iamkristen
Member
I am Kristen.
I gave my boyfriend some general reptile supplies and a giftcard for him to choose one for our anniversary. He did some research, and got a little beardie. Then he did more research and kept upgrading almost daily to better and better supplies. The little guy seemed to be sick for three days. This was this past weekend and there were NO reptile vets available. He stopped eating and moving much, having his eyes shut. Temperatures all seemed OK according to multiple research. I had known some things that he had told me about bearded dragons, and some of my own research, but I didn't know nearly as much as him.
He had to leave for the day and I knew the dragon was getting worse. I called the pet store who told me to he needed to be 3-4 inches under the light at this age. Since I was desperate to help him, I tried moving him closer by putting a large rock (although not quite that close, more like 5-6 inches) from the light and for the first time in three days, he seemed to open his eyes, and actually be happy. He moved around on the rock. It was more like a mountain though, and he kept falling (or jumping off). He would sometimes act like he was trying to hang on but still slide off. Everytime he landed on the carpet, he'd open his mouth. I thought basically he was mad about falling off, so I would put him back up on the rock. The petstore told me to try to feed him again (this was the 3rd day he hadn't eaten). I opened the tank to drop a cricket in. As I had the tank slid open, the light started melting the glue and plastic. I called my boyfriends mom to come help me so I could move him back to his 10 gallon tank until I could figure out what to do.
At one point he came to the front of the glass, opened his mouth and started to shake for just a few seconds, like a dog shaking off water. I didn't know if this was bad, or maybe he had possibly gotten the small cricket. Like I said, I was just so happy he was moving around.
He walked over near the large rock. I was also going to buy a bigger rock that was flat, so he wouldn't fall off if that's what he was doing. Before my boyfriend's mom could get here, I went to move him from the ground of the tank, back to the rock and he was so stiff, I knew something was very wrong. I placed him on the rock, in the middle part and I could tell by the way he was laying and not breathing that he was already gone. I was so upset and saddened. Desperate, I sprayed him with a bit of water, and he didn't move. Just to be safe I checked again in a few minutes, then 30 minutes, then an hour. I had tapped him several times and he was gone. I did not have the heart to move him at that time, so I just turned off the lights for a while.
I had posted in "Beardie - ER" during and after this time wanting to know if there was something I had done wrong. Temps on the probe where he was laying never reached 110 before he past, maybe 102 but slowly climbing, although the shorter rock he had been on for the few days before stayed at a steady 110. Max temp ever recorded on the digi was 115, with min being 65 (other side of the tank, probably at night.) Could I have accidentally gotten him too hot by placing him back on the rock? I never did it right away, I always gave him a few minutes, but I honestly thought he was falling off, not jumping. Even with the new basking spot being 100 and about 5 inches from the light (thru the screentop), was he too warm?
Our initial thought was that the ambient temps were too low throughout the day (about 75) and he did not digest his food which led to not being hungry. But the basking spot was 110 and he basked all day. We were having trouble increasing the ambient temps. However now that we have the larger dome light, we can place the smaller one on the opposite end of the tank to warm that area. Is that a possibility? Is there another way? The smaller 75 watt has no dimmer, would leaving it on the end of the tank provide a good air temperature?
I hope it does not just seem like I am ready to jump in and grab another one. I was really upset about him passing and had trouble sleeping and of course cried all day and night. We decided to keep him and try to get him better rather than exchanging him right away. We would have went to the vet today, unfortunately there were no reptile vets available over the weekend.
I did call the petstore and they said we could go ahead and bury him and come get another one when we were ready. They did tell us that we cannot wait too long after the 14 day guarantee to get a new one. We discussed this and while it would be easy to give up, we really have invested a lot of research, time, and money into giving a beardie a good home. Although I'm not sure if I did something wrong to cause the little guy to pass. He finally got better, I had so much hope that he was going to be OKAY when I saw him start moving around for the first time in 3 days, then he just walked over to the rock and left us. I do not know if he could have already been sick and at least got out of the petstore for a few days. These are the things that really bother me and I wonder about. Any opinions I would really like to hear them.
My boyfriend does really want to try to get another one. He has bleached all the decor, thrown away some that he is unsure of, if they can't be fully cleaned (porous coconut hut, stuff like that). We are really not sure what to do about the 20 long tank that slightly melted. I did just post a more detailed description in "enclosures." Even though my boyfriend is the "primary caregiver." I want to support him and also make sure I am just as knowledgeable so that I am able to help care for the new guy in any way possible. It's haunting me to think maybe I did something wrong last time.
So, that's why I am joining here, and looking for any advice as to what may have happened, and any essential advice for doing this right next time. I'm open to anything. I might not particularly be a reptile enthusiast but I do care deeply for all animals and just want any animal that lives with me to have the best life possible.
Thanks in advance for listening/advice!!!!
Kristen
I gave my boyfriend some general reptile supplies and a giftcard for him to choose one for our anniversary. He did some research, and got a little beardie. Then he did more research and kept upgrading almost daily to better and better supplies. The little guy seemed to be sick for three days. This was this past weekend and there were NO reptile vets available. He stopped eating and moving much, having his eyes shut. Temperatures all seemed OK according to multiple research. I had known some things that he had told me about bearded dragons, and some of my own research, but I didn't know nearly as much as him.
He had to leave for the day and I knew the dragon was getting worse. I called the pet store who told me to he needed to be 3-4 inches under the light at this age. Since I was desperate to help him, I tried moving him closer by putting a large rock (although not quite that close, more like 5-6 inches) from the light and for the first time in three days, he seemed to open his eyes, and actually be happy. He moved around on the rock. It was more like a mountain though, and he kept falling (or jumping off). He would sometimes act like he was trying to hang on but still slide off. Everytime he landed on the carpet, he'd open his mouth. I thought basically he was mad about falling off, so I would put him back up on the rock. The petstore told me to try to feed him again (this was the 3rd day he hadn't eaten). I opened the tank to drop a cricket in. As I had the tank slid open, the light started melting the glue and plastic. I called my boyfriends mom to come help me so I could move him back to his 10 gallon tank until I could figure out what to do.
At one point he came to the front of the glass, opened his mouth and started to shake for just a few seconds, like a dog shaking off water. I didn't know if this was bad, or maybe he had possibly gotten the small cricket. Like I said, I was just so happy he was moving around.
He walked over near the large rock. I was also going to buy a bigger rock that was flat, so he wouldn't fall off if that's what he was doing. Before my boyfriend's mom could get here, I went to move him from the ground of the tank, back to the rock and he was so stiff, I knew something was very wrong. I placed him on the rock, in the middle part and I could tell by the way he was laying and not breathing that he was already gone. I was so upset and saddened. Desperate, I sprayed him with a bit of water, and he didn't move. Just to be safe I checked again in a few minutes, then 30 minutes, then an hour. I had tapped him several times and he was gone. I did not have the heart to move him at that time, so I just turned off the lights for a while.
I had posted in "Beardie - ER" during and after this time wanting to know if there was something I had done wrong. Temps on the probe where he was laying never reached 110 before he past, maybe 102 but slowly climbing, although the shorter rock he had been on for the few days before stayed at a steady 110. Max temp ever recorded on the digi was 115, with min being 65 (other side of the tank, probably at night.) Could I have accidentally gotten him too hot by placing him back on the rock? I never did it right away, I always gave him a few minutes, but I honestly thought he was falling off, not jumping. Even with the new basking spot being 100 and about 5 inches from the light (thru the screentop), was he too warm?
Our initial thought was that the ambient temps were too low throughout the day (about 75) and he did not digest his food which led to not being hungry. But the basking spot was 110 and he basked all day. We were having trouble increasing the ambient temps. However now that we have the larger dome light, we can place the smaller one on the opposite end of the tank to warm that area. Is that a possibility? Is there another way? The smaller 75 watt has no dimmer, would leaving it on the end of the tank provide a good air temperature?
I hope it does not just seem like I am ready to jump in and grab another one. I was really upset about him passing and had trouble sleeping and of course cried all day and night. We decided to keep him and try to get him better rather than exchanging him right away. We would have went to the vet today, unfortunately there were no reptile vets available over the weekend.
I did call the petstore and they said we could go ahead and bury him and come get another one when we were ready. They did tell us that we cannot wait too long after the 14 day guarantee to get a new one. We discussed this and while it would be easy to give up, we really have invested a lot of research, time, and money into giving a beardie a good home. Although I'm not sure if I did something wrong to cause the little guy to pass. He finally got better, I had so much hope that he was going to be OKAY when I saw him start moving around for the first time in 3 days, then he just walked over to the rock and left us. I do not know if he could have already been sick and at least got out of the petstore for a few days. These are the things that really bother me and I wonder about. Any opinions I would really like to hear them.
My boyfriend does really want to try to get another one. He has bleached all the decor, thrown away some that he is unsure of, if they can't be fully cleaned (porous coconut hut, stuff like that). We are really not sure what to do about the 20 long tank that slightly melted. I did just post a more detailed description in "enclosures." Even though my boyfriend is the "primary caregiver." I want to support him and also make sure I am just as knowledgeable so that I am able to help care for the new guy in any way possible. It's haunting me to think maybe I did something wrong last time.
So, that's why I am joining here, and looking for any advice as to what may have happened, and any essential advice for doing this right next time. I'm open to anything. I might not particularly be a reptile enthusiast but I do care deeply for all animals and just want any animal that lives with me to have the best life possible.
Thanks in advance for listening/advice!!!!
Kristen
