Hello there.
How nice of you to take on this old gal.
There are a few special steps you do need to take when rescuing a dragon to make sure she has a nice clean bill of health.
First of all its a nice long
bath.
Most dragons kept in stores dont get regular soakings and they can become dehydrated really easily.
You want to run the
bath so the water is warm, but not hot, and is no deeper than her armpits.
You may want to start off with a shallow
bath because if its new to her she may be a little frightened to become completely immersed in water.
Even if she does not drink directly from the water as long as the water is covering her vent she will be absorbing the moisture.
Bathing also incorages bowel movements.
Secondly its a great idea to get a faecal done at the vets.
Dragons can pick up all sorts of worms and paracites with improper care.
If you call up to drop off a faecal sample at a vets its usually no more than $15 and its great to know your new girl is healthy.
Thirdly you want to watch her bowel movements.
Things like sand, meal worms and pinkies can cause impaction pretty quickly in dragons. Especially with improper cared for dragons.
She may not poop until a few days after she has eaten with you, so keep an eye on her bowel movements.
If she starts to eat and you dont see a bowel movement in a couple of days then we can try giving her some natural stimulants to pass any blockages such as apple sauce, pumpkin and olive oil.
Can you answer some basic set up questions for us please?
Im sure you have everything tip top but there is just SO much incorrect information about bearded dragons out there that we always like to check with our newer members.
What size is your tank?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your
UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?
In regards to handling I would keep it to a minimum until she begins to eat regularly. I would only handle her during her
bath and perhaps once more for 5 or so minutes druing the day.
Dragons are notorious for adjusting badly to change, and it may take even a couple of weeks to get her to settle down enough to eat.
Relocation stress can last a couple of days or a coupld of weeks. Every dragon is different of course!
In order for you two to bond whilst you are keeping handling to a minimum its a great trick to put a section of one of your old tshirts in her viv.
This way she becomes used to your scent in a non threatening manner, so it is one less barrier for you to break down when you start spending more time together.
Her lack of appetite could be due to relocation stress or impaction. If we get onto day 4 and she hasnt nibbled anything we can have a chat about giving her a protein boost with some babyfood.
In regards to climbing vs space it depends on the dragon.
Dex was never a fan of climbing so I she ended up with only a few low rocks to climb on, whereas Miso is a tiny monkey who isnt happy unless she is climbing and leaping!
If you offer your girl somewhere to climb in the viv and some space Im sure she will let you know what she likes.
We're always happy to help and we LOVE photos (hint hint) so ask away if you have any more questions.
I warn you rescuing is addictive!
I started off with one and Im now on my third!
Holly
