Hi there, Im pretty new to the group and bearded dragons. I was looking for a bit of advice regarding a beardie that we took in that was in need of great care. Long story short, a relative was not properly caring for this dragon and after 4 years of having him, he didn't want him anymore. I have had an iguana in the past, and because I was so bothered by the level of care, we immediately took him.
His diet was completely wrong (occasional cactus and a handful of freeze dried 'juvenile bearded dragon mix' which is the mealworms and pellets.), as was the setup (paper towel as substrate with 2 larger rocks for basking), a burnt out uvb light, no thermometer gauge, etc.
When I met him his eyes were stuck shut. Relative claims it 'just happened' that day. But Im not sure I believe him. I applied a cotton ball with warm water to try and unstick his eyes. It helped a little but he wasn't able to fully open them. I tried a soak but at that time all that was available to fill was a small critter tank which he barely fit in. I lightly drizzled some water on the head and upon realizing it was water, he stuck his head in and deeply drank.
Upon arriving back home with him and his enclosure, I deeply cleaned it and set up large kitchen tile on the bottom of the enclosure. It covers most of it. I currently have one of the rocks in there for him to bask on. It is a bit curved and not entirely flat, which I see they will need for it to be. For now due to his eyes I have not added much. The enclosure we were given is a 40 gallon breeder. For now the light which has 2 bulbs, the basking one and uvb is resting on the top of the screen. I know this isnt ideal but I do check temps/humidity consistently through the day and temperature wise its where it needs to be. Basking temp at around 98 - 100, cool areas around 78. I believe the UVB is the 5 and not the 10. The relative went with us to purchase a new one and the 5 is what he grabbed. Should it be the 10?
For his eyes I have been using a diluted manuka honey mixture with purified water. I have been doing this a few times a day and also handfeeding him. We've had him for about 4 days now and his appetite has been steadily improving. When I first arrived home I didn't have groceries, so Ive fed him dandelion greens from the garden (no pesticides), steamed butternut squash and blackberries. Recently I was also able to get some bearded dragon supplemental gel, live crickets, which Ive also started to feed. I quickly went to a local grocery store yesterday and picked up yellow squash, endive, and spaghetti squash as well as red pepper. His appetite (If hand fed is good) and during the time we have been home he has pooped once and it looked fine.
I cant get to a vet just yet, (honestly Im not sure if we have any in the area that specializes in reptile care as we are quite rural) like I said this was sprung on us. But I think his dehydration caused the eyelids to stick. He has been starting to open his eyes more, but it still looks to be a struggle. His head is also getting ashy as if hes about to shed.
I know I still have a long ways to go for him in terms of setup, but is there anything else I can do for him to nurse him back to health in the meantime? Also I cant find the information anywhere, but quantity wise - how much vegetation should be eating for a 'healthy amount' for a 4 year old dragon? Everyone gives a percentage, but should he be eating around 3 large leaves a day? More less? Im not sure what to aim for. Also Im quite confused when it comes to the calcium/vitamin supplements. There are so many different kinds that Im not sure which one I should be getting for him. Help?
His diet was completely wrong (occasional cactus and a handful of freeze dried 'juvenile bearded dragon mix' which is the mealworms and pellets.), as was the setup (paper towel as substrate with 2 larger rocks for basking), a burnt out uvb light, no thermometer gauge, etc.
When I met him his eyes were stuck shut. Relative claims it 'just happened' that day. But Im not sure I believe him. I applied a cotton ball with warm water to try and unstick his eyes. It helped a little but he wasn't able to fully open them. I tried a soak but at that time all that was available to fill was a small critter tank which he barely fit in. I lightly drizzled some water on the head and upon realizing it was water, he stuck his head in and deeply drank.
Upon arriving back home with him and his enclosure, I deeply cleaned it and set up large kitchen tile on the bottom of the enclosure. It covers most of it. I currently have one of the rocks in there for him to bask on. It is a bit curved and not entirely flat, which I see they will need for it to be. For now due to his eyes I have not added much. The enclosure we were given is a 40 gallon breeder. For now the light which has 2 bulbs, the basking one and uvb is resting on the top of the screen. I know this isnt ideal but I do check temps/humidity consistently through the day and temperature wise its where it needs to be. Basking temp at around 98 - 100, cool areas around 78. I believe the UVB is the 5 and not the 10. The relative went with us to purchase a new one and the 5 is what he grabbed. Should it be the 10?
For his eyes I have been using a diluted manuka honey mixture with purified water. I have been doing this a few times a day and also handfeeding him. We've had him for about 4 days now and his appetite has been steadily improving. When I first arrived home I didn't have groceries, so Ive fed him dandelion greens from the garden (no pesticides), steamed butternut squash and blackberries. Recently I was also able to get some bearded dragon supplemental gel, live crickets, which Ive also started to feed. I quickly went to a local grocery store yesterday and picked up yellow squash, endive, and spaghetti squash as well as red pepper. His appetite (If hand fed is good) and during the time we have been home he has pooped once and it looked fine.
I cant get to a vet just yet, (honestly Im not sure if we have any in the area that specializes in reptile care as we are quite rural) like I said this was sprung on us. But I think his dehydration caused the eyelids to stick. He has been starting to open his eyes more, but it still looks to be a struggle. His head is also getting ashy as if hes about to shed.
I know I still have a long ways to go for him in terms of setup, but is there anything else I can do for him to nurse him back to health in the meantime? Also I cant find the information anywhere, but quantity wise - how much vegetation should be eating for a 'healthy amount' for a 4 year old dragon? Everyone gives a percentage, but should he be eating around 3 large leaves a day? More less? Im not sure what to aim for. Also Im quite confused when it comes to the calcium/vitamin supplements. There are so many different kinds that Im not sure which one I should be getting for him. Help?
