sand

[Balerion]

My mom bought sand for the 2 month old bearded dragons and said it was natural for them. We put it in the tank and now my lizard is just laying there eating it. It doesn't sound right for a bearded dragon to eat sand and be on it. Is there anything I can do to stop him from eating the sand?

 

[AHBD]

It's best to take it out ASAP. Tell your mom that experienced breeders do not put babies on sand because when they eat it they easily become impacted [ can't poo ] This can lead to death . If you Google bearded dragon impaction, there will be horror stories and pictures to go along with them. The stuff sold at pet stores is not safe....crushed walnut, calcium type sand, etc. are all bad for babies.

 

[kingofnobbys]

While lots of keepers here and even breeders (here in Australia) advocate using dry screened playsand even for the very smallest and youngest ,even just hatched bearded dragons, there is a strong risk of the little dragon ingesting some sand when eating and this can prove fatal if they become impacted.

BEST NOT USE ANY indigestible particulate beddings for young bearded dragons (this includes play sand) and definitely do not use CALCI-SAND (it's lethal and turns into concrete in their guts).

As already advised, I also STRONGLY ADVISE you remove the sand IMMEDIATELY.

If he has been eating sand you will need to watch his pooing and how regular he is for at least 2 to 4 days (it can take this long for anything that goes in their mouth to come out the other end).

Make sure he's very well hydrated and maybe give him 0.1 - 0.2ml of olive oil by mouth each day to help lubricate his internal plumbing.

 

[kingofnobbys]

It's best to take it out ASAP. Tell your mom that experienced breeders do not put babies on sand because when they eat it they easily become impacted [ can't poo ] This can lead to death . If you Google bearded dragon impaction, there will be horror stories and pictures to go along with them. The stuff sold at pet stores is not safe....crushed walnut, calcium type sand, etc. are all bad for babies <<<<<(and not safe for any beardied dragon AT ALL)

 

[kingofnobbys]

My mom bought sand for the 2 month old bearded dragons and said it was natural for them. We put it in the tank and now my lizard is just laying there eating it. It doesn't sound right for a bearded dragon to eat sand and be on it. Is there anything I can do to stop him from eating the sand?

Most of the natural habitat of central bearded dragons in central Australia is savannah glasslands and sparce woodlands, very very little of it is sandy. The main soil type they live on is extremely ancient highly weathered very fine clays know as Bull Dust.

 

[ruben0311]

make sure basking areas are nice and hot and use the advice previously mentioned. every owner is different and housing setups are each tailored to each person. I am not saying keep him on sand, due to the fact he is actively eating it, but perhaps when he is older you can introduce a different setup. Fred has sand in his hide and nowhere else, he just hangs out or naps in there. He never ate on sand so i never had an issue with him accidentally ingesting while feeding. Every beard is different and all should be monitored closely regardless of substate or habitat to ensure there are no negative habits that form.

 

[Drache613]

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