LG ~ The Handi-Capable Bearded Dragon

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momsturges

Hatchling Member
how long is too long without pooping? taking a bath will help this, right?

ive been planning on overhauling his cage anyhow... when i do i may try a "1/2 tile, 1/2 towell" setup.it seems ive heard more good things than bad about tile.

what is the appropriate way to incorporate tile into the
tank?

can i just cover the whole tank towell then put a single tile on one half of his enclosure with a light over it?

or a heat pad under it?

can taking an x-ray show impaction of stones AND softer stuff like eco-earth?

how much would an x-ray run... i can not afford medical care for myself(i scrape together about $60 a week right doing odd jobs) but maybe i can for my beardie if its not outrageously expensive(more than $60 a visit).

I'm not sure how long is too long without pooping....but mine is about 3-4 months old & he poos when he wakes up, then after his first serving of crix & veggies, then again after dinner lol.
Yes xrays will show impactions or anything wierd he may have swallowed. I'm unsure of the cost of an xray at this time, it depends on your vet most likely.

I have heard to never use a heat pad because it can burn them, they feel heat from above & cannot feel it on their bellies is what I have read.
You can do your tank floor any way you like, half tile, half towel, 1/2 tile, 1/2 repticarpet etc...etc....
Check the food chart out & I'll bet once he starts eating leafy greens & more insects he will poo more often. Baby beardies can eat up to 75 or more crickets a day, plus veggies. Mine was "constipated" a little bit one time for a day or 2 & I gave him room temp applesauce with one drop of olive oil in it, baths too, sure enough he started getting regular again. :) I just kept putting it on his snout & he would lick it off, it was so cute.
I love your little beardie in the pics, if I had the means I would be glad to help or donate, but unfortunately I do not at this time. :(
Good luck with everything, please keep us posted, I'll be following his story & looking for more pics too. :)
 

jfm08

Hatchling Member
I salute you in your valiant effort... he looks great :D
if you need anything please let me know
 

chucklehead

New member
Hi there mate

Just read your post - unbelievable!

Good on you mate, great to hear how much you've helped your little friend.

Shocking about the pet shop owner, he needs a clump!

Hope all goes well going forward mate
 

jscott

Gray-bearded Member
Original Poster
i finaly found i good second-hand tank! its a 40 gallon with a heavy duty screen top and sliding double doors. the best part is, it was only $40! i made sure to clean it well before introducing him to his new home. i got rid of the coconut bedding and the stones. in their place is a nice fluffy towell pressed flush agaist all four sides. with all the new room i was able to add all the stuff i had put away in a drawer :D . i plan to make long steadily graduating ramps by placing wooden wedges under the towell. i figure he'd like to get a new perspective on things. next is the reptisun 10.0... i already have a hood/fixture, i just need to get another $40 for the tube. anyhow, i'll quit typing and get to the pictures(sorry for the quality):

a5.jpg
looks brand new dosn't it?

a1.jpg
he is spending the night in the same corner as the old tank. he roamed around for about ten minutes before retiring to the "safe corner".
a2.jpg
it was fun to see him go over and around this jumble of driftwood

a3.jpg
this is his now permanant bathing dish! there was no room before(only a little water dish).

i have a small heat pad(4" by 6")...
is it ok to put a heat-pad under several layers of towell to warm the water slightly? do the prefer cool water instead?

a4.jpg
i was even able to fit a live plant for a little fresh air. i made sure he could not tip it over or reach the potting soil.

a6.jpg
bathing and drinking

more pictures soon, any advice about the heat pad would be great. thanks for all the help people :mrgreen:
 

Jasper's Mom

BD.org Addict
Aw, his new home looks great! It's amazing that he can get around so well, when he basically has no limbs. You've done a great job with him. I would think the heating pad would be OK if he is separated from it by several layers of towel. Just be sure to monitor the heat there, and be sure that he doesn't decide to go burrowing and end up right next to it!
 

vickson420

BD.org Addict
Retired Moderator
Awwhh his new home looks great.You are doing a good job.As far as the heat pad goes be very careful if your going to use it.I personally have had bad experiences with them and would never use one.If you feel its necessary just make sure to monitor the temps very carefully as previously stated.

Vicky
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello!

That looks really great! He looks very happy in there too. I am so amazed at his spirit & at how well he actually gets around. You know, at least he has his beautiful tail!! So not all is lost. :D
GREAT job with him, it truly is incredible his ability to adjust.


Tracie
 

diamc

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Oh, that new home looks SO comfy for him, good job. He does seem to get along very well & looks happy as can be. You're taking great care of him.

Regarding the electric heating pad, I would be concerned about putting it underneath towels then setting the bowl on top. I would worry about water getting on the pad & that wouldn't be a good thing. Instead, I would suggest you put the bowl closer to the basking bulb so it can warm it there. I think that would be safer. Lots of luck with your cutie-pie. :love5:
 

jscott

Gray-bearded Member
Original Poster
thank you for all your suggestions, im so glad i joined this site :D . i decided against a heat pad when i walked past his tank and saw this:
a7.jpg
he seems to like the cool temperature of the water just fine.

i saw he had pooped once out of the water and once in. i cleaned everything up and changed his water out. a couple hours later i found him hanging out at the side, like at a bar or something 8)

i have a question about the heat lamp... its about 17" from the ground and doesnt seem that powerful. its a 50watt sun-glow.

what wattage and style heat source do i need to reach him?

can i slide open a door and clamp the light there, or is that too close?

again, thanks for all the help! this site is great.

p.s. i keep forgetting to post this one:

a8.jpg
the other day i woke up and found him like this. i guess he can still climb to a degree :mrgreen:
 

MissT

BD.org Addict
O my he looks so so adorable in that last picture!!! I just want to pick him up and cuddle him. I am totally amazed that he has done so well considering his start - im sure he would not have come so far without your love and care!!

In terms of the light, it may be a good idea to start with a 100watt and work up/down from there but you will need a digital thermometor with probe to make sure that the temps are correct for him... i think you can get them at wal-mart??? - i'm UK so I cant really help with details on that but iv seen loads of people on here mentioning walmart for temp probe!!

Well done - he looks great and his new house looks amazing!!! I really do commend you for what you have done for him!!!

T
 

MissT

BD.org Addict
Just to add - you can use a normal household bulb for the basking bulb - i use a household spot lamp - for me they were cheaper and have actually lasted longer than the sunglo did for me considering the huge price difference!!
 

kirby

Extreme Poster
seeing you cant afford a thermometer right now.. get it close enough that you can feel warm rays from the bulb were he is... and after a while its really warm (not cooking temp tho)

its important he gets warm enough to digest properly.. essentially at leasy 95F (100-110F is far better) at 17" i dont think a 50 watt is doing it.. a little closer?

i use a 60 watt at about 10" (but im in australia, so it will be different)

he looks SO incredibly adorable.. !! he's melted my heart..

you will readily find reptisun 10.0's for $20 on the net. delivery is pretty cheap. so when you can afford $40 why not buy a digital thermometer AND a reptisun online for the same price :)

he's very cute sticking his tongue out, what a cheeky little boy...
 

chemgrl08

Hatchling Member
Hi there. Like everyone else, just wanted to say that you are to be commended for a job well done! I just read through all of the postings here, and here are the answers I've come up with:
Misting is ok in my experience, my beardie actually likes it BETTER than baths!
For swimming, you could try just leaving your hand under his chest/head as he wiggles around. I understand it would be difficult to keep the water level low enough for him to be able to swim and not be in danger of submerging, considering his condition. I think that as long as you don't take your eyes off of him, and give him somewhere to rest (perhaps put your feet in?) he should be ok using the technique I described.
You asked earlier what the poo should look like, and not sure if you're still wondering, but here it is: its like a brown log, and then a bit of gooey/wet white stuff at the end (the white is the equivalent of human urine.) So the log should not be runny, but the white stuff very well could be when fresh.
I got a cheap thermometer for my beardie at walmart, but can't remember price exactly (just was way cheaper than pet store.) It was even a temperature probe type.
If you want to gut load crickets, I understand that potatoes are a good way to do it. The bugs can get water from it without risk of drowning (stupid crix...) and food too. I believe it is good for your dragon too.
In my opinion, an under the tank style heating pad would be ok (sized appropriately for the cage, definitely not covering more than 1/2 the tank) and make sure there is some type of substrate (towel, rocks, whatever.) Although that is only my opinion, I've never had trouble with my undertank heater, but it seems to be a very controversial topic on this forum. So that's just my opinion.
I also think towel would be a fine substitute for substrate, should be no problem, and might be cheaper than reptile carpet. I use reptile carpet and it works wonderfully, although with all his scooting he may end up moving the carpet around!
Gender- the only way to tell for sure is with a probe (and of course, only let the vet do that! Yowch, prolly really uncomfortable! :shock: ) A visual option, however, is to look at the vent area right below the tail. Gently lift the tail and look at... well, his butt. So you should see one of two things: either two bumps sort of on the sides, but between the vent and tail (a boy) or one larger lump between the tail and vent (a girl.) Sometimes the girls can be hard to identify. As I understand it, head shape and color aren't very effective at determining gender. Sorry I don't have pictures for you to compare against, as that would have made it easier...'
I hope you continue to have good luck, good for you!
 

kirby

Extreme Poster
chemgrl08":d9ffe said:
Gender- the only way to tell for sure is with a probe (and of course, only let the vet do that! Yowch, prolly really uncomfortable! :shock: ) A visual option, however, is to look at the vent area right below the tail. Gently lift the tail and look at... well, his butt. So you should see one of two things: either two bumps sort of on the sides, but between the vent and tail (a boy) or one larger lump between the tail and vent (a girl.) Sometimes the girls can be hard to identify. As I understand it, head shape and color aren't very effective at determining gender. Sorry I don't have pictures for you to compare against, as that would have made it easier...'
I hope you continue to have good luck, good for you!

dont probe your dragon!!

and rather then bending the tail back, which can cause dammage. look at the actual vent, use your thumb to gently fold back the cloacal folds. a males actual vent will stretch most of the way across. a females will be smaller
(this is hard without someting to compair) but if you take a photo of his... bum... i could tell you :)

just be carefull, they arent incredibly flexible up and down, rather side to side. after all it is their spine.
 
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