A New Adventure

[fl_orchidslave]

A strange thing happened to me yesterday at the very end of Orlando Repticon. I had gone out to use the restroom right before the show closed so we'd be ready to roll and make that two hour drive home. Coming back in the building, I saw two young men trying to get in to sell a pair of bearded dragons in a 20 long tank. Door dude made them pay full price admission.. Ten minutes later I saw them again, they had been down one outside isle and now coming back up in the center where we were set up. Now it's 5 minutes till the show is closed and they still have the dragons. Guess they were just asking dragon vendors.. well I stopped them to ask a few questions. Turns out they were moving and just looking for someone to give the dragons a good home, and didn't want anything for them but what it cost to get in the door. So we looked them over and got our friend who has beardies to take a look at them to make sure they weren't in need of immediate vet care. They were both alert, clear eyes, no visible sores or twisted legs. One was very skinny and both were dehydrated. I gave the boys $20, what it cost to get in the door, and made a mad dash to find some food. The show is closed and everyone is packing up. I lucked out and caught another vendor I had talked to earlier about his dragons, about to throw away half a bad of nice chopped collard greens. Skinny dragon tore into them,dredging them thru the water dish. The red-head ate one piece. I sold the tank for $20 and brought them home in a tub. When we got home, I papered an empty 40 gal breeder tank, plugged in the 12" heat tape mat,pulled some lights out of the closet, and put them in it. Last night I couldn't find my camera to take some before shots, but I did get a few photos a little bit ago. They both ate superworms last night, had a bath this morning, and have eaten again before the camera was located, but you can see how skinny the larger one is. He is Buddy, she is Peggy Sue (the red-head) and they are 6 year old siblings. Both small in length for their age. I'll weigh them tonight. I don't know much about dragon morphs yet but I love the yellow head on Buddy. Peggy Sue may be a leather back. Morphs aren't important to me right now, as is getting them back to a healthy size. Buddy has a little shed on a toe and his hind legs, so that's next, but he is a little stressed from all the change. Peggy Sue is fine and keeping an eye out for another worm. I've got a nice big basking log in my storage that's been saved for a beardie

They both look so much better today than yesterday! Thanks for reading my mini-novel

Oops, it looks like I have to re-size the photos first Will get them up tonight!

 

[Taquiq]

Sound like a cool adventure . Can't wait to see the pics!

 

[acpart]

I got my first and only beardie from craigslislt 4 years ago after seeing cute little orange beardies at a reptile show. I've had a great time with Ollie who also had an early life of neglect but had been nursed to better health by her previous owner. This morning I accidentally let her see the cup I give her crickets from (I was picking up her veggie bowl and happened to have the cup for tiny crickets for my day geckos) and the poor girl got all excited and ran to her cricket corner. She got some superworms to compensate since cricket days are Tues. Thurs. and Sat.

Enjoy them.

Aliza

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Hopefully these photos will post.

I can hardly believe how different these two look from the time we brought them home to now. Even from the photos this afternoon, they have improved. Buddy was so hollow looking with sagging skin. Peggy Sue was thin and dull. They're plumpling up nicely

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Aliza, Peggy Sue watches me like a hawk when I feed the geckos. She loves superworms and seems to think they're all her worms. I have to give her a sympathy worm It may come down to putting a towel in front of their tank while others are being fed.

 

[acpart]

Sometimes when I let Ollie out, she goes over to the feeder cages and watches "beardie TV". SHe can watch the crickets and worms for a long time and tries to strike at them through the plexiglass. Beardies are really known for their responsiveness.

Aliza

 

[Tico]

what isle was you in i went to the show saturday !

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Scott, we were in the center isle toward the back of the building. Saturday was a busy day!

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I have finally been bobbed at and it made me giggle

Both beardies are having eating and digestion issues. Their previous care was so poor that I suspect the main diet was crickets dumped in the tank to roam and left to eat poop buried in that grey carefresh stuff being used for substrate. Parasites cause the symptoms both displayed, so Buddy got his panacur Tuesday night along with slurry (he wouldn't eat after Monday), and Peggy Sue got her panacur Wednesday with a pipette dropper. Buddy also had some gecko slurry Wednesday night since he still wasn't eating but did seem a tad bit peppier. He is so skinny and has some sunken spots on his beautiful head, that I felt it necessary to get some good nutrition in him so he didn't get sick from the panacur. Now, Thursday afternoon, both ate some superworms. Buddy showed great enthusiasm, scarfing up a dozen, but Peggy Sue just had about 6. No more food for today. Buddy bobbed me a little while later

 

[fl_orchidslave]

It's been an up and down first week with the dragons. Buddy doesn't seem interested in eating every day, and Peggy Sue has become a glutton. I can't feed him with her in the tank too, she dashes over to steal whatever he's interested in. She stares me down and begs for food whenever I come into the room. But in order to stop her regurge cycle, she only gets very small meals and snacks, her protein for now has just been superworms, freshly shed. She couldn't digest the shells at all but now she has a few bites of fruit every couple days. So far this is working but she's always hungry since she can't have much at one time. Then to feed Buddy, Peggy Sue is removed from the tank so he can eat in peace. He's still rather weak but doing better, hopefully he'll pull through. I haven't checked their weights yet this week, since they've been on such a roller coaster. They're both very sweet and I'm glad to have them.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I love databases for organizing information by category, and found this bearded dragon nutrition chart http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutritionframeset.html. There's also a list of plants at the bottom of the page.

 

[tlbowling]

Hi Laney~ Congratulations on your 2 beardies . I saw you mentioned using heat tape, and some lights you found temporarily, and just wanted to make sure you knew that bearded dragons are supposedly unaware of belly heat, their "heat sensor" is on the top of their head, so they need to bask at a temp of around 100~105 degrees, and Reptisun 10.0 UVB bulbs are highly recommended.
When I read about the problems with digestion...I figured my 2 cents can't hurt

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Thanks Tara, yes they do have the reptisun in addition to the mat. My logic was to get them accustomed to warmth again from every direction, and they hang out on the mat end most of the time. They had nothing before but that greyish paper wad stuff, some kind of recycled carefresh type thing. No lights or heat, or daily food either. I wonder if they had water At one time I'm sure they were cared for in a more suitable manner or they wouldn't still be alive, but it's been a while...... I have a big tub full of all kinds of lights and misc accessories, as well as more stuff tucked away, so as they become more comfortable, I'll put a nice big piece of wood in for them to bask, pull the heat mat out (or at least put it on a timer for night only) and add another light. I tried a log hide and basking light at the other end of the tank last week but they would have no part of it, so out it came. The biggest issue right now for them is eating and getting thru the parasite treatments.

I may get another Megaray bulb, not sure yet if I want to go that route or continue with a linear tube. My horned lizard has one and he's done very well with it. I've got linear fixtures but would have to buy another deep dome too.

 

[fuzzylogix]

very nice looking beardies and i hope they both come around for you. i agree about the heat mat, it's not needed. they do need a very hot basking spot though, between 100 and 120 degrees. adult dragons diet should be mostly greens as a staple with insect protein offered once a day or even every other day. some breeders suggest never feeding beardies supers, but freshly molted supers are fine in my opinion. they LOVE! dubia and crix. my beardies all get a large bowl of collard greens and mixed greens minus the spinach, sprinkled with repashy calcium plus icb. some of my beardies wouldn't drink out of a bowl so i would mist them two to three times a day. even the dragons that do drink standing water still seem to really love the mistings. you mentioned one of them having a sunken in head which is a sign of severe dehydration. keep water in there if they drink from a bowl, and i would even add a little pedialyte as well. good luck and welcome to the world of bearded dragons

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Ok, I'll pull the mat and just keep them with lights. Hadn't thought of misting, so that will happen too. They both have taken water from a bowl and I've been giving the boy pedialyte daily. He's only been interested in eating every 3 days <sad face> The glutton girl has a problem with super shells, so she gets the whities, but she's not good with veggies. She likes fruit but only gets a couple bites of that every other day. She hasn't regurged since last Friday, so hopefully we're on the right track. Squash is next to try. As soon as they're a little better, they'll get a pinkie. Crickets was their weekly feeding before, and they'll have them again, just not until the have a more rounded diet. Dubias are one of those illegal things in Florida and I'm not up to attempting to breed our native flying roaches, so those are out. I'll just be relieved when they're well on their way to recovery.

 

[fuzzylogix]

oh forgot about the florida roach thing, lol. another thing you could try would be spineless opuntia cactus if you can get it. my dragons love the stuff and it's very good for them. lynn of lynn's bearded dragons has had luck with the beardie pellets sprayed with some apple juice too.

 

[Kristi23]

They're both really cute! I hope they get better for you soon.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Thanks Kristi

Shawn, we have those cactus here and I plan to harvest some. We're still in the trying a bunch of new foods stage. I have to laugh at Peggy Sue- she tries green things being the glutton she is, after one bite rejects it. Last night it was a green bean. I'm just glad she has a good appetite. It won't take her long to get back to a healthy state, unlike Buddy, who is in worse condition.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Peggy Sue has officially enjoyed a vegetable! She had grated yellow squash with chopped romaine mixed in it. AND she ate every bite, about 1/2 cup!

 

[rickmoss95]

laney, i am happy that you are doing everything you can to get your new beardies on track...it is obvious that you are one really dedicated herp lover, this makes me happy! i think they will both pull through, if for nothing else, your effort and dedication to them! they are both beautiful animals and i think they found an awesome home with you! i am happy for them too! it may take some time, but im sure with your devotion these will both be plump, healthy, and very happy beardies!!!