Jsilverback64":1jkq4vj4 said:
Not trying to sound mean here.
Well, you were. If you have to preface something with "not trying to sound mean," stop and consider if what you're about to say really
is mean.
jsilverback64":1jkq4vj4 said:
But you may want to be a little more responsible with your pets. You've had one die. You acquire a pet without the proper equipment to take proper care of it. It seems you cannot afford to feed your pet properly also. Another living things entire life is in your hands and it's not for you to just make him suffer. It's not right to get an animal just because it's cool or neat. You've followed almost zero advice given by these experienced keepers.
You're being awfully presumptuous. I understand where you are coming from, as once upon a time I would have reacted the same way.
But your words in no way help the OP, that animal, or any other animal. You are simply hurting someone else's feelings and achieving nothing. You offered no help, and no advice. You put your self righteous rant as a priority and lost any ground to make a meaningful impact on the OP other than to wound them.
OP, you
are being responsible by going through the lengths you have taken to help your beardie friend. Yes, it doesn't sound like you were absolutely prepared. Neither was I, and much of the advice I had taken from the breeder and various other local breeders have all been varied and different. It's easy to trust the wrong person because their methodology worked for them, but it may not work for you or your beardie. I was sold a pair of juveniles, the wrong
UVB bulb, and have heard and read so many various other tidbits of husbandry advice that it's dizzying. And pet store employees are
rarely a good source of information; often they are forced to advise particular products because at the end of the day only the sales matter to corporate.
It sounds like your beardie definitely has some gastric upset, and it can lead to a lot of the problems you describe. His diet was irregular for a length of time, and this will cause a chain reaction to his gut health that can increases the chances of impaction. Impaction, as a result, can place too much pressure against various parts of the spinal column and cause temporary (sometimes permanent, if not addressed immediately) paralysis. If he did test positive for worms and especially coccidia, it will have a huge impact on his ability to digest and evacuate feces and contribute to the bulk and pressure on his spine. Coccidia is a naturally occurring thing that we all have, and should be in your beardie's poo. However, it can bloom and grow out of control, especially if the beardie is stressed and not receiving proper nutrition and light.
You're fixing the light, you're
bathing him to help him poo, and it sounds like you're trying to fix the diet while treating the worms. I say you're being responsible and doing right by your beardie, now. If you're having trouble finding live feeders in your area, I HIGHLY recommend finding an online distributor. I used PetSmart feeders
once when I ran out and was waiting on an order, and my beardie got parasites from the damn things. PetSmart employees are part-time, minimum wage and I doubt they clean that cricket container as frequently as it should be.