Jcdaniels2
Member
I've seen a lot of things since I have owned a bearded (which is around 3-4 months now) and I have figured out the most important things to keeping your Dragon healthy.
Clean
Yes that's right your dragon needs to have his tank cleaned every 3-4 days depending on how much he poops, I clean my tank out once a week because every time I see poop in the tank I grab some medical gloves and take it out and put it down the toilet(not the trash) and then use a disinfectant wipe and clean that area.
Before you start cleaning your tank make sure you take your dragon out and put him somewhere safe, I have a cricket keeper I put him in and no there are no crickets in there just a warm rag to keep him comfy.( I put the rag in the dryer)
When you clean your tank out you need to use a disinfectant wipe and wipe everything down and make sure its clean, Hot water and soap will not cut it.
Bathe
After you have cleaned everything then give your bearded dragon a bath(don't do it before you clean the tank because he will be cold) Don't freak out if he goes crazy and swims, its good exercise for him, Don't use any kind of shampoo or soap, just warm water(not hot nor lukewarm) If his mouth is opened that means its too hot and he is trying to regulate his temp.
If you add cold water make sure you move him away from it, don't want to put him in shock lol. If he puts his head in the water it usually means he is drinking the water and you need to have water available in his tank because he is dehydrated.
While he is in the water rub his belly, sometimes he will have a bowel movement and sometimes not, just depends on when he has to go(if he is regular or not). If he doesn't have a bowel movement then that doesn't me he isn't regular it just means its not time for him to go, My beardie always goes right when he wakes up.
Also if you feel a lump in his belly that's normal don't freak and think its impaction, I did when I first got Thor I felt a bump/lump right below his ribs on his belly, its normal their GI tract has very sharp curves until they are 16 in or sometimes longer (that's why you don't feed your Juvenile dragon superworms because they can get impacted very easily)but When your done giving him a bath take a warm rag and dry him off, then put him back in his newly cleaned tank.
Food
Food Sources are very Important, DO NOT BUY YOUR FOOD FROM BAIT SHOPS, the bait shops aren't selling for pets they are selling so you can catch fish, they could have parasites and chemicals on them and you wouldn't know. I buy my crickets from petsmart or someone who sells them for feeding pets not catching fish, the only thing I buy that is for catching fish is from http://www.dmfbait.com/products_nightcrawlers.php towards the bottom left they say "Great for frogs and Turtles" and "Safe for feeding pets", if it didn't say that then I would not buy them, you can get them at any walmart that sells them
don't use them as a staple though. If you have a juvenile then crickets and some greens are your best friend, If he won't eat greens then the best way to get him to eat them is to buy Nature Zone Bites, and put just a little on top and he will go crazy for them, Mine did and still does here he is. Its the pink stuff on top.
A fellow member shared this info, if you sprinkle it on the ground he may be enticed to take a bite because he may think its moving, never hurts to try, Somethings work and some don't every dragon has a different mind set
Supplements
Offer bearded dragons less than 2 months old supplements daily. Bearded dragons between 2 months and 6 months old should received supplements every other day. Offer bearded dragons between 6 months and 1 year crickets dusted with calcium every other day and with vitamins three times a week. For a bearded dragon over 1 year old, offer calcium every two to three days and a vitamin supplement twice a week
Lighting
You should be using Reptisun 5.0 UVB do not buy compact or reptiglo, and depending on your tank/cage size Im using a 40 gallon and I have to use 125w and I use heat lamps from lowes/home depot, The problem I have with the heat lamps at petsmart or any other petstore is the price and the quality, The first lamp I got was 100w and it only lasted a month so I have never got a heatlamp from them again and its working just fine and at a fraction of the cost, All he needs it for is heat, the only light I buy from petsmart is UVB of course
The Best Foods for a Bearded Dragon
Staple Greens
Collard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Endive
Escarole
Mustard Greens
Turnip Greens
Watercress
Staple Vegetables
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Green Beans
Okra
Parsnips
Snap Peas
Sweet Potato
Yellow Squash
Occasional Greens
Bok Choy
Carrot Tops
Celery Leaves
Cilantro
Cucumber (peeled)
Kale
Kohlrabi Leaves
Parsley
Swiss Chard
Occasional Vegetables
Asparagus
Beets
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery Stalks
Green Peas
Pumpkin
Zucchini
NEVER FEED
Avocados
Beet Greens
Lettuce
Rhubarb
Spinach
Tomatoes
If you have any questions please feel free to ask
Also If you think I have missed something pleeease tell me
Some of this info came from different sources, its not all copy & paste, most of it I wrote personally from my experience with my dragon
Clean
Yes that's right your dragon needs to have his tank cleaned every 3-4 days depending on how much he poops, I clean my tank out once a week because every time I see poop in the tank I grab some medical gloves and take it out and put it down the toilet(not the trash) and then use a disinfectant wipe and clean that area.
Before you start cleaning your tank make sure you take your dragon out and put him somewhere safe, I have a cricket keeper I put him in and no there are no crickets in there just a warm rag to keep him comfy.( I put the rag in the dryer)
When you clean your tank out you need to use a disinfectant wipe and wipe everything down and make sure its clean, Hot water and soap will not cut it.
Bathe
After you have cleaned everything then give your bearded dragon a bath(don't do it before you clean the tank because he will be cold) Don't freak out if he goes crazy and swims, its good exercise for him, Don't use any kind of shampoo or soap, just warm water(not hot nor lukewarm) If his mouth is opened that means its too hot and he is trying to regulate his temp.
If you add cold water make sure you move him away from it, don't want to put him in shock lol. If he puts his head in the water it usually means he is drinking the water and you need to have water available in his tank because he is dehydrated.
While he is in the water rub his belly, sometimes he will have a bowel movement and sometimes not, just depends on when he has to go(if he is regular or not). If he doesn't have a bowel movement then that doesn't me he isn't regular it just means its not time for him to go, My beardie always goes right when he wakes up.
Also if you feel a lump in his belly that's normal don't freak and think its impaction, I did when I first got Thor I felt a bump/lump right below his ribs on his belly, its normal their GI tract has very sharp curves until they are 16 in or sometimes longer (that's why you don't feed your Juvenile dragon superworms because they can get impacted very easily)but When your done giving him a bath take a warm rag and dry him off, then put him back in his newly cleaned tank.
Food
Food Sources are very Important, DO NOT BUY YOUR FOOD FROM BAIT SHOPS, the bait shops aren't selling for pets they are selling so you can catch fish, they could have parasites and chemicals on them and you wouldn't know. I buy my crickets from petsmart or someone who sells them for feeding pets not catching fish, the only thing I buy that is for catching fish is from http://www.dmfbait.com/products_nightcrawlers.php towards the bottom left they say "Great for frogs and Turtles" and "Safe for feeding pets", if it didn't say that then I would not buy them, you can get them at any walmart that sells them
don't use them as a staple though. If you have a juvenile then crickets and some greens are your best friend, If he won't eat greens then the best way to get him to eat them is to buy Nature Zone Bites, and put just a little on top and he will go crazy for them, Mine did and still does here he is. Its the pink stuff on top.A fellow member shared this info, if you sprinkle it on the ground he may be enticed to take a bite because he may think its moving, never hurts to try, Somethings work and some don't every dragon has a different mind set
Supplements
Offer bearded dragons less than 2 months old supplements daily. Bearded dragons between 2 months and 6 months old should received supplements every other day. Offer bearded dragons between 6 months and 1 year crickets dusted with calcium every other day and with vitamins three times a week. For a bearded dragon over 1 year old, offer calcium every two to three days and a vitamin supplement twice a week
Lighting
You should be using Reptisun 5.0 UVB do not buy compact or reptiglo, and depending on your tank/cage size Im using a 40 gallon and I have to use 125w and I use heat lamps from lowes/home depot, The problem I have with the heat lamps at petsmart or any other petstore is the price and the quality, The first lamp I got was 100w and it only lasted a month so I have never got a heatlamp from them again and its working just fine and at a fraction of the cost
, All he needs it for is heat, the only light I buy from petsmart is UVB of courseThe Best Foods for a Bearded Dragon
Staple Greens
Collard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Endive
Escarole
Mustard Greens
Turnip Greens
Watercress
Staple Vegetables
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Green Beans
Okra
Parsnips
Snap Peas
Sweet Potato
Yellow Squash
Occasional Greens
Bok Choy
Carrot Tops
Celery Leaves
Cilantro
Cucumber (peeled)
Kale
Kohlrabi Leaves
Parsley
Swiss Chard
Occasional Vegetables
Asparagus
Beets
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery Stalks
Green Peas
Pumpkin
Zucchini
NEVER FEED
Avocados
Beet Greens
Lettuce
Rhubarb
Spinach
Tomatoes
If you have any questions please feel free to ask
Also If you think I have missed something pleeease tell me
Some of this info came from different sources, its not all copy & paste, most of it I wrote personally from my experience with my dragon
