Should I get one?..

[Ini]

Hi! I'm Ini. I'm a big fan of bearded dragons, and I would really love one as a pet. However, I'd appreciate the opinions of those more knowledgable than me as to whether I have what it takes to own one. So.. a little about myself and my situation.
I am a disabled young adult. I spend the vast majority of time at home, only going out all day 2 days a week. The rest of the days I help mum as much as I can, but spend a lot of time on a laptop.
I own two budgies, and spend lots of time with them but feel I have plenty left over. I know enough to know I would never let a dragon and the budgies out together.
We also have two dogs, one of which will need to be watched around the vivarium. My dragon would not be let out at the same time the dogs were in the room, but would having two dogs that can bark a lot cause much stress?
I have a big chest of drawers where I could put a sizeable vivarium. I am occasionally confined to a wheelchair, but where I am planning to place the vivarium I could access it while in the wheelchair.
I've done research :study: , and believe I could afford to pay or the food, lighting, and insurance every month, but would like other opinions on how much it would cost in the UK.
We have a local Herp Vet.
It is possible that my family might move from east anglia to Gloucestershire in future, would it be possible to bring the dragon with us?
I was mainly thinking of getting an adult, as this would be my first time owning a reptile, this is better than getting a youngster, yes?
What is the average set up costs in the UK? I would need to save up, so an idea of costs would be good.

 

[Picklepies]

Heya, I'm afraid Im not super experienced on the other stuff, but having just brought a whole enclosure for my beardies I can say at the moment it cost me around £300, and I pay £13.50 a month for insurance, and about £10a week for food, though mine is a baby so will eat a lot more bugs than an adult

As an opinion I personally feel getting Jubsie was the best decision I've made. She's an amazing companion

Also I moved from Oxford to Portsmouth (about 2 hours) with Jubsie after only having her for around 2 weeks and she was fine, the only issue was wr had to hire a van to move the cage, but if you're getting a van anyway it shouldn't be tol much of an issue, you're dragon will just need a bit of adjustment time

Hope this helps, sorry I couldn't help with most of your questions! Xx

 

[Ini]

Thank you, that confirms a bit of what I was expecting. I estimated about £14 insurance and £10 food so that's good.
Our journey would be about 5 to 6 hours though..

 

[Picklepies]

The journey shouldn't be too long as long as there's a bit of car heating and snacks, unfortunately our heating was broken so we used those chemical hand warmers, which kept her toasty, so car heating should do much the same

 

[AHBD]

Traveling will be no problem as was mentioned ....best not to feed them before a long drive since they're not set up with heat lamps for digesting the food.

 

[Ini]

Thank you! I'm going to try and persuade my mum and brother I can handle one. THAT will be the hard part..

 

[Picklepies]

I think the amount if research you've done just for preparation will make you ana amazing dragon owner, and I'm sute your dragon will make you as happy as yuloull make them

 

[Ini]

Thank you! I hope I can get mum and my brother to see things the same way.

 

[SpacialCoogs]

If you're thinking of the monthly cost and where to find a good vet then you're already ahead of a lot of people.

I agree with getting an adult, they will be calmer and easier to care for to start with. I would recommend getting a front opening tank, it will be easier for you to manage. I have a top open one and I need a step stool and I still can't reach some corners.

I camp with my dragon, they are good travel companions. I have a kit i take with me so she is fine over a weekend. For a 5-6 hour trip you should be okay if you have a container for him/her, food, a place to poop (cleanup supplies) and somewhere nice and warm to sleep.

I have a long black scarf that I tie around my torso and tuck Scaley into. She will poke her little head out and watch the world go by but be snuggled into my chest. This provides body heat, helps her feel safe and lets me have my hands free. It's also easy to cover her head and let her sleep on me.

 

[Ini]

Thank you very much that's really helpful!

 

[Rankins]

AHBD...I don't feed any of my reptiles for a couple days before a long trip. I don't want to smell it the whole drive

But as for whether the OP should get a bearded dragon, I think you would do well with one. Since your home most of the time the dragon would be spoiled. The cost of feeding them can get expensive unless you raise your own bugs. So if your serious about getting a dragon, you might want to start a colony of roaches now. It takes a long time for a colony to be established enough to feed from it.

 

[Ini]

Ok, thanks for that advice!

 

[magpieandstuff]

I don't think moving would be that big of an issue, especially if you get an adult. My beardie, Reptar, did just fine on a 4 hour car ride. I just kept him in his carrier with a hand warmer pack that I wrapped in a towel.

As for food, there are some ways to save on cost. For example, I grow my own greens and breed my own dubia roaches.

Owning Reptar has been a wonderful experience. If you feel ready to own a bearded dragon, I say go for it!

 

[LinusTheOrange]

It sounds like you did your research, and you already found a herp vet. That's one of the things that alot of people don't do until an emergency comes up, and they scramble to find vet care. You already did that, and that says that you are ready to make the commitment. I also agree with getting an adult as a first Beardie. They are not as delicate as a little one, and have already been through the teenage Beardie angst, and their personalities are better set. It will still take some time to bond, and gain trust, though.

I was terrified when I first made the beardie plunge, but its worth it. The first time that they are loose in the house, and choose you to crawl back onto, makes all the work worth it.

 

[dezismom]

hello, Ini!

I am also disabled--I have a rare bone disorder and am home all day, almost every day, and when I do go out, I am in a wheelchair, custom made for my size and needs. But getting out is difficult and painful, even though my hubby is great and does most of the work. I have a fabulous Beardie named DeziLu, AKA Dezi, Dez. He is by far the BEST pet I have ever had (actually, he owns me and he is without doubt the perfect little buddy for anyone with disability that involves mobility issues. He loves to cuddle with me all day long and he does not need to move about very much. He is trained to wear a special vest (custom made by me) with a little lightweight "leash" attached, so he can roam safely while I keep an eye on him, and I can reel him in gently when needed. But he rarely wears it! Because he seems to have imprinted on me when he was a baby, and now he does not ever want to be far from me.

I do all his feeding, cleaning, and care. I enjoy every minute of it. When not on me, he stays in his big vivarium, under the reptisun 10' special UVB lamp. the vivarium also has special heat lamps, ceramic night heat bulb, an under tank heater, and a basking light. Getting the proper set up is very expensive, but absolutely necessary for a healthy, happy Dragon. I also have to feed his food! and clean their containers about once a week. The crickets I keep in a big gallon bait bucket with sawdust substrate, some water in a heavy ashtray with some paper towel in it (to keep the dummies from drowning) and carrots and cricket food, so they are healthy and full of good nutrients for my boy. I order his other food online to be delivered right at my door.

My only difficulty is when I do a big cleaning of Dezi's viv, I remove about a third of the calcium sand substrate and replace it with clean new sand, and I am too weak to pick up the bags of sand, so my hubby helps with that. This big cleaning is needed only about every three or four months, unless his water gets tipped and the sand gets wet. That has happened only once in two years.

There are so many factors make Beardies such great companions for disabled people, I cannot possibly list them all in just one response. They are friendly,gentle, calm,and as adults very low key, slow moving (unless frightened-they can move quickly if needed, but mine is not frightened or startled easily) and seem to desire very little exercise, compared to most pets. Of course, they do have their own personalities, so it does depend on the individual Dragon, but from what I have read on this web site, it seems Beardies are very laid back in general. When they are babies, and for the first six months or so, they can be skittish and need more exercise than the adults-very focused on food because of their tremendous growth rate. My boy was a cuddle bug by the time he was just four months. I raised him in a calm, quiet, relaxed environment,so that may have helped. Also, they tend to respond well to a predictable environment with little change in routine. This helps to keep them very calm.

Some of my friends have children who have certain disabilities and they love to hold Dezi; he seems to know that the children need him to be extra calm and he responds to them in amazing ways. One little girl who has severe attention deficit hyper activity disorder becomes so calm and focused when she holds Dez, (under my close supervision of course) it is nothing short of miraculous. I truly believe he somehow knows she is special, and that he interacts with her in a way that causes her to feel calm! I have never aeen her hold still for more than a few seconds, but when she holds Dez, she can sit still for twenty minutes. She is so relieved by this, she actually has curled up on some pillows and fallen asleep with him in her arms. Her mama nearly cried at that sight, because ADHD is exhausting to both the child and the parent.

I know and have become friends with another Beardie lover on this site who has some physical difficulties, and he has agreed with me that Beardies are wonderful for people with limited mobility. His "baby" has changed his life for the better, just like Dezi has for me. I do not know how I ever managed without DeziLu! He has given me unconditional love, a renewed sense of purpose, and a reason to look forward to every day. He is my best friend. When I take him out and about with me (which is almost anywhere I go) he brings the focus on to him, instead of my wheelchair or disability, which I greatly appreciate. He helps to make people comfortable to approach me to ask about him. He has helped me make friends, and is a magnet for children.

If I were healthy and had energy, I would be campaigning to make Beardies a part of the programs for "therapy pets" who go into hospitals, elderly care facilities, even programs for prisoners to take care of as a part of their rehabilitation! That is how strongly I feel about this topic.

l do recommend you research carefully about their needs and the cost of their maintenance--they are not cheap to own, and are not "easy for beginners", as certain large pet store chains claim they are. But you can prepare your set up in advance slowly, as you can afford it. Don't just rush out and buy a Beardie before having all the right equipment already in place, with the best lamps, thermometers, etc., that are recommended by the information for set ups here on this website. And if you have any questions, this is the best place for great advise from caring, helpful Beardie owners.

How can I ever be lonely, with this beautiful face to cheer me every day?

supervising my jewlery making

our cuddle time every day is important to Dez as it is to me

on my lap, looking out at the world and enjoying some sunshine