Need Advice....

[miragach]

Hey there,
I recently posted in the Introduction section saying hi and that I had just rescued a Beardie. Here is a link to that thread :
http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=96466
I have some concerns that I was hoping someone can answer for me.

First we will start with the lighting issue.
Currently Cazic has had no UV in about 5 days... I ordered the Reptisun 10.0 but they haven't even shipped it yet. How long is it ok to go without? When I got him he was under a Reptisun 5.0 compact (which I read the compacts are really bad for beardies). His basking temp is 105 and his cool side is 78. He had been using a red heat lamp at night but I have discontinued that.

Secondly, food....
Before I got him his only food was mealworms. He has adjusted to the greens and crickets well but refuses fruits so far. Any advice as to what to offer for fruits?
I have no idea of his age but we think he is about 17inches long. Have to wait for the vet visit to see his weight. But after seeing so many pictures here he looks a tad under weight to me. What should I give him to help him gain weight?
Also, I have been bathing him every other day. He does not drink in the bath. I have never seen him drink from his dish in the tank (just sit in it) but we are having no issues with pooping so I wasn't worried too much about it.

Last... he is very active in the tank and seems to want to come out alot... when I hold him tho he doesn't want to move around a whole bunch but isn't stiff or tense....kinda just seems limp on my chest/shoulder/lap.


Any advice is helpful!

Thanks
Meara & Cazic

 

[Ethelia]

Hello there,

Firstly congratulations! Its wonderful that you decided to take in a beardie into your home.
Ive just rescued my second dragon a month before christmas so I know how much work they can be, but how rewarding it is.

UV wise, generally i believe they can go about a week without suffering any health issues whatsoever. Keeping her nice and warm is more important. How are you lighting her at the moment and what are her temps?

Food wise I wouldnt worry about not getting any fruit, they can get all the nutrition they need from greens and crix.
If you'd like to introduce her to sweeter things Id suggest you try butternut squash. It has quite a sweet fragrance to it and is a superb staple. If she tries butternut im sure she will eventually try fruits.
Here is a great list of nutritional values of foods for dragons:
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html


To gain weight you can look at butterworms and waxworms.
Butterworms can be a staple feeder and have great levels of calories and calcium to help get a sick dragon back on track.
There are some great websites to order them from, however im in the UK so you would have to wait for a native to advise you on those!

Waxworms however are not nutritional but are very fatty, and are adored by dragons. Waxies should only be given as a treat for regular dragons.
Currently with my rescued boy Ruben he gets 5 dusted waxworms at the end of the day IF he has eaten his veg and locust. They can get addicted to waxworms so if he ever stops eating to get the worms I pull the plug on the waxies.

Squash is also a good starchy food to help them gain weight. Ruben adores his squash and has been gaining weight really well.

You can also feed your little one organic chicken babyfood which is packed full of protein and goodness.
Ideally you can put a little splodge on her nose and she will lick it off, otherwise you can try tempting her from a spoon (for some reason this is the only way Ruben will take his), you can also put a little on her veggies if you need to get crafty.

Water wise I would personally get rid of the water in her viv.
Very few dragons will drink from standing water and unless you are scrubbing it daily it can breed bacteria. It can also mess with their humidity levels which isnt what you want.
As far as hydrating your dragon the absolute best thing for her is baths.

(Mealworms are awful for dragons as they are mostly shell, and feeding alot of them can lead to impaction, so for that you will want to bathe her aswell)

You will want to fill your bath/large rubbermaid tub up with warm water up to her armpits, and let her soak for at least 15 minutes.
Even if they do not drink from their baths they absorb water through their vents.
If she seems distressed by the bath its not unusual, most dragons resist it like hells fire to begin with.
To help keep her carm you can put a towel at the bottom of her bath. Having something to grip onto really seems to help settle them down.
I know if I ever put my two in the bath with no towel they would be frantic.

I would bathe her every day for a week or so to help her with any possible impaction and get her nice and hydrated.
After she seems to have got back on track you can bath her 3 times a week instead.
I bathe Ruben once a day because he poops in the water which means no scrubbing for me!

Keep us updated and congrats again

Holly