Oh, my dear baby Howl.
My last bearded dragon passed of old age (about 8 years old), and around 2 months later my parents gave me a brand new baby beardie. I named him Howl and love him very much. He was 6 months old when he died in a traumatic accident.
Basically, Howly was my best friend. When I came home from school, he was my first priority. I would feed him greens and worms and give him plenty of water. He was very active and very healthy. I could tell he loved me too. He would run up to the walls of the cage when I came in, because he knew he was going to be take out to play and sleep and cuddle.
Just yesterday I let him out and put him in his favorite corner to take a nap. I started to watch a movie and figured everything would be okay, because he always stays in his corner. About midway through the movie, I got up to check on him and he wasn't in his corner. I hollered for my boyfriend to come up and help me look for him. The second my boyfriend came in the room, he threw his hand over his mouth and gasped. Howly was next to my dresser, on his back and a few drops of blood on the carpet.
I had never screamed so much in my life. I picked him up and he wasn't breathing, and he has one tooth-sized hole in his back. My dog had obviously got a hold of him. My boyfriend put Howl under the heat lamp and he started breathing again. We set him in his cage and put the heat lamp slightly above him. Every 3 minutes or so he would breathe in and out and in out. A few times he opened his eyes and squirmed around. He was obviously in pain, and we couldn't take him to a vet. These symptoms went on for about 4 hours, and I was constantly nursing him to make sure he stayed comfortable. I had little hope at this point. Around 2:30 AM he passed, and we buried him next to my dog that drowned in our backyard pool.
It was an accident, but I could have prevented it. I feel like a failed owner.
I don't know how soon is too soon to get another one, if I even end up wanting another one. No beardie could replace my darling Howl. I had such a strong bond with him - I can't believe he is gone.
My last bearded dragon passed of old age (about 8 years old), and around 2 months later my parents gave me a brand new baby beardie. I named him Howl and love him very much. He was 6 months old when he died in a traumatic accident.
Basically, Howly was my best friend. When I came home from school, he was my first priority. I would feed him greens and worms and give him plenty of water. He was very active and very healthy. I could tell he loved me too. He would run up to the walls of the cage when I came in, because he knew he was going to be take out to play and sleep and cuddle.
Just yesterday I let him out and put him in his favorite corner to take a nap. I started to watch a movie and figured everything would be okay, because he always stays in his corner. About midway through the movie, I got up to check on him and he wasn't in his corner. I hollered for my boyfriend to come up and help me look for him. The second my boyfriend came in the room, he threw his hand over his mouth and gasped. Howly was next to my dresser, on his back and a few drops of blood on the carpet.
I had never screamed so much in my life. I picked him up and he wasn't breathing, and he has one tooth-sized hole in his back. My dog had obviously got a hold of him. My boyfriend put Howl under the heat lamp and he started breathing again. We set him in his cage and put the heat lamp slightly above him. Every 3 minutes or so he would breathe in and out and in out. A few times he opened his eyes and squirmed around. He was obviously in pain, and we couldn't take him to a vet. These symptoms went on for about 4 hours, and I was constantly nursing him to make sure he stayed comfortable. I had little hope at this point. Around 2:30 AM he passed, and we buried him next to my dog that drowned in our backyard pool.
It was an accident, but I could have prevented it. I feel like a failed owner.
I don't know how soon is too soon to get another one, if I even end up wanting another one. No beardie could replace my darling Howl. I had such a strong bond with him - I can't believe he is gone.
