Rescued a beardie and need help

[Mason]

Hey guys I'm new to the beardie world we have a rescue bearded dragon (Mushu) he wasn't taken care of very well every time I try to pick him up he gets very jumpy and runs away any ideas on how to hold him so we can bond

 

[RaeAnn]

Glad to hear that you took this little guy in sounds like he needs the love and attention. Someone with more experience should chime in soon and offer you some great advice. Until than I would give him some time to settle into his new home sounds like he's a little frightened and stressed. I'll also add that it's normal for a Beardie to be stressed for a few weeks when they are moved to a new home.


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[mxw0rld]

What Raeann said it true. New beardies go thru stress relocation and need time to adjust to their new home. Just give it time. No matter if they are babies or adults. Try holding him for 5-10 minutes at a time a few times a day. For about a week. He will come around.

When you pick him up are you picking him up from the top or under his mouth?

Does he beard at you or open his mouth at you when you try to pick him up?

 

[Hdrydr31]

Congratulations on rescuing him..
It will take some time to adjust to his new home and new owner.. Some call it relocation stress and can last several days to weeks. If he wasn't well taken care of he will need to re learn some trust issues. Go slow and start with just talking quietly then talking with your hand in the tank to having your hand get closer and closer.. ***Remember don't go from above their head due to their 3rd eye come from the front of them.. slowly work your way to touching him and on to holding while in the tank and work your way to out of the tank.. You can also put a shirt of yours that you've worn **no perfume/cologne for him to get to know your scent.. Also a good time to work on bonding is when they are slowing down for the night..
Post pictures we love pictures of beardies and your set up .
You will find several links below several of our comments as we've put together general info for new comers on all sorts of care..

 

[Mason]

What Raeann said it true. New beardies go thru stress relocation and need time to adjust to their new home. Just give it time. No matter if they are babies or adults. Try holding him for 5-10 minutes at a time a few times a day. For about a week. He will come around.

When you pick him up are you picking him up from the top or under his mouth?

Does he beard at you or open his mouth at you when you try to pick him up?

I'm trying to pick him up from the top I let him see my hand and he just runs into the corner and flares his beard up he's around 8 inches long so I don't quite know the age probably close to a year old I've only had him for 3 days and he's doing a lot better he won't eat veritable yet I've tried collard greens and asparagus going to try mustard greens soon but he loves them crickets

 

[Mason]

Glad to hear that you took this little guy in sounds like he needs the love and attention. Someone with more experience should chime in soon and offer you some great advice. Until than I would give him some time to settle into his new home sounds like he's a little frightened and stressed. I'll also add that it's normal for a Beardie to be stressed for a few weeks when they are moved to a new home.


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Yes time is what he will need he was in bad shape when I got him but as a first time owner this is going to be a challenge but I've been on google for 3 days to keep him happy he's doing much better

 

[Mason]

This is Mushu my little buddy with his pellets but he's got much better food now

 

[RaeAnn]

Yes time is what he will need he was in bad shape when I got him but as a first time owner this is going to be a challenge but I've been on google for 3 days to keep him happy he's doing much better

Well it says a lot that you are eager to learn and do your research so that you can give him the home he deserves. Sounds like he's in really good hands now glad to hear he's settling in and doing better.


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[Mason]

Well it says a lot that you are eager to learn and do your research so that you can give him the home he deserves. Sounds like he's in really good hands now glad to hear he's settling in and doing better.


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If only I could hold my little buddy but soon lol

 

[mxw0rld]

Do NOT pick him up from the top!! He will think you are a predator!!

Go from the side or under his beard. Put your hand palm up like you would for a dog.

Yea he is a bit skinny. It may take a while for him to like greens and that's okay. Just keep feeding him the insects and making sure he drinks some water. Do you know how to spray it so it gets in his mouth?

Does he eat the pellets?

 

[mxw0rld]

If only I could hold my little buddy but soon lol

In time you will be able to hold him. With all new beardies it takes a week or so before we can pick them up to hold them but once they gain your trust you will be their slave for life! He will always be on your shoulder! Just go slow and let him settle in.

 

[Mason]

Do NOT pick him up from the top!! He will think you are a predator!!

Go from the side or under his beard. Put your hand palm up like you would for a dog.

Yea he is a bit skinny. It may take a while for him to like greens and that's okay. Just keep feeding him the insects and making sure he drinks some water. Do you know how to spray it so it gets in his mouth?

Does he eat the pellets?

Ok thanks for the holding advice and I've sprayed his back and he licks the water off asparagus stalks but as to spraying into his mouth no and as to the pellets I don't think he ate any but i got some calcium powder I put on his crickets how many should he eat in a day?? I've seen to many different answers

 

[RaeAnn]

A healthy dragon that age should be fed insects twice a day and can eat anywhere from 20-100 bugs a day. You should let him eat until he decides he doesn't want any more and walks away or shows he's no longer interested.


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[Mason]

Ok that's good to know I've only fed him 15 today so I'm gonna give him more now

 

[Mason]

A healthy dragon that age should be fed insects twice a day and can eat anywhere from 20-100 bugs a day. You should let him eat until he decides he doesn't want any more and walks away or shows he's no longer interested.


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Should I put calcium powder on every single one or just a certain amount

 

[mxw0rld]

I would get rid of the pellets. They are not very good for them and I've not seen a single beardie eat them.

What I do is make up a salad of mustard greens, collard greens and kale and leave it in the enclosure till 7pm. As that's dinner time and lights out at 9:30pm beardies have to have 2 hours of basking time after they eat to digest their food. So once I feed them dinner out comes the greens till 9am when they get fresh. I try to put it in a spot where the bright light doesn't get to it or it will dry it out.

I feed mine 3 times a day as they are babies. Not sure on adults how many times they should eat. As far as how many to feed him well… right now he's a bit skinny so his stomach might be a bit small. The best thing to do is to go to the dollar store and get one of those plastic containers that you store paper in and feed him in that. Once I put the container in Wally's enclosure he jumps right in it to get to the crawling insects. Crickets tend to run and hide in anything and everything you have in your enclosure. I can guarantee you there will always be one you missed and at night they will bite your beardie. So to avoid lost crickets that's what I do to feed Wally. Usually after about 7 minutes of non stop eating he will be done. The rule of thumb is let them eat as much as they can in 10-15 minutes. What size crickets are you feeding him? Are you gut loading them?

As far as the water, the best way to get them to drink is to get an eye dropper and drip it on their lips and nose and they will open their mouth and drink from that. You can lightly spray on his nose until you feel comfortable with the dropper and until you can get one. Any pharmacy or baby department will have one.

Your welcome with the holding. Let me know how it works out.

 

[mxw0rld]

Ok that's good to know I've only fed him 15 today so I'm gonna give him more now

If you feed him now he will need 2 more hours of basking time. They really need 12 hours of sleep and 12 hours of daytime hours. I would wait to feed him.

 

[RaeAnn]

I have heard the same thing about pellets not being good for them. I would definitely stick to the live food and veggies/greens. And I dust all insects during the first feeding only. They need a lot of calcium at this age especially


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[Mason]

I would get rid of the pellets. They are not very good for them and I've not seen a single beardie eat them.

What I do is make up a salad of mustard greens, collard greens and kale and leave it in the enclosure till 7pm. As that's dinner time and lights out at 9:30pm beardies have to have 2 hours of basking time after they eat to digest their food. So once I feed them dinner out comes the greens till 9am when they get fresh. I try to put it in a spot where the bright light doesn't get to it or it will dry it out.

I feed mine 3 times a day as they are babies. Not sure on adults how many times they should eat. As far as how many to feed him well… right now he's a bit skinny so his stomach might be a bit small. The best thing to do is to go to the dollar store and get one of those plastic containers that you store paper in and feed him in that. Once I put the container in Wally's enclosure he jumps right in it to get to the crawling insects. Crickets tend to run and hide in anything and everything you have in your enclosure. I can guarantee you there will always be one you missed and at night they will bite your beardie. So to avoid lost crickets that's what I do to feed Wally. Usually after about 7 minutes of non stop eating he will be done. The rule of thumb is let them eat as much as they can in 10-15 minutes. What size crickets are you feeding him? Are you gut loading them?

As far as the water, the best way to get them to drink is to get an eye dropper and drip it on their lips and nose and they will open their mouth and drink from that. You can lightly spray on his nose until you feel comfortable with the dropper and until you can get one. Any pharmacy or baby department will have one.

Your welcome with the holding. Let me know how it works out.

I've got a dripper and I'm going to have to feed him more I've got something I can put him in to eat but I haven't picked him up should I just go for it I don't want to get bit (do their bites even hurt) or traumatize him he stands up at night to against the glass is that normal lol

 

[Mason]

I've got a dripper and I'm going to have to feed him more I've got something I can put him in to eat but I haven't picked him up should I just go for it I don't want to get bit (do their bites even hurt) or traumatize him he stands up at night to against the glass is that normal lol

And yes I feed and water the crickets