Traveling with dragon?

[Littlebuddysmomma]

Hi everyone!

4th of July is three weeks away, and every year our family heads to the beach for a few days for fireworks and family time. This year, however, I have Cookie. We'll be at our beach house for 5 days, so I cannot leave her alone. My nephew (a fellow BD owner) usually feeds her/keeps an eye on her during times when I'm away, but he'll be at the beach with us this time so that's not an option.

So really I'm considering just bringing Cookie with us. We'd just bring her whole tank along, and I'm thinking I could just put a harness on her and let her hang out in my lap during the ride (2.5 hours - my bf would be driving, so I'd be able to pay full attention to her).

I'm wondering if anyone else has any input on this. Have you traveled with your bearded dragon before? How did you do it? Would this be too long of a ride and cause too much stress for her?

She is my priority so I'd skip vacation if need be. Just trying to consider all options.

 

[AHBD]

There should be no problem at all, especially if you can bring her entire set up. Some people bring a temp. set up such as a large plastic tote from Walmart [ I think the largest ones are 50-60 gallons ] and the heat lamp. Just be careful if she rides on your lap, beardies can pop out a poo if they're overly excited so have an old towel or wad of newspaper on your lap as well as some paper towels to catch any accidents. Other than that it should be fine.

 

[Littlebuddysmomma]

Thank you!!! I actually did some more reading and saw that many people like to bring them along in mesh pet carriers for the car ride. I think I may do that just for safety (in case she decided to get crazy and try to wedge herself under the car seat or something). I had considered bringing a smaller tank for while we’re there, but it just seems like it would be more fair to have her big tank that she’s used to. I’m excited to take her on her first trip!

 

[Draven88]

As much as you may not really expect it, I find mine actually love a car ride. Well not so much the ride itself as the views changing. They love to look out the windows and just see everything. Just in case you do want at least a harness and a mesh carrier would be even better.

I have *heard a story* meaning unable to confirm if true, of a beardie getting excited and running around the car only to get up in the dash where no one could reach which ended up with having to take the dash apart some to get it out.

This is not to discourage you, as I take mine for rides somewhat often to the pet store when we go as long as the weather permits (no cold weather trips). Just possible hazards to be aware of so that you wont have any problem, as mine do tend to get excited running around to all the different views when the carrier is held up for a view outside.

 

[Littlebuddysmomma]

Yeah, I definitely like the idea of a mesh carrier. Not sure why it hadn’t occurred to me before posting this. When she gets hyper she will definitely squeeze herself into some funky spaces! I do hope she will enjoy the new views on the trip though!

 

[SHBailey]

When we have to travel with our beardie, usually to the vet, we use a cooler (but a "warmer" in this case) with little air holes drilled in the lid and a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel inside with the beardie. It gets too cold in Alaska otherwise. We have had him out in the car when it was warmer. I hold him but he looks out the window and turns all black, so I don't think our little guy likes riding in the car too much. We rarely travel long distances away from home, so if we're going a long way we only stay for one night, and we leave him home in his tank with the lamps off at the cool end and some veggies and water. So far he's been ok alone for one night, but we wouldn't leave him any longer than that.

We took him to Homer once to visit his "grandfather", a distance of around 200 miles from Anchorage, but he didn't like being in unfamiliar surroundings. I suppose they're all different in the way they react to new situations. Ours seems to like his familiar routine.

Definitely don't transport them in a glass tank -- for safety just in case.

 

[loljelloclowdz]

DO NOT PUT YOUR BEARDED DRAGON ON YOUR LAP IN THE CAR, POOP WILL FLOW LIKE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER! Lol. No, really, you will want to have a couple garbage bags on hand and spread them open and on your lap so if your beardie poops, you can just bag up the poop and not worry about poo stains in your car. For some reason stains cling onto cars much tighter, so you'll have to poo-proof yourself.

 

[KarrieRee]

I use a small pet carrier that mine travel in - it has a mesh top w/ zipper that we open and Hiccup sits on top of it - it has a front door that zips and we open it and it lays down so he can sit on it at the vet - we take dish towels for accidents - he loves the car ride and looks out the window on my daughters lap on the way to the vet - currently I am waiting for another carrier to come - I ordered one for Blaze
Karrie

 

[loljelloclowdz]

As much as you may not really expect it, I find mine actually love a car ride. Well not so much the ride itself as the views changing. They love to look out the windows and just see everything. Just in case you do want at least a harness and a mesh carrier would be even better.

I have *heard a story* meaning unable to confirm if true, of a beardie getting excited and running around the car only to get up in the dash where no one could reach which ended up with having to take the dash apart some to get it out.

This is not to discourage you, as I take mine for rides somewhat often to the pet store when we go as long as the weather permits (no cold weather trips). Just possible hazards to be aware of so that you wont have any problem, as mine do tend to get excited running around to all the different views when the carrier is held up for a view outside.

Lol how do you even get inside of the dash? Was the beardie just hanging out next to the speedometer like " "? XD

 

[loljelloclowdz]

I use a small pet carrier that mine travel in - it has a mesh top w/ zipper that we open and Hiccup sits on top of it - it has a front door that zips and we open it and it lays down so he can sit on it at the vet - we take dish towels for accidents - he loves the car ride and looks out the window on my daughters lap on the way to the vet - currently I am waiting for another carrier to come - I ordered one for Blaze
Karrie

Do you have a link? I am traveling in August and would love to just put Mari in and let her sleep for the car ride (She can sleep like a log if I put her favorite tortilla blanket over her, lol.)

 

[KarrieRee]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TV73DP7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hiccups is similar and I got his from Petco a few years ago I dont know if they still sell them I went to look on the website but couldnt find it
Karrie

 

[SHBailey]

Yes, our beardie often poops in his cooler (aka warmer) on the way home from the vet. I guess he realizes that he can relax once he's back in his familiar surroundings and is done getting poked with needles, etc. We ride in the back seat together and sometimes I take him out of the cooler when I hear him scratching around in there, but luckily I haven't had him poop in my lap, at least not yet.

Don't know when we're ever going to have a "normal" trip to the vet again (or anywhere else, for that matter) with this covid thing going on. I'd have to pass the cooler with him in it to someone through the car door because they're doing "curbside" and not letting any humans into the building, and I hate not being able to stay with him during the visit. Fortunately, he hasn't needed to go to the vet so far since this whole thing started.