i have sand in my beardies cage is that bad for her

[Eloisethelizard1]

i have sand in my beardies cage is that a heath risk?

 

[Claudiusx]

Yes, it is a health risk.

-Brandon

 

[Eloisethelizard1]

i dont want to get rid of sand what can i do why does sand have to be a heath risk

 

[Claudiusx]

http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=132151

-Brandon

 

[Lindz0518]

Beardies lick everything, they ingest while feeding also and cause impaction which is deadly. Especially calci or vita sand as it clumps like cement in their digestive systems, there are a lot of safe alternatives. Sand also harbors bacteria because you can never get it clean because the liquid from the poop stays in there.

 

[Eloisethelizard1]

Beardies lick everything, they ingest while feeding also and cause impaction which is deadly. Especially calci or vita sand as it clumps like cement in their digestive systems, there are a lot of safe alternatives. Sand also harbors bacteria because you can never get it clean because the liquid from the poop stays in there.

i have somthing called handy safe sand is that ok :?:

 

[Lindz0518]

No, any loose substrate is a risk of impaction and no matter the brand it will still breed bacteria. It would be best to remove it and replace it with reptile carpet, newspaper, slate tile (what I use personally) or paper towels. If you are wanting something that she can dig in then you can make a dig box out of flax seed.

 

[Eloisethelizard1]

would it be ok if i feed her outside of her cage? :?:

 

[scipherneo]

Sand does increase the risk of impaction for a bearded dragon. However, If you feed him outside of the enclosure and clean the sand frequently, the risk drops signifcantly. Baby beardie's should NEVER be kept in sand in my opinion, however while there is a risk for adults (those over 16 inches long) the risk is much less, especially if they are fed elsewhere. Sand is a subject that is debatable, some people prefer it for adults because of the ease to clean, and it gives the viv a nice look and some like having terrain closer to that of their natural habitat. My vet actually recommended sand as a substrate for an adult dragon, he said he's treated hundreds of dragons that used sand and less than 1% of them actually ever got an impaction from the sand. So while it CAN happen, it is highly unlikely.

HOWEVER, I would NEVER support keeping babies in sand. They are just too curious!

 

[kcarello]

Wow, its hard for me to understand how people still think that sand is a bearded dragons natural habitat. "Desert" does not mean sand...it refers to the amount of rainfall an area receives.

http://reptile-parrots.com/forums/showthread.php/155-Natural-Environment-Of-Bearded-Dragons
This is a great site describing the natural environment of bearded dragons....I truly hope this helps you understand that sand is not what they need, want, or is good for them.

 

[herpgirl2510]

Here's a good read
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=132151

 

[angelpaws]

I just posted a thread similar to this. I was inquiring about a dig box. I have a 10 month old beardie who is 17 inches and has been raised on carpet. He often digs the carpet up. Now I agree that the natural environment of a beardie is not primarily sand but I question whether a sand box isn't a bad idea. The species does desire to dig/burrow so shouldn't there be away to accomodate this natural instinct? What do zoo's use? Hmm..time to do some more research.. :study: The flax seed idea is interesting. While thinking of that I also wonder about dry chia seed. My guy still is on carpet but I noticed potential risks with that too. While he was young, the carpet used to hook onto his nails, so I was concerned about his toes getting caught or constricted. Now the carpet has begun to degrade from washings (like an old sweater) and little strings and burrs have appeared. Just today I watched him eat and he caught a string in his mouth with the cricket.Luckily it was still attached to the carpet so it pulled out but it made me think - im going to have to replace the carpet on a regular basis. This brings to question whether everything outside of a simulated natural habitat can be a risk.

Would love to share experiences with people on this - seems like its an important topic that all experience levels of beardie owner should be educated about.

 

[Claudiusx]

Well, with tiles you don't have any of those problems that you just mentioned.

-Brandon

 

[angelpaws]

Tile is great for cleaning but ther's no grip on the tile. I hear that maintaining your beardie solely on hard, slick surfaces like that encourages malformed toe syndrome. (the toes always bent backwards)

 

[Eloisethelizard1]

my beardie is 14 months old