Thinking of getting a dragon

[Seachelle]

The ones in Danville where we went seemed active and playful, the petsmart near the Petco seems to take better care of their animals though. In Greensboro NC we tend to go to Petsmart there a lot. I live in the Wentworth area of NC and I've checked for breeders but I couldn't find any. There is a little pet store in Eden that sells them, I think but I'm not sure.

I just want to get a healthy lil guy or girl. I just fell in love with the one I held at Petco, I almost cried lol I'm weird though. What do certain sicknesses look like? Are there any pictures?

I forgot to call the two vets today! I was busy cleaning while reading about dragon food x.x

 

[Ofthelime]

http://www.repticon.com/raleigh.html
You're in luck buddy, repticon is in your state.

 

[Seachelle]

Oh crud, people... Lots of people.... *deep breath* I'll have to think about that one x.x

I called the closest vet and was told there was one that sees exotics in Greensboro!

 

[Taterbug]

Reptile shows can be pretty crouded (I have anxiety and tend to hate crowds) but they are really cool. There are so many different animals and so pretty ones.

There are many guides out there for picking healthy animals. Basically, alert, clear eyes, clean, no crusties, no discharges, clean vent, well fleshed, confident posture and gait, a little squirmyness is a good thing, lazy or complacent animals (especially when faced with novel situations) can be a sign of issues, obviouly no open wounds or sores (tho toe/tail nips happen and aren't life threatening)

Raleigh looks a bit of a drive but Caroline classic dragons have a good name around here. http://www.carolinaclassicdragons.com/reptile-boarding-services

These guys I havnt heard as much about, but are in Charlotte. http://carolinadesignerdragons.com/contact/

 

[Seachelle]

I was looking for the stuff I need on Petsmart and Petco's websites. http://www.petco.com/N_72/Bearded-Dragon.aspx?CoreCat=BeardedDragon_ShopAllLink They have a lot of pellet foods, are they able to eat those?

 

[Seachelle]

(Could someone link me to the proper lights I need? X.x)

 

[Ofthelime]

Just go on amazon and search reptisun 10.0 it will come up

 

[Taterbug]

I use this fixture and light combo: http://www.amazon.com/Sunblaster-904296-NanoTech-Fixture-Reflector/dp/B00AKKUBDQ/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_text_z
http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiSun-10-0-Lamp/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1423622438&sr=1-6&keywords=reptisun+10.0
Zoomed also makes a good T5 fixture.

Arcadia is available in the US from this site: http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/22t5hofihouw2.html


Pellet foods are edible but I don't consider them very healthful. Sort of like processed foods for humans - a lot of unneeded things in them, better to fill up on nutritous things.

 

[Taterbug]

If your buying bits at a time, online is a pretty good way to go. I get most of my equipment from Amazon or as DIY, even get my bugs online. Sometimes nice stuff shows up on sites like craigslist. I hate paying into the industrial pet machines like petsmart/petco.

 

[Seachelle]

I see people giving their dragons baths in sinks, can they be bathed in tap water?

 

[NattyB]

Yeah definitely. I put my girl in the bath. It's good when she's shedding

 

[Taterbug]

Yes, but I'd advise against bathing in the sink. A plastic tote works very well and is much more sanitary for everyone involved.

 

[Seachelle]

Do you rub them while in the water or anything to clean them?

 

[premammalian]

They don't live by a strict program. You can make their food schedule as you want, but definately they can eat various insects and plants in the same day.
Pesticide residues are everywhere, so don't panic. Store vegetables, homegrown vegetables or other plants collected from areas with not much pesticide use are ok. All dragons will eat vegetables if introduced to them from a young age.

 

[BeardedLion]

I built a little dubia roach "Alcatraz" with a rubbermaid container. Also, when I open it to get my beardie's food out, I only do it in the bath tub, so I can keep track of any that might fall and make a run for it. I cannot tell you how amazing dubia roaches are as feeders. I dislike roaches, but I absolutely hate crickets. But they don't smell, can't climb well, don't make noise, have softer shells, and more meat for the dragon! I personally don't breed them, but starting a colony is easy. But the main point is that they are very easy to contain within a plastic bin.