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Going away for the weekend?

Bobbi

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
309
If you guys take a trip or vacation, what do you do with your beardies?
I was going to go on a trip memorial day weekend, but im not sure I can. I dont know anyone who would touch his roaches to feed him nor would they know how to properly take care of him. Is there reptile boarders? Haha.
 

Canicke

Super Moderator
Staff member
3 Year Member
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If you're going away for the weekend - not to worry. Do you have your lights on a timer? The absolute BEST way to go !! How often do you feed him and what? How old is he? I feed both my adults dubias and / or superworms usually once a week. sometimes twice. they get greens every day. sometimes they eat them, sometimes they don't. I would feed him up on some protein before you leave, then leave some chopped up greens in a bowl with a bit of water (to keep them from drying out from the lamps) When I leave for a week - I have my neighbor come in and check on them. she will chop greens / veggies - but I wouldn't even THINK about asking her to do the bug thing ! Have a great weekend ---
 

Elders

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Messages
290
If you guys take a trip or vacation, what do you do with your beardies?
I was going to go on a trip memorial day weekend, but im not sure I can. I dont know anyone who would touch his roaches to feed him nor would they know how to properly take care of him. Is there reptile boarders? Haha.

I haven't had to deal with this yet; as I am not a extrovert vacation guy lol......BUT! I have done a little research and suggestions range from:

http://www.repticzone.com/forums/BeardedDragons-General/messages/1520250.html

"Well, You can`t leave Crix in His tank while You`re gone. How well does He eat His veggies? I would leave a HUGE bowl of Greens & veggies on the cool side of the tank. Actually soak the them in water first, So they don`t dry out too fast. If You can get ahold of some silkworms before You go. They`d be the perfect feeder to leave. They just sit on top of the veggies waiting to be eaten. But, If You can`t, make sure He eats LOTS of Crix right before You leave and He should be OK with the Greens & Veggies....Have I helped? LOL...Rayna :)"

(I am underlining the pertinent information)

**Others recommend boarding**
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/herpresources/a/Caring-For-Your-Reptile-While-On-Vacation.htm

**Additionally ask someone to feed beardy salads and hold off on bugs until you get home; and make sure to pack Bayne full of protein before leaving.**


(You can ignore most of the below; but it has some decent info in it.)

"
BABY Beardies need to be fed every day but ADULTS can survive [easily] for 5 days providing they have access to some water.

You can put an extra-large portion of greens & veggies when you go away but DON'T put extra insects, especially crickets, in the cage as they have a tendency to eat lizards whilst they are asleep.
If you lave too much green food it will only dry-out and not be eaten by the lizard.

Make sure he is well fed in the weeks before you go away and give him a bath in tepid water for at least 15 minutes the day before your trip.

======================================...
Feed your Beardie mixed greens / veggies / flowers every morning.

Every evening offer as much live food as it will eat in ½ hour.

Don't limit the food to just crickets.
Their diet should contain a mixture of:
* Brown crickets (never black)
* Wax worms
* Small cockroaches
* Mealworms
* Locust hoppers
* Phoenix [Calci-] worms

ALL food should be gut-loaded AND heavily coated in calcium carbonate 5-days-a-week and a reptile multi-vitamin powder the other 2 days
======================================...
*** Glass is not a suitable material to use for keeping high-temperature / desert living reptiles in ! ***

If you have not got the vivarium and equipment for him yet read below:

You need to use a 48" x 24" x 24" wooden vivarium with glass sliding doors for Beardies, something like this:
http://www.petspantry.tv/acatalog/vx48wa...


Wood has better heat-retaining properties and will also stop your lizard having too much humidity in the enclosure. Glass tends to cause chest infections & skin conditions due to condensation and lack of ventilation.

Heating should be provided by a roof-mounted 100 watt or 150 watt ceramic heat emitter:
http://www.petsolutions.com/images/Produ...
or a reptile radiator:
http://reptilekeeping.co.uk/images/euror...

connect either device to a thermostat set at 75ºF. The probe should be sited 3" off the floor at the opposite end of the vivarium to the heater [the cool end].

It is ESSENTIAL that the heater is protected by a mesh guard to prevent your lizard burning itself:
http://www.customguards.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/spotlight-guard-2-black.jpg
or
http://www.customguards.co.uk/wp-co...oduct_images/reptile-radiator-guard-white.jpg
Day-time Ultra-Violet light, "normal" light and basking spot heat should be provided by a 160 watt mercury vapour UV & Heat Lamp such as the Zoo Med PowerSun lamp. This should also have a guard over it and switched on from 12 to 14 hours a day.
http://styr-paa-dyr.dk/upload/Krybdyr/Exo_Terra_Solar_Glo.jpg
.

Source(s):50+ years of reptile keeping.
Member of the BHS Education Committee - http://thebhs.org/"

**And finally**

(Take him with you; get a carry along and bring him and some veggies & bugs w/ you in a container (Packed lunch style) and keep him in doors while you do the out door excursions and take care when you are home indoors at night)
 

PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
I go away for weekend trips with no problems. The longest I've left them is 2 full days alone. My lights are on timers and everyone gets fed real good and bathed before we leave and as soon as we get back they get baths again and poop gets cleaned out of their tank. When you leave a salad just leave the greens, don't leave veggies that when they dry out they get hard like rocks. I've even left super worms in a clean glass bowl that they can't get out of. They never get eaten but they are there if they want them.
 
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