My mischievous Bandit

She's the cutest little reptile I've ever seen. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I would own a beardie. I've always heard negative things about them. Boy, were all the things I've heard wrong... I've learned not to freak out over the small things anymore, that a reptile is a reptile and does as she pleases. I've learned how to properly care for her all because of the wonderful people on this site and I would like to thank you all for all the advice. I bought her when she was around 5 inches.. She's now over 8 I bought her July 24th at a Petsmart near my work.She fell off a tree when we approached the tanks and ran to the glass when I was looking at her. I would say she picked me instead of me picking her I did hours upon hours of research but I made my mistakes especially with those "starter kits" but now I've fixed everything and we are on our road to a healthy, long beautiful life. Without further ado, here's some pictures
Our first day together!

My favorite picture by far,

sexy leg

can you find the dragon??

she was shedding a bandanna apparently which suits her name perfectly lol

Queen of the castle,

nom nom, crazy face,

look at those little spikes... AAAH so cute...

I have no idea how she kept herself up like that... I came home from work to find her sleeping like this...

I love her.

I feed the dragon a nice breakfast... How am I repaid? With a cranky dragon...

 

[ohmybandit]

I'm lucky bandit hasn't laid any eggs. She's gonna be 3 this year

My oh my time flies.

Yeah full time work and school this summer I'll have to extern at a doctors office.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Does the school find the intern for you or do you have to. And hopefully Bandit will stay not doing any eggs. Fingers crossed!

Good luck with school, you must be almost over this term, right? Is this the end of school for you or do you have another year to go?

 

[BlueDragon09]

Good luck no eggs!

How is everything for you?

 

[zandi202]

We lost Sorin back in November.... It kept getting worse.

Glad Bandit is doing well. Do you think she wpuld
Mind donating some fat to Jace? lol

 

[AstroPoet]

How adorable! I'm so happy for you!

 

[ohmybandit]

Hello strangers!!

Hope all is well and everyone is good! Bandit is turning 7 in August and I don’t think she’s slowing down! ? she’s still a spunky dragon with a ferocious appetite. Luckily still no eggs! I gave her some scrambled eggs to try (just an itty bit without oil or butter) and I thought she was going to stab herself with the tweezers she jumped at it so hard lol I got a dog and my dog doesn’t know what to make of her lol cats are still good

I’m not sure how to share photos since photo bucket is asking me to pay? What does everyone use for photo sharing?

 

[sweetiepie9]

There is an online storage for pictures here. the XMING is how you access the pictures to post, I'll get the link on downloading from your camera or cell. Hand on.

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/#new

I'm so glad you're back. Wow, 7 years old. Glad she's still spunky. So is my eldest, Grrl, about 6 or 7 years old and is laying eggs 1, 2 or 3 every day. I guess she'll stop eventually LOL

So glad no eggs yet. Cierra has laid 2 large clutches (infertile), so has Freya, who isn't even two yet. And Grrl on a daily basis. And I moved in between the eggs LOL

 

[ohmybandit]

Aw that’s a bummer that they’re all laying!
That’s crazy you have so many ladies now! I think when I started you had all males!

Hopefully this picture works?

She’s been benefiting from all the dandelions in our yard ? I grew some mustard greens in my garden because beautiful dragons says it can be a staple but recentlyI’ve read that it shouldn’t be a staple?!

 

[sweetiepie9]

mustard greens are fine as staples, my crew eat arugula, bok choy and collard greens. Turnip greens, too. Any of these can be greens staples. Mine have never eaten anything like arugula, they go through tons of it. I get my boys to eat their worms, but putting arugula on top, never worked b4 but now they get that worms are under the greens and root around but always get some greens with each work LOL Took years to figure that out. LOL And yes, when I knew you, i had all boys; Lonzo, Rubio, Didi, Gabriel, Titan and Leo. Titan died of yellow fungus Dec/13. Lonzo passed of old age in 2015 at 11 1/2 yrs old. Rubio died Easter Sunday/14 of a brain tumour. Didi passed from issues w/his intestines, same year. Leo passed 2 years ago at 9 yrs of age and Gabriel passed last Oct. Now I only have 2 boys and 3 girls. Looks like Cierra finally passed her last egg of the 2nd clutch, it was stuck behind urate. So got that all out this am. They all got baths in the new sink, lots more space to swim around. No sunlight in the new apartment, but they all have great lights and I hold them as much as possible. My son has promised to help me unpack the rest of the stuff in boxes to clear out the living room. Each 40 gallon tank has either a credenza or a dresser underneath, all empty, so I'm just going to unload what used to be in the living room into those storage spaces. Then the rest where they belong. I just want to see the living room without the boxes!

Glad this is the last move I'll make. Having my grandkids down the hall makes up for all the stress that goes with moving.

Thanks for the pic and it worked great. Bandit looks in the prime of health.

Back to food, I've never followed another list since I found the beautiful dragons site. Veronica Rice is the owner of the rescues that are connected to the site. So I know her info is top notch and I won't even listen about or look at any other list. It's done my dragons well for 13 years, so will continue to do so. That's the food list I always recommend because I'm admin on 3 Facebook sites, as well as a member of a couple of others. All bearded dragon sites, mostly rescue sites. And I connect the brumation article on here to whoever needs to know about brumation. I tell people about this forum all the time, not sure if anyone new has joined.

Alex, who owns this site, married last summer and they now have a daughter. So he's been very busy. I don't think he's even doing the calendar anymore. He said it wasn't cost effective anymore, less people using the site, less people sending in pictures, less people buying the calendar through Cafe Press. That's what he told me last year, not sure about this year.

You'll have to update what you've been up to. And congrats on the back growing space, glad you've got dandelions for Bandit. They are awesome but over here, they grow mostl where there's lots of cars. I'm looking for fresh in the am to bring to the dragons, but so far won't pick out of the park next door, not sure if they spray. They don't spray here, so I'll look behind the buildings to see if there are any to be found.

I'll try to post pics, but if you're on Facebook send me a friend request. Deb Buss.
Easier to post in messenger for me.

 

[ohmybandit]

Anyone have experience with respiratory infections? I can’t get her in until Tuesday and I’m not sure what else I can do in the meantime.

I wrote this in the ER thread as well:

“So I’m fairly certain bandit has a respiratory infection. She’s gaping in her cool side and drooling to the sides when she’s not gaping. Vet appointment isn’t until Tuesday 9 am; I’ve changed her heat lamp from 75 watts to 125 watts. UVB 10.0 changed a couple weeks ago. Anything I can do in the mean time? I live in a very humid state so humidity unfortunately is a battle, I did give her some kiwi to try a couple days before her symptoms started so I’m wondering if that has anything to do with this as well? I’ll try running the CHE at night too even though my house doesn’t drop below 65.”

 

[ohmybandit]

I almost lost bandit yesterday.

This is when I thought she was dead.

This is from coming home from the vet to 3/4 hrs after the vet

She has been through so much with me, I was completely devastated.

I kept hearing a weird wheezing like sound and thought it was the dogs so I didn’t pay attention until one of the dogs looked at bandit’s cage. So I went over there, she was laying on her cool side gaping and laying in her fresh bowel movement. I grabbed her to lift her to put her on her branch to clean when I noticed she looked almost like she prolapsed. So I cleaned quickly and grabbed her for a bath. Once she was in the water, she proceeded to run sideways almost trying to flip herself over. (Immediately thought something neurological, or she fell hit her head or broke something, or worse that star gazing disease)

I took her out put her in a towel, she gasped a few times and went limp, like I could poke her and move her and there was NO reaction. I tried opening her eyes to see if she would react but I couldn’t get them open and I didn’t want to damage her if she was alive. I called my husband bawling my eyes out and literally screaming. She was dead. Her eyes sunk. Her beard was black. And she was motionless. No reaction, no breaths.

I grabbed her, put her in my heated blanket and cuddled her for her final moments, there she lifted her head. She had very shallow breaths very far apart. I hung up on my husband and immediately started calling vets. My intention was to evaluate quality of life since she was struggling and since I was crying the poor vet techs/front desk had a hard time hearing me. I finally found a vet who sees reptiles about 45 min away, they told me to bring her in ASAP but I can’t come in due to covid-19. We were to discuss possible euthanasia since she was struggling.

I turn on the last street to make it there, and bandit is wrapped in towels and a bunch of hand warmers, and there she is, sitting up staring at me with her black beard (mind you bandit NEVER black beards other than today)

The amount of relief that took over me is mind boggling. She has a severe respiratory infection. I am to give her shots every 3 days for the next 2 weeks and pain meds for the next 4 days.

She is alive. She finally ate some supers and a dubia today. I was so heart broken yesterday. I feel like I just got a second chance with her and I’m going to make sure I spoil her the best I can.

Her eyes are still sunken but her colors are all light and no stress marks, no black beard ?

This is her this morning shortly after giving her metacam

 

[DorgEndo]

That's so scary. I'm glad that you were able to get to a vet and start treatment. Wishing Bandit a full recovery.

-April

 

[Claudiusx]

Oh boy how awful! I too know that sinking feeling of feeling them "dead" in your arms. It happened with my Moro after a bath time scare where she aspirated water. I felt her go limp in my arms. Reading your story almost brought me back to that same place. So just saying, I know exactly how you felt.

But, your quick thinking and help and decision to act was a life saver! I'm so glad you were able to get Bandit into the vets. And I'm so glad the meds seem to be working. So do you think bandit has had the RI since June? That was your last post on the subject.

Anyways, I am sorry you had to go through that. It's rough! So happy though that you got your second chance with her! Heres to good thoughts and Bandit getting better!

-Brandon

 

[ohmybandit]

Thank you both!!!

No it seems she’s been getting them in the spring/summer these last 2 years (new house idk if that has something to do with it). She beat it last year and this one was even worse which idk why cause temps are spot on and she had a 125 watt bulb. It’s so scary and I felt so guilty! I was not going to give up without a fight because I knew in my bones it wasn’t her time and I certainly wasn’t going to let her go like that.

She has decided however since she got a second chance at life that she will no longer eat her greens and only dubia. ?, but if that’s what the princess wants, I have to oblige, lol.

 

[ohmybandit]

Thank you for unlocking my post.

Our story has come to an end. RIP Bandit. I love you. I’m so sad I couldn’t have you longer.

She went into her cave yesterday, which was normal with the fluctuating weather, she dug her nails against the tile, she went to sleep and she never woke up again. I’ve cried my eyes out all day.

Thank you beardeddragon.org for all the knowledge and advice. I wouldn’t of been able to go this long with her without you. Thank you to everyone for everything over these years.


Rest easy my beautiful girl. I love you so much. Thank you for all your love.