying to catch up on the science of beardies. I've done a lot of research in my 5 years as a vet assistant and I truly believe this is the best resource out there for beardie care (plus lots of fun pix and stories )

I do have to agree with diamc though, about the health of your little ones. I'm not sure what kind of care they had prior to you, but they do look weak and quite dehydrated. How often are they bathed/misted? Parasites are fairly common in beardies, but don't worry a bit of meds from the vet can fix it in a couple weeks. The way the legs are splayed also concerns me. The number 1 problem I encounter regarding beardies is MBD; those suckers require a lot of calcium and correct lighting. If you have proper UVB and are dusting with calcium there shouldn't be a problem. (If you already are sorry, I lost a rescue to MBD so I'm paranoid. :mrgreen: ) One more resource I give all the new members is a food list. http://beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html I find it helpful to pick and choose the easiest (and cheapest) foods I can get around here. Hope that helps!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Your dragons show potential of some really beautiful colors. And they can make such great companions.

-Kate

Most of the pictures of the adults were taken right after I got them. The only issue the vet had when I took them with Phenom was his weight...he was a little light but he's good; he's quite bulky now.

Both tanks have UVB/A lights and ceramic heaters for the basking spots. Both tanks get a mix of beardie pellets (age appropriate) mixed with beardie salads and dusted every couple days. The adults get dusted crickets twice a week and the juvenile gets dusted crickets every other day. The adults very occasionally get a few wax worms.

Thanks a ton for the link though; very nice, very nice.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Hello again,

I just read your recent reply and am glad to hear you took your beardies to the vet. I was a bit worried about the sizes of Phenom and Saphira. You mentioned Saphira just recently laid eggs. Poor girl...she looks whooped!! That's good that the vet put her on calcium. Are you able to separate them at all ? With Saphira being so weak after laying eggs, she needs to have her own enclosure away from Phenom. Unfortunately, like most males :wink: he's not going to leave her alone, which will cause an undue amount of stress on her.

I noticed you said you are using a CHE for basking. Those actually should only be used for added heat. What you need is a bright white basking bulb. You don't neccessarily need to buy a so called basking bulb, you can use an ordinary household bulb(like a halogen).

What are you using for your UVB? I ask this because there are a few bad UVB's out there that can actually cause harm to beardies.

Are you measuring the temps in their vivs? If so, what are the temps for basking and cool side? what are you measuring them with? Digital thermometer, Stick On, etc..

I hope you don't mind me giving you some tips. I know you read the Bearded Dragon Manual, but in case they did not cover some things or in case they are outdated(I know that book was published in 2001, there's been alot of research done on bd's since then).

I'll start with feeders...I believe dolcedragon gave you the food list(great list). Your beardies should all be getting fresh veggies daily. You said you're using crickets for live feeders...your little guy(juvie) should be fed 2-3 x a day, all the crickets he can consume in a 10-15 min. period of time. Dust the crickets w/calcium 5 x a week and multivitamins 3 x a week(only dust one feeding a day). Your adults should get 30-50 live feeders(crickets, worms, roaches) a week. Dusting w/calcium 3 x a week and multivitamins 1 x a week.

It's good that you are giving Saphira baths. In fact, giving them all baths is a good way to keep them hydrated. You should give them baths daily, if possible or every other day. Of course, daily baths for Saphira. Let them soak for 15-20 mins. Only enough (warm)water up to their armpits.
Even if they don't drink from the water they still take in water through their vents.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. There are alot of knowledgable and experienced beardie owners here. We only want whats best for our little bearded friends.

I would love to see any recent pics you have of Saphira and Phenom...and baby too!

Dawn