Sebastian the Rescue

[Enderess]

Hi, I am Enderess, or Emily, you can call me whatever you really want, I really don't care.

If you saw my other posts, like Should I? and Black Tail? Is this coloring?, you might know that I was considering getting a dragon, and well, He left me crumbling.

Last night I found my new love, Sebastian, my new bearded dragon.

This is our story.

Before I start, I want to say, thanks. I get it that I have said it before, but you guys are the people that helped me answer my questions, and this whole community is awesome! The idea of other pet owners helping communicate to each other! This was one of the things I really wanted when I was new to pet rats, but I never got, but now I can actually finally step back up on my feet in the bearded dragon realm! I have learned so much here! Thanks, you guys deserve it!

Lets skip to a few days ago.

I had learned a lot about bearded dragons, had got a 40 gallon tank for only $70 (not bad..) and had also made a list on amazon of everything else that I needed to buy. (Proper lighting, food, substrate, etc.) and was planning on getting the beardy soon. My school is off on summer break, so it was a pretty logical time to get one, considering the fact that I don't want to be busy on the first few weeks of having him/her. (They always say that the first week is the most important...) I was browsing through craigslist, looking for an adult in my area, since just like other animals, the babies are always more expensive, in terms of food, to say the least, and they also are probably harder to grasp for the average newbie, so yeah, I was looking for an adult. That is when I saw some listings that caught my eye.

The main one that actually caught my eye was a 6 year old bearded dragon, that came with everything *cough* *cough* garbage *cough* *cough*. I had done enough research to know that he was in way to small a tank, had improper lighting, there was barely anything in the tank, and he didn't look like he was in great condition, so I really wanted to see him. I contacted them, and surprisingly, they got back to me! (Unlike all the other people I tried...) They said that I could come over the next day, and I gladly agreed.

It was the next day, around 4ish-5ish pm, and my parents and I were going over there to see him. Apparently the posters' daughter didn't really want him anymore, so, that was why he was being sold? kinda irresponsible, but whatever. The thing that bothered me was that this was one of those really shady neighborhoods, you know, the ones with the small houses, weird people looking at you, but that didn't stop me and my parents from going over there. We arrived at a small house, with the daughters mom outside the door, leading us in.

When we got inside, it was a cramped, small house, and we were lead to a small, cramped room with a 20 gallon tank. His skin was really dark, he had brighter and darker patches on him, but luckily, no visible wounds. His tail was dark, and so was his back, but that didn't bother me. The girl claimed that he "didn't like to be held very much", but she was totally wrong. Since there were other people looking into him, and I had the money with me, I knew that it was better to bring him home with me. These people had good intentions, but were delivering them wrong.

I got home, and quickly got him out of his cramped 20 gallon (which was also very messy, filled with poo, and looked like it was never cleaned) and let him go on my floor as I put some soft paper towels into the bottom of my 40 gallon tank. I added some of the decor they provided after I cleaned it off a bit, and put in what I could. I put on the crappy lights for now, since I am going to the store later today, I am going to get an 100 watt bulb and stand, since the light is way to cold. The thermometer is broke, so I cant tell the temp, but so far he is alert, and eating. I am ordering better stuff right now, so he will be fine.

Sadly, we had to leave his crappy lights in, but don't worry, we are getting new ones soon.

Here are some pictures of him (warning, bad picture quality):



Picture from the craigslist ad

Picture of him on my floor

Picture of his temporary enclosure

After that, and a lot of snuggles from him, me and my family went to sleep.

This morning we got him out, and he talked to my grandma on the phone and hung out with my parents.

We also gave him a bath

He looked a lot brighter after it, but still dark.

His tail looked a bit brighter as well, but I am not sure that you can tell in the picture.

I also am going to mention that he was eating butter lettuce DUN DUN DUN! It is fine though, because I will get collard greens next time I go to the store. He also decided to poo finally, which he thought it was a great idea to do it while I was holding him :roll:

The thing that worries me is how dark he is, because his scales feel almost burnt, maybe because of how close he was to the light in their tank, and I am going to give him a bath later today to see if he perks up a bit.

One big thing that I am worried about is his belly. It is almost completely yellow, along with some on his head. My mom thinks that it is a bad shed, and while that could be true, and I am not so sure about it. It might be yellow fungus, due to the bad sanitary conditions, but praying for it not to be.

I hope that he gets healed up, poor thing, his older owners didn't really seem to care much about him. Whether he makes it or not, he is at least getting the love he deserves.

Please tell me any tips, or things that would help.

Also, could the dark, crusty skin on his back be shedding?


Thanks for your time!

Regards,

Enderess

 

[Enderess]

When your bearded dragon is basking, but you want to pet them :lol:

I'm going to let him bask in the real sun soon, by the way, since it is hotter out where I live.

 

[AHBD]

Hi again and congrats on your new dragon ! He looks pretty comfy in his new digs aleady. He probably needs a few baths to help with shedding but be sure to pat him dry + put him right back in the heat of the tank after.

Can you post a few more head shots and a shot of his yellow tummy ? Also a pic of his tail on a white background ? So far his head just looks like it's an uneven shed but the pics are a bit blurry.

 

[EllenD]

I just reached a 10 month old male in similar conditions, except Nix has full blown MBD from zero UVB light, and he had an impaction from 3 months prior to me getting him, and that took 2 weeks to get him to pass. But his skin and coloring looked exactly like yours does, and the problem with Nix is that he had crappy lighting in addition to zero UVB light.

I immediately got him under a Reptisun T5 High-Output UVB tube and started bathing him every other day, as his prior owner's told me he hadn't had any shed since he was a little baby...That was 2 months ago, and I almost cried when I compared him to my 8 month old girl that I've had since she was a month old. She's at least triple his size and is bright coral and red, he was just dark brown, black, and gray, with sad eyes and his skin was dried up and just dead looking.

Fast forward 2 months and Nix is slowly shedding every part of his body, and his back, legs, and stomach look great! Right now he is fully shedding his head and face, and it's rough, it seems like he sheds many, many layers at once, and right now his head and face is just all one big white piece of thick dead skin. Hopefully it starts shedding soon, because I know he's uncomfortable. But he already looks like a totally different beardie...

So my best suggestion is to get him under an appropriate UVB tube light (it looks like his UVB is either a compact or coil, and his eyes are a bit sunken and irritated looking too) and give regular baths. I bet he starts shedding as soon as he's under appropriate lights and in correct temps.

 

[Enderess]

Hi again and congrats on your new dragon ! He looks pretty comfy in his new digs aleady. He probably needs a few baths to help with shedding but be sure to pat him dry + put him right back in the heat of the tank after.

Can you post a few more head shots and a shot of his yellow tummy ? Also a pic of his tail on a white background ? So far his head just looks like it's an uneven shed but the pics are a bit blurry.

Thanks for responding!

I will post more pics maybe in an hour or so, since I am going to be getting a new basking light for him at the store. I'll be sure to give you pics, and also, sorry for the bad phone pics

By the way, can a normal, 100 watt lightbulb serve as a basking light?

Regards,

Enderess

 

[AHBD]

Yes, you can use a regular 100 watt household bulb, incandescent type or a halogen flood lamp..

 

[Enderess]

I just reached a 10 month old male in similar conditions, except Nix has full blown MBD from zero UVB light, and he had an impaction from 3 months prior to me getting him, and that took 2 weeks to get him to pass. But his skin and coloring looked exactly like yours does, and the problem with Nix is that he had crappy lighting in addition to zero UVB light.

I immediately got him under a Reptisun T5 High-Output UVB tube and started bathing him every other day, as his prior owner's told me he hadn't had any shed since he was a little baby...That was 2 months ago, and I almost cried when I compared him to my 8 month old girl that I've had since she was a month old. She's at least triple his size and is bright coral and red, he was just dark brown, black, and gray, with sad eyes and his skin was dried up and just dead looking.

Fast forward 2 months and Nix is slowly shedding every part of his body, and his back, legs, and stomach look great! Right now he is fully shedding his head and face, and it's rough, it seems like he sheds many, many layers at once, and right now his head and face is just all one big white piece of thick dead skin. Hopefully it starts shedding soon, because I know he's uncomfortable. But he already looks like a totally different beardie...

So my best suggestion is to get him under an appropriate UVB tube light (it looks like his UVB is either a compact or coil, and his eyes are a bit sunken and irritated looking too) and give regular baths. I bet he starts shedding as soon as he's under appropriate lights and in correct temps.

Thanks for the response!

Also, sorry about little Nix, poor poor baby

I am currently figuring out the basking light situation as well, and am going to be ordering one tonight. I've heard good things about the reptisun T5 bulb, and will be ordering it soon. My mom and I both agreed that baths are good, because he is already looking brighter! I just gave him another bath, and he is super bright compared to earlier! Thanks for the reply! It surely gives us hope!

I am heading to the store now!

Thanks!

 

[Enderess]

Hi again and congrats on your new dragon ! He looks pretty comfy in his new digs aleady. He probably needs a few baths to help with shedding but be sure to pat him dry + put him right back in the heat of the tank after.

Can you post a few more head shots and a shot of his yellow tummy ? Also a pic of his tail on a white background ? So far his head just looks like it's an uneven shed but the pics are a bit blurry.

Hi! I just got back from the store and bathed him again, because he surely needed it. Here are the images you requested. (Sorry if they aren't the best, I tried.)

Here is one shot of his belly:

Here is a less blurry shot:

The reason that I now think that it is a shed is that there are little patches of scales that have fallen off there, revealing normal scales, which leads me to believe that it is a shed.

Here are some pics of his tail:

Before bath:

After bath:

(Sorry, that is the only pic I could get before he started wandering around, I'll get more later, as I am going to be busy soon.

Thanks for checking in, and sorry for getting back so late, I had internet issues, going to the store, and finally dinner.

Regards

Enderess

 

[Enderess]

Yes, you can use a regular 100 watt household bulb, incandescent type or a halogen flood lamp..

I'll be writing a longer update of what I got, but while I was at my local walmart I found a two pack of 120 watt equivalent 80 watt great value halogen floodlamps. I will be replacing the light very soon.

Thanks for your time!

Regards,

Enderess

 

[Enderess]

**UPDATE**

Hey everyone! Sorry for getting back so late! As I said earlier, I was having internet issues, and was very busy, but now I am back!

I went to the store with my mom, and got the few things that I could get my hands on.

I first got a 2-pack of great value halogen flood lamps (all I could find..) they are 120 watt equivalent, but are really 80 watts. I just plugged it into the fixture that I had received, and, yeah, it is a lot better, especially since it actually is emitting a decent amount of light (unlike the cold, purple-ish light, which was useless.) It is currently suspended on a very short cookie rack, since my mom insisted that it not melt the wire on the top, and it is seemingly working.

While we were there we were there, I also picked up some freeze dried crickets. They won't be a staple, but they will be something I can feed him right now, since I need to mix up his diet, and I still am getting used to the whole live bug thing. I will get live crickets later.

We then went to our local petsmart, and got a few other things.

Firstly, we got one thermometer/hydrometer combo (there was only one left), which is currently near the basking light. I am going to get two zoo-med ones off of amazon, but for now, I just want to know if the basking temp is good enough, just in case. I also removed the water bowl, and the humidity went down from 45 to 30, which I am generally happy about. The temp is hard to say, but I think it is around 80-90, so I will fix it tomorrow, as it is getting really late.

We also got some repti-carpet, as that is a better substrate than paper towels, well, at least I think so. We got a 50 gallon one because the other ones wouldn't fit our tank. I will trim it tomorrow. To add on to that, we got a tank background, because it was getting annoying watching him stare at his reflection all day long. It is a fishtank background, but it doesn't really look much like one. Once again, I will place it in tomorrow.

We also bought some live superworms, as he has only eaten veggies for the one night that we have owned him, so he needed something different. When my mom and I got home, we fed him, and he ate 5 out of the 50 we had purchased. I am really happy with him, he is an awesome dragon

Once again, I will try to figure out his temps tomorrow. Any suggestions will be considered. I will also send pics tomorrow, so stay tuned.. I guess.

Also, please, can anyone tell me what the feed the beardy, and when? I still am a bit confused,
and want to stay safe, since I don't want to injure him in the long run. I just kind of feed him randomly, which isn't very good for him, I know it. How many superworms should he be eating in one serving? How many times should I put calcium supplement on it?

Thanks for your time!

Regards,

Enderess

 

[Enderess]

I am going to be purchasing good UVB bulbs probably by tomorrow, and two better thermometers. I was wondering if anyone has any cheap yet good UVB fixture recommendations, thanks!

Thanks for your time!

Regards,

Enderess

 

[AHBD]

So far, so good. 5-6 superworms at a time 1-2X a week, dusted with calcium powder is good. Freeze dried crickets are not as good as live, so maybe 5-6 once a week , also lightly dusted. He looks pretty hefty so be sure not to feed him more bugs than I mentioned.....if you go with live crickets or dubia you can increase the number but don't feed him more than 8-10 large insects in one sitting any time as an adult. [ And especially because he's new ] Offer greens like turnip, mustard, collard, dandelion, arugula, green beans squash, peppers [ no hot ones ! ]

Flooring can be non adhesive shelf liner, it's easier to clean than reptile carpet.

The halogen bulbs are great for heat + light, now all you need is your good uvb bulb.

 

[Enderess]

So far, so good. 5-6 superworms at a time 1-2X a week, dusted with calcium powder is good. Freeze dried crickets are not as good as live, so maybe 5-6 once a week , also lightly dusted. He looks pretty hefty so be sure not to feed him more bugs than I mentioned.....if you go with live crickets or dubia you can increase the number but don't feed him more than 8-10 large insects in one sitting any time as an adult. [ And especially because he's new ] Offer greens like turnip, mustard, collard, dandelion, arugula, green beans squash, peppers [ no hot ones ! ]

Flooring can be non adhesive shelf liner, it's easier to clean than reptile carpet.

The halogen bulbs are great for heat + light, now all you need is your good uvb bulb.

Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better all ready!

Thanks for the feeding advice! That sure helps a lot. He is sitting on my leg right now staring at me like "what'cha doing?"

Anyways, thanks, I'll stick to that feeding chart, since I am going to mark a schedule.

Thanks for all the help, it means a lot

Regards,

Enderess

(PPS ZooMed Repticalcium w/ d3 is safe, right?)

 

[Enderess]

He ate some superworms this morning, six to count, but isn't hungry right now :?

He had another bath today, but has been really tired (relocation stress?) so I do see him sleeping, or at least closing his eyes in the tank.

Ordering the UVB today, since that is vital.

He also has been kind twitching his leg while basking, which I looked up, and could be a sign of MBD, but one again, getting the bulb today.

I also learned that he is a big snuggler, as he is sleeping on me as I write this. :roll:

I think I will try to feed him again in a half hour, but he doesn't seem to like the veggies as much after we offered him worms :lol:

Maybe he is just getting picky.

Also, thanks for all the responses, it really helps a lot more than it seems.

Thanks for your time! 8)

Regards,

Enderess

 

[Permutation]

Ya.. Vegies have never been a huge thing with our guys, we are always amazed at video of them munching away. We trick our guys by putting their super worms in with the salad. They seem to like munching on clover outside more then all the greens we buy them.

Our one guy does love blueberries but they are a treat...