I fed my hornworms tomato leaves then to my dragon help????

[Karley]

Ok so Friday night I purchased tomato horn worms from the pet store 3 to be exact. I didn't want them to die so I put some tomato leaves in with them so they could eat. On Saturday around 4 pm I fed a hornworm to my bearded dragon. I'm not sure if his age because he's a rescue but thinking 7-8 years old. He loved it. Today I fed him another one. He loved it as well. Then online just doing more research on beardies I read that hornworms are great for beardies as long as they don't feed on tomato leaves. Otherwise it could poison the beardie. Did I unknowingly poison my dragon by giving the tomato worms 2 days of tomato leaves to eat. Please help. What should I do.

 

[CooperDragon]

The tomato plant leaves can be toxic to dragons, yes. It's possible that he didn't eat enough of them for it to be a big problem but I would definitely stop feeding those worms to him. Hornworms should be fed hornworm chow that is available from the places that distribute the worms. From what I've seen, toxic reactions tend to happen relatively quickly so keep a close eye on him and bring him to a reptile vet if he starts showing signs of problems like very lethargic behavior, loss of color, or a very dark beard for an extended period of time. I would also pick up some activated charcoal so you at least have it on hand in case of emergency. For now, just observe him and offer some extra fluids to help him flush his system.

 

[Karley]

Thank you so much for your reply. He's actually doing very well I have him a few warm baths hoping he would poop and clean out his system and both baths he pooped both times. And swam around the tub for a good ten minutes. I brought him outside to bask in the sun and dry off and he seems very happy. Also he was a rescue and approx 19 inches long he's in a 40 gallon tank now but I am looking to get him atleast a 75 gallon to give him more room. But one question I have is when I got him he only had 1 lamp with a normal household white bulb in it. I checked the temp and it's only 80 degrees in his tank. I've read about needing uva and uvb lights but now I'm wondering if he has lived his whole life with one household bulb at 80 degrees. Will I hurt him by getting him a proper basking light and uvb and uva lights. I don't want to hurt him but I hear these light are what they need. What should I do????

 

[CooperDragon]

If he's active and alert now, he's probably fine. If he's in decent shape at 7-8 years with only a household bulb and 80 degrees than I'd consider it a miracle. It's likely that he has gotten some kind of UVB lighting and proper temps during at least part of his lifetime. If he doesn't currently have proper lighting, then I would consider it a priority. For an enclosure, 40g breeder tank (36''x18''x18'') is a minimum size for an adult. That's OK if you provide him with plenty of time to roam around safely outside of the tank. Otherwise I suggest getting a tank at least 4'x2'x2'. For lighting, you'll want a bright white flood light (or two) in order to get a basking area at least the size of him to about 100 degrees surrounded by an area of 90s with the cool side coming it at around 75-85. This gradient will allow him to self regulate and get what he needs. The same goes for UVB. I suggest putting a T5 UVB with reflective fixture running about 1/2 the length of the tank on the basking side. This will provide basking levels of UVB in the basking area and less exposure on the cool side and in shade areas. A T5 UVB light should be mounted about 12-14'' above the basking area for best results.

 

[Karley]

Ok first off my baby is out roaming freely for atleast 4/6 hours a day. And seems very healthly and active but I am definately getting him a bigger enclosure. Ok so because I'm a new beardie owner I'm a bit confused. So I have to get a white basking lamp and a uva uvb tube light that are basically on the same side. Is this right. And on the other side just a white light like he has been using ? Or because the tanks not that big just leave it with no light so he stays cooler. And I'm positive this beardie never had any other light in his cage then the normal household light. They didn't care about him. Since I have had him approx 2 months. He eats proper crickets mixed greens and has shed twice. He's in the process of shedding now. He's awesome. I love him and want to do what's right for him. Thanks so much for all your help. I'd be lost without you. So lights.? 2 or 3 ?

 

[Karley]

 

[Karley]

 

[CooperDragon]

That's a good amount of time outside of the tank. Is he getting time outside in natural sunlight too? That's great for them whenever possible. I found it helpful to have a portable clamp lamp set up in the livingroom to provide a basking spot to return to as desired. Both of my boys learned where it was and would often bask under it when they got cold while exploring the house. I just put a PAR 38 halogen flood light in it and set it about 18-20'' off the ground. Based on the photos he looks to be in really good shape. I don't see any signs of MBD and his weight looks quite good.

As far as lighting in the tank goes, the bright white basking light is there to provide brightness and heat. The height and wattage should be adjusted to provide the proper temperatures as I outlined earlier. I found that an adjustable lamp stand helps when you need to raise and lower the light to get the correct temps.

The UVB light should be a high quality tube that is mounted on the basking side to add a UVB component to the basking light. This helps to imitate natural sunlight. I can help you find a good quality light if you'd like.

On the cool side, you don't necessarily need a light. If the tank is bright enough and your temperatures are OK then I'd skip it. If you need to bump the temperature of the cool side a few degrees, a household bulb should help with that though. It's important to maintain the temperature gradient as much as you can.

 

[Karley]

Aww that's great thank you so very much for all your help. I'm so glad to hear he looks good. Yes I bring him outside to get natural light as often as I can. I will go tomorrow and get the proper basking light and a uva n uvb tube light. You have been such a big help is there anyway of writing directly to you incase I have more questions. If you don't mind of course.

 

[Karley]

Question my beardie likes to sit on my chest for hours. Or perched on my knee is this normal. Like 3-4 hours on my chest. He usually falls asleep n I just go about my business as he hangs on me lol is this normal. If I put him down he just sits there. Rarely runs around. But swim like mad in the bath. I am going to get him a harness if I can ever find one and try to take him for walks outside. Right now he just lays on my chest n I sit in the sun so he gets it. I've only had him maybe 2 months but before me his food diet consisted of blueberries every few days. That's it. When I found this out I was disgusted n took him away from the previous owner. Now he eats crickets super worms. Hornworms. And a mix salad bok Choy collard greens and some fruits. But I only give him fruits once or twice a week ontop of his salad he gets every other day. Is this right?

 

[Karley]

 

[CooperDragon]

Feel free to send a direct message to me whenever you'd like. Otherwise, you can post whatever you'd like here as well. Or you could start a new "progress" thread in beardie tales or introductions. Now that he seems to be in the clear regarding the hornworms a mod may be able to move this thread as well. The benefit of posting to your thread is that you get the collective experience of everyone who reads it. There are a lot of incredibly helpful and experienced folks on here so that's not a bad thing at all. That said, I'll be glad to answer any direct messages you send to the best of my ability.

They do often like to snuggle like that. Both of my boys would sit on my chest and nuzzle up to my chin in the evenings while I watched TV or listened to music. Enjoy that while you can =). You can find tons of harnesses on Etsy. Otherwise it's pretty straightforward to make your own out of leather or parachute cord. Just check the forum under DIY for instructions.

Blueberry diet is no good. Poor guy. Those are OK as an occasional treat but definitely not a staple. As far as salad goes, I'd offer a nice salad every day. That should be his main diet. Offer the bugs a little bit daily or every other day. Think 80% salad vs 20% bugs. For salads, I like to put together 2-3 items from this list depending on what is fresh at the store. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html Good staple greens include collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. Squash is a good staple veg as well. I've also had good luck with chopped up green beans. A little fruit garnish is fine too. half a blackberry or some strawberry pieces have worked well for me. They all have different taste so you'll have to play around with it a bit and see what he likes. Variety is key though. Keep one of the staples in there but try to mix it up a bit depending on what you can get fresh at the store that week.

 

[Karley]

Thanx so much for the food chart that's great to have on hand. I didn't realize I could give him all those different foods that's awesome. But really upsets me knowing he could eat so many different things yet he only ever got blueberries when they did actually feed him. When I rescued him he was so thin and sickly looking and did nothing just laid on his rock or stick now he's gaining weight, shedding and so active he's always hanging on me or running around playing with my malte-poo. There best friends it's cute. It's like he did a complete 360 since I rescued him. Which makes me extremely happy now I just need to get him a bigger enclosure which I'm tracking down as we speak it's a 120 gallon tank and I need to get the proper lights for him. then I think he will be even happier lol. Thanks again for everything