Should I get this bearded dragon

[Sunnythedragon]

Hi, I want to get a bearded dragon, I haven't own one before but I do have experience taking care of a crested gecko (although I know that there care is very different so I don't know if that really matters) and I've done a lot of research on bearded dragons. I would prefer to adopt but the only bearded dragon that is available for adoption is a 2year old female with stunted growth. Sould I adopt this one or would it be better to get a baby one from PetSmart? Also what special care would I have to give the one that has stunted growth?

 

[RangoRocky]

Personally, I wouldnt recommend getting one from the pet store. From reading different experiences on here they do not sustain or be in the best of health. Do you have pictures or more information on the one your looking to adopt?

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi, I want to get a bearded dragon, I haven't own one before but I do have experience taking care of a crested gecko (although I know that there care is very different so I don't know if that really matters) and I've done a lot of research on bearded dragons. I would prefer to adopt but the only bearded dragon that is available for adoption is a 2year old female with stunted growth. Sould I adopt this one or would it be better to get a baby one from PetSmart? Also what special care would I have to give the one that has stunted growth?

If you adopt the one w/ stunted growth I would ask what kind of other ailments are also present- does the dragon have MBD or is there something else going on - more than likely the dragon has not had proper UVB I am thinking- it is up to you if you want to spend maybe extra time w/ the dragon if it has special needs- where is this dragon coming from - another person ? a shelter? a pet store? A baby is not guaranteed to be healthy depending on where its coming from- a pet store? a breeder?
the only thing I can recommend is that you read on this forum what you need exactly so your starting off on the right foot - it can be costly if you haft to replace stuff you buy w/ out reading up on what you need -
New Bearded Dragon Owner Checklist on What to Buy | Bearded Dragon .org
this site has the basics - there are 2 UVB's that are good one is posted on this site the other is a 24" Zoo Med fixture- this will come w/ a 5.0 bulb good for tanks of 20 gallon or so if its a larger tank your going to need a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb -
I recommend a digital probe hygrometer Zoo Med makes them
2 digital probe thermometers - IR guns are good to have but they cannot read off of certain materials like hammocks and the probes are more accurate
substrate NO sand especially for babies or handicap dragons - a textured NON adhesive shelf liner is often recommended - easy to clean w/ vinegar/ water 50/50 - then sprayed w/ some regular plain water -
here is the website resource for reference

Resources

A wealth of information, BeardedDragon.org resources contain care sheets, articles, and other helpful information for caring for your bearded dragon.

www.beardeddragon.org

 

[Sunnythedragon]

If you adopt the one w/ stunted growth I would ask what kind of other ailments are also present- does the dragon have MBD or is there something else going on - more than likely the dragon has not had proper UVB I am thinking- it is up to you if you want to spend maybe extra time w/ the dragon if it has special needs- where is this dragon coming from - another person ? a shelter? a pet store? A baby is not guaranteed to be healthy depending on where its coming from- a pet store? a breeder?
the only thing I can recommend is that you read on this forum what you need exactly so your starting off on the right foot - it can be costly if you haft to replace stuff you buy w/ out reading up on what you need -
New Bearded Dragon Owner Checklist on What to Buy | Bearded Dragon .org
this site has the basics - there are 2 UVB's that are good one is posted on this site the other is a 24" Zoo Med fixture- this will come w/ a 5.0 bulb good for tanks of 20 gallon or so if its a larger tank your going to need a 22" Reptisun 10.0 T 5 bulb -
I recommend a digital probe hygrometer Zoo Med makes them
2 digital probe thermometers - IR guns are good to have but they cannot read off of certain materials like hammocks and the probes are more accurate
substrate NO sand especially for babies or handicap dragons - a textured NON adhesive shelf liner is often recommended - easy to clean w/ vinegar/ water 50/50 - then sprayed w/ some regular plain water -
here is the website resource for reference

Resources

A wealth of information, BeardedDragon.org resources contain care sheets, articles, and other helpful information for caring for your bearded dragon.

www.beardeddragon.org

Hi, thank you for responding, to answer the first persons question; sorry but, I don't have anymore information on the bearded dragon I might adopt. And to answer the second person the bearded dragon is at someone's house but I saw it on a website for a place I adopted a cat from before and the baby would be from a pet store.

 

[KarrieRee]

Hi, thank you for responding, to answer the first persons question; sorry but, I don't have anymore information on the bearded dragon I might adopt. And to answer the second person the bearded dragon is at someone's house but I saw it on a website for a place I adopted a cat from before and the baby would be from a pet store.

Well it is up to you on what you want to do - we can all help you w/ the care of the dragon and give you suggestions on how to improve his life -

 

[Sunnythedragon]

Ok thank you for the advice