I bought my boyfriend a BD for christmas just gone so we've had him just over a month. When we brought him home we gave him about 2 weeks or so to get used to his environment before we attempted to handle him and when we did he climbed onto the hand with no hesitation whatsoever. He started to get playful and would run up and down the viv scratching at the glass, making a bid for freedom as soon as the front was opened. He's also been bathed a couple of times and he seemed to really love it. About a week ago we picked him up to make sure the little fella was in fact a little fella (he's about 5 months old) but he didn't like it and jumped out of my boyfriend's hand. I think it really scared him becuase since then he won't come near us and runs away whenever a hand goes near him. He's also turned a really dark colour with the stress lines on his belly being really prominent. When he's happy he's a yelowy/orange kind of colour. Being new to the whole thing I'm getting paranoid that we're not doing things correctly. He's got a 4'x2'x2' viv with a bridge/hide, branch and a basking rock. He's always got water in there and a bowl of veggies. When we first got him he slept in his hide at night, now he just sleeps on his branch, is that normal? His eating is very erratic, we've been giving him mainly crickets but hasn't seemed at all interested in them over the last week yet when we put the locust box inside the viv to let them go he jumps and attacks the box. His pooing is also quite erratic and can sometimes go up to 3 days without having one and as far as I can tell he doesn't drink any water. I know some of the things I worry about are down to my paranoia that I'm not looking after him properly but I'm very concerned that he's just not happy at the moment, he seems very down. Can you advise me as to how I can make it better?
OWNER INFO Is this your first bearded dragon? What area are you located in? PERSONAL HISTORY (Dragon) Dragons name: Age, weight and length if you know? How long with you? What is his condition recently and if it changed, when? Is he active, clear eyes and bright? Is the beard, chest or tail tip darker than the rest or than normal? Walking/moving normally? Any physical features that do not appear normal? From Breeder or Pet Store (this may make a difference? Has he every been treated by a vet, If yes, for what and what meds were used/dosed and time if know? Basking or sleeping during the day? Is he going to the bathroom, how often? If not, when was the last time? Is it formed/normal or runny/smelly Alone or with others? If with others, what sex"? Soaking or misting at all and how often? ENCLOSURE Set up info tank size? Temps -what do you use for heat? Basking point? Cool area? What are you measure it with? What Substrate? UVB Lights type (detailed) what brand, model, and length or wattage is How old? How close to UVB light when he bask? What hours for day/night? Do you use any type of nighttime heat, if so what? FOOD How is his appetite? IS there a change? What size and how many/much insects does he eat? What do you feed the insects normally? Eating greens/veggies? Supplements: What kind of calcium/how often? What kind of vitamins how often How are these given to him? Copy/paste this questions and answer them. It will help us figure out if you are doing something wrong or if there is maybe something you can do differently, which may be making him act this way.
I'll give you as much info as I can at the mo, there may be a few things I can't answer right now but I'll try my best! OWNER INFO Is this your first bearded dragon? Yes What area are you located in? Notingham, UK PERSONAL HISTORY (Dragon) Dragons name: Manny Age, weight and length if you know? approx 5 months not sure about weight and size is roughly about 10/12 inches nose to tail How long with you? one month What is his condition recently and if it changed, when? He seems depressed/stressed. He really enjoyed being handled at first but over the last week he's been running away from any attempts to handle him Is he active, clear eyes and bright? He has really active moments when dancing at the windows, eyes are clear and alert Is the beard, chest or tail tip darker than the rest or than normal? His colouration has become really dark over the last few days. His chest has lines/circles a bit like snakeskin. when he's happy he's normally a yellowy/orange colour. Walking/moving normally? fine, no problems Any physical features that do not appear normal? Nope From Breeder or Pet Store (this may make a difference? From a breeder/owner reptile centre Has he every been treated by a vet, - We took him to the vet when we first got him for a checkup to make sure all was well. Vet seemed very happy with his condition, no illnesses or ailments If yes, for what and what meds were used/dosed and time if know? Basking or sleeping during the day? He does bask quite a bit, he loves sitting on his branch more than anything and I haven't noticed him sleeping at all during the day. Is he going to the bathroom, how often? If not, when was the last time? Is it formed/normal or runny/smelly. It's a bit erratic, he can go up to 3 days without pooing. He last went yesterday and it was well formed and his poos are always extremely smelly. He's had a couple of sloppy poos but on the whole they're quite hard and formed. Alone or with others? If with others, what sex"? Alone Soaking or misting at all and how often? We've bathed him once a week since we had him but now he won't let us. We've been misting him about 3 times a day but we were told yesterday by the reptile centre that this is too much? ENCLOSURE Set up info tank size? 4'x2'x2' Temps -what do you use for heat? he's got a ceramic heat bulb hanging from the top of the viv above his basking rock Basking point?around 95/100 Cool area? around 80/85 What are you measure it with? the heat lamp is linked to thermostat so temp is constant. We have temperature guages inside the tank to measure areas. What Substrate? Calcisand UVB Lights type (detailed) what brand, model, and length or wattage is How old? Arcadia 30W, 36" D3 reptile lamp. New with set up so only a month old. How close to UVB light when he bask? About 12 " What hours for day/night? 14/10 Do you use any type of nighttime heat, if so what? Heat lamp is constantly on thermostat throughout the night but we turn it down to around 70 degrees FOOD How is his appetite? IS there a change? some days he'll eat loads, others he's just not interested. Seems to have lost all appetite for crickets at the moment What size and how many/much insects does he eat? When we first got him the store gave us quite large crickets which appeared to be too big for him to handle so now we feed him medium size ones. He also has locusts, mealworms and wax worms. Obviously not all at the same time! His eating is erratic so it's hard to say how many he eats on average. Yesterday he wouldn't eat hardly anything but today he gulped down the locusts. What do you feed the insects normally? feed the insects? Eating greens/veggies? He has a bowl of lettuce and or cabbage but he hardly ever touches this. He has grapes in there occasionally. We've also got some t-rex BD dry formula which we've been putting in with his greens. Supplements: What kind of calcium/how often? We've got T-Rex dragon dust which we've been putting on his insects daily. What kind of vitamins how often How are these given to him? Sorry if it's a bit vague and if you want me to clarfy anything just let me know.
you just need to win him over again I think.win his trust again, so everything on his terms for a little while like you did in the beginning. let him get used to you stroking him again etc so he knows you mean no harm. its also been really cold this week and a few people have said it's been affecting their beardies. have your temps been ok? a few things on diet; quote " feed the insects?" yep you gotta feed them too. it seems wierd at first but think of it like a trojan horse of vits for your bd. also they last longer otherwise they are dry and not much use. crickets you can feed with gutloader which has vitamins and calcium for example http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=225 and then feed them on your veg scraps left after making your beardie salad, or the good veggies your bd doesn't eat lol for water you can either use a sponge and rinse it daily or cotton wool but they can get the moisture from the veg really. Now your beardie:cabbage and lettuce not so good. it seems no one really tells ya this stuff you find it out once you have your baby at home. they have a secial diet because some veg absorbs/binds calcium and does so from other veg and suppplements too (oxalates) others have goistragens which cause thyroid probs. staples available in uk as in greens are dandelion leaf (free from garden!) spring greens http://www.tesco.com/superstore/xpi/7/xpi50351487.htm for a pic also available elsewhere tat soi salad has endive and escarole which are staples sold tescos and sainsburys. butternut squash is a good staple too. heres a link to a nutrition sheet http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html plus check out cheris care sheets on here under the care sheets on the top tabs. as for him biting the locust pot, lmao.. mine always bite the cricket tub and keeper silly boys... they just can't wait to get them! sorry it's a long post just wanted to pack some info in for you and I hope it helps. I'm sure lots of people will give you good advice about your beardie and why he is stressed. post us a pic if you have one we would love to see. ok raptor my big boy bd is pulling my hair so I'm off lol :lol: jojo xx
Try bathing more often, oz get a bath every or ever other day. she will only go to the toilet in the bath and hates to go in her viv. I I don't bath her she will keep her leg crossed til I do (3 1/2 days once).. On the diet use the veggies Jojo suggested. You need to stop feeding meal worms and wax worms as they are very fatty. Also mealworm shell can clog a beardies digestive track (impaction). You can feed supper worms when it gets a bit bigger (15-16"). The T-Rex vitamin supplment can cause dehydration, Jojo and I have been trying to get hold of the repcal stuff most people suggest, but can't find it over here. The next best thing seems to be nurtrobal. Calci-sand is no good it will clump together and can also cause impaction. Play sand is bettter if you want to stick with sand, but it is recommend to use a solid substrate like tile or repti-carpet. You need to turn you light off at night as beardies can see the light and it will disturb there sleep patern. it can get as low as 60F (15.5C) at night, but if it gets colder try a Ceramic Heat Element (CHE) which give out no light. hope this helps
Thanks for the advice. This is now (the boyfriend) I didn't mean to confuse you guys, maybe heat lamp was the wrong word to use! He's got a ceramic heat element in the tank which is on over night, the UVB bulb is on 14 hours and off 10, we've got this on a timer so as to get him into a regular sleep pattern. The reptile centre told us we should stop bathing him. He seemed to stay very still the first time I bathed him but got very stressed the second time. His being still the dirst time might have been fear. Not sure on that one. I have to say that what jo Jo wrote made a lot of sense and tied in with the things I've noticed. He seemed to be "off with me" after he jumped off my arm and ran round the living room. He might have got scared as I'm 6'3. I don't think eating a whole tub of waxworms in one day can be too good for him as they're supposed to be a treat. He looks really bloated a couple of days later. Wish the pet store said they were a treat before we fed them to him but we're learning. Just hope it doesn't kill the poor guy. Talk about a bad parent!!! thanks to everyone for your help, I'm getting a little disoriented from all the different ways people say I'm doing things wrong. I follow one bit of advice from supposed professionals/books and someone else says to stop it. Hopefully I'll mend up doing the right thing before I lose the little guy. This stuff aint at all easy. thanks again
yea it tends to be that way at the start. but the good thing with this site is that the moderators are very good and know there stuff and we are mostly in agreement in what works for our beardies. Your not a bad parent , you just didn't know, petstores tell you nothing as a rule I think (with the odd exceptions who are great) mine told me nothing even when I knew what I wanted. I wouldn't give up on bathing your beardie it is very important for hydration and helping when they are sheding. it takes awhile to get used to for them but they will soon get to loving it. it will also be useful in helping them go toilet if ever they have problems or have eaten something by mistake ... you'll find this out lol cheris has a good care sheet on bathing beardies http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index...-19-page-1.html but if he's jumpy I would either wait a little while or try and do it in his viv or next to his viv so he feels safe. if you are feeling that confused you can always tell us the points that are getting to you and we can give you our opinion on what will be best to do. we are always happy to help. jojo xx
I know the feeling, there is a lot of conflicting advaice out there. I was making the same mistakes as you when I started, but have found the best advice here. Pet shops seem generally useless and books out of date in my experience. It's a big learning curve if it's your first rep. I'm sure you'll get there soon. I'm not the smallest guy myself, try to make sure you don't lean over him too much as most preditors they have come from above. When picking him up try and scoop him rather than putting your hand over the top. Start by holding him in his tank where he feel safest until he gets use to you again. Also I have noticed they feel comfortable higher up and oz is happiest on my shoulder. The wax worm shouldn't be a problem short term, it's a problem if they are fed a lot over a long period. It's our equivent of a cheese burger. If you feed it to them then over time the fat will build up in their systems and cause things like fatty liver disease. I never feed wax worms anymore. Pheonix worms and silkworms are great feeder, but can be a pain to get over here. I'd definatley get rid of the calci-sand though if I was you as I've heard lots of bad report on it.
I put the container inside his viv and made it a clear perspex one as I thought being in his viv it would be easier for him but I guess he just doesnt like it or the water was a bit too hot for him. The whole thing is confusing to me but I'm justy going to keep screwing up til i get it right as with everything else. Fingers crossed he comes through it ok.
I've been letting him climb onto my hand from the start but since he jumped off my shoulder onto the floor he hasn't climbed on of his own accord. I normally sit on the floor by his tank. Tried to bath him as in that care sheet and he shot off after 5 seconds lol. The funny thing is, our little benny hill style capture and evasion seems to have restored him to a really mellow yellow colour!
Sounds great. They do seem to enjoy keeping you on your toes, in the literal case this time . perhaps he just needed a bit of time Oz never use to like her bath would try and climb up my arm as soon as she was put near water. Now she swim around quite happy and dips her head under. I can only suggest you take it easy, try more luke warm than hot. you may have to experiment a bit. I use the bath to give her pleanty of room to roam in and give it a good clean after.
Well now I feel I can relax a bit more and that he's not at death's door I'll give him a bit of space and get to bed. At least he made me laugh after a long night shift. I'll try to get some pics posted of him soon. Thanks guys
the way I got my boys into the water was to support them completly underneath with one hand and have the ohter stroking his chin and slightly blocking his view, this way youlower him in but he can still feel your hands around him and the water seeps through your hands so its like gentle exposure, when he seems relaxed take your hands away from his head and wriggle your fingers in the water and see how he goes, if he wants to run it's fine if not and he seems calm remove your other hand but always keep one in view so he feels safe. they love the water moving gently. basically if the water is on the warm side for you it is to hot for them.. kinda like a babys bath I would say. I stick my elbow in it lol. it took me a while to get my bds to have a bath and enjoy it, believe me your not mucking it up, it takes time... even now they have their days when I put them in and they scarper withthat evil look in their eye lol. You'll get there and you'll feel like you have climbed a mountain and gained so much knowledge pics would be fab... enjoy yoursleep jojo xx
Hello Hello, It looks like you are making the necessary changes to make your dragon healthier & happier. You are going to be changing out the substrate as Wookie said, correct? The arcadia, that is a good light. I would move it within 6 inches of him though for better UVB output. What type of temperature gauges? Just wondered. Some are not very accurate. Most of us use either a digital probe or a temp gun as they are usually the most accurate. Is it digital, the one you are using? Your basking temps could stand to be up a bit to 105 & no higher than 110. What other type of bright white basking light are you using for him during the day? If your other heatsource is the ceramic heat lamp, does it emit light? If not, then, he doesn't have enough bright white light. You can use just a basic household bright white lightbulb for him to help get his temps up as well & to stimulate his feeding & activity too. At nighttime, if it doesn't get any lower than 60, he really doesn't need any heating at all. In fact, they do well being able to cool down just a bit at night & they sleep better when they are cooler & it is dark. Let us know how he is doing. The nutrabol will be fine as you are in the UK it is hard to find the american products over there. Tracie
RE: Hello Well I tried to bath him again (he's still in a mood with me) by using distraction techniques. turns out rather than carrying him to the bath I have for him all i need do is dangle the box of locust over the bath. He sat there for a couple minutes each time soaking. I did give him a couple of locust as I'm not that mean. As for changing the substrate, I'm going to change to play sand I reckon to see how that fares. The sand hasn't been changed in a month so I'll be doing it later. I know you guys all know what works but I just feel a desert animal should grow up with sand between his toes.
RE: Hello They don't live on sand, but hard packed dirt and rock http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/faunabase/_asp...es&t=Pogona vitticeps&r=1280x768
Excellent pics Hello, Oh my favorite pic of Steve!! They are not really technically desert animals. The "desert" areas of Australia are looked at as scrub or hardened dirt & clay not sand. They may intermittently come across sand from time to time, but for the most part they live on different types of ground than most people realize. Tracie
RE: Excellent pics yea well done with that! I'm sure his mood will shake off soon enough, especially with his new lovve of locusts! the sand thing.. just don't trust it becasue of the amount they lick their surroundings. and it's hard to clean, harbours bacteria blah blah etc etc I'm just lazy lol, I get my little hand held hoover out and get rid of the bits and wipe it down ta da! I have enough of sand in my fish tanks yuk, the colour of the water is nasty once you've shook that up. plus ya spill it, or your cat spills it you wanna kill someone lol sorry theres my rant... can you believe I grew up by the beach?? and I miss it?? lmao! jojo xx
I know what you guys are all saying (even though it does look like sand under Mr Irwin's belly), I certainly am not saying I know best. It just doesn't look right with tiles and linoleum to me personally. I'm from a coastal area of Wales (No I won't be putting beach sand in the tank) so that may be something to do with my sand fetish. Thank god I'm allergic to cats is all I say. Hopefully when I eventually get a place that can accommodate my husky, he'll not want to eat my Beardie!
