New owner - HELP

[bwalady]

I acquired my beardie from my son....and I just love him. I stress soo much though...about Lighting if he is eating properly if his poop is ok...ugghh...Anyway He goes thru stages Ive had him I guess over a year and He seems to have been "brumating" or very lazy for the last year..But in the last month he has been active eating "SOME" greens not many but some. He Loves now super worms. I definitely need to get a thermometer to keep an eye on his lighthing. Mine that I had battery went dead. Ok anyway...My question is this. I just want to make sure he is "OK" I bath him at least 1x a week.
Any advice on how to clip his nails they are pretty long...But I guess just some advice for a new beardie owner...even though its been a year ...

 

[CooperDragon]

During brumation I usually advise using a kitchen scale to record and track their weight because it should remain relatively stable. Weight loss could indicate a health problem. If his weight is stable I'd just let him be and keep doing what you're doing. It's definitely important to have a good thermometer on hand. I like using a temp gun so I can get quick readings all over the tank. Something like this should serve you well http://www.amazon.com/Nubee-Temperature-Non-contact-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B00CVHIJDK


You can clip their nails using regular nail clippers. You just want to cut the sharp tip though. I run the clipper along the curve on the inside of the nail until I feel it catch where the tip of the nail meets the quick. I cut just below that. You can also use an emery board to file them down a bit if needed. It's a bit intimidating the first time but once you've done it, it makes sense and isn't bad. Toughest part is keeping them still so you may want to work on just one hand at a time if he gets restless.

 

[bwalady]

Thank you...I could go on and on about this dragon. I never realized I could just love a reptile before. But I got a thermometer..Well 2 actually but the one didnt work. He is shedding right now. I can see it on the top of his head and his legs. But anyway...He is a little not like the norm. He LOVES blueberries. I give him some with his greens. But he has not been eating very well. He loves superworms. So now the crickets are a no go. I have read that it is ok to give him these as his primary food. I just wish he ate normal. The reptile store my son got him from did not say anything about feeding him greens. Only crickets and then they gave my son this high case and oh that is a whole other story. My goal is to get him to eat more greens =)
Anyway He seems pretty content now.. He goes to bathroom every or at least every other day. Like I said I could go on and on...But I do know one thing my husband is about to strangle me with all I do with this dragon. Ill check in later and also Im sure Ill be posting more and getting opinions on his cage his size etc. Oh one thing he has these bumps under his back legs. ( I think he is a he) what are they and do you think he needs a companion?

 

[CooperDragon]

I definitely understand how attached you get to them. My boys were my boys and were treated as such. How old is your dragon? A young dragon will likely favor bugs over veges to support growth but after about 18 months their diet will shift to mainly veges. They will still enjoy their bugs (especially supers) but they should be limited and moved over to nice varied salads as their main meals. Adults should get salads daily and bugs every few days. I'd vary the bugs too as much as possible to provide a balanced diet. Black soldier fly larvae, silk worms, occasional hornworms, occasional supers, dubia roaches, crickets are good choices to put in rotation when you can. For salads, I suggest using 2-3 items from this list on a rotating basis depending on what you can get fresh at the store each week. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html It's good that he likes blueberries. I'd use them as a garnish on the salad but too many can cause some upset stomach. I'd use them to try and get him to dig into the salad around it.

The bumps on his legs are femoral pores. They're used for marking territory. They are normal and can largely be ignored. I don't suggest getting a companion because they are territorial and get aggressive against eachother. It's best to keep them isolated.

 

[bwalady]

Well Im not sure how old he is...Ive had him for about a year. He is shedding at the moment. Finally starting to become more "normal" Now just to get him to eat salads ...He is a very picky eater..ugghh...Ive been bathing him every other day since he is shedding..He is a little more skittish but other than that it seems to be going along normally. I want to post a picture and Im pretty computer savy but I havent had a minute to check. He loves hornworms so Im going to get him some of those as well..Oh I know what I wanted to ask. The basking lights. I have gone thru probably 6 in the last 6 months they keep blowing out. They are expensive any other alternative?

These are from today...He gave me the "Look" :lol:

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[CooperDragon]

He looks nice and healthy =). As far as the lights go, sometimes they burn out rather quickly but you should get a few months out of them generally speaking. Is your fixture rated to handle the wattage of the bulb you're using? Are you moving the fixture a lot or does it stay stationary? I've found they are pretty sensitive to movement. A cheaper alternative that should work well is to use a PAR38 or BR40 halogen flood light from the hardware store. You'll have to test a few different wattages to get the correct temperature. You may want to get a lamp dimmer so you can fine tune it if you can't easily change the height of the fixture. I have 90w PAR38 halogen bulbs that work well at about 12'' above the basking spot.