lesson learned

[New Beardie Daisy]

went to get our bearide some crickets the other day. The guy that sold them wanted to know how long ours was showed some pictures and he said that she shouldnt eat baby crickets and should eat the older ones. I told him i didnt think that was right but he assured me he knew what he was talking about and had a dragon. So i feed her . set the timer for 5 minutes dusted them with calcium wiith d3 and she ate 5 crickets. she had begun to shed and her head is done. she had changed to a pretty orange color after shedding. yesterday she was not acting like herself basked most all day long. last night she threw up 2 crickets. After that she moved around some today the weather is dreary no sun and is raining hoping that is why she is not very active today and has changed back to her more brown tan color. really hoping she makes it and recovers completley. she was bought as a christmas present for our little girl so it would be extremelly heartbreaking to loose her. she is so funny and entertaining we have not gotten to handle her much as we have only had her maybe 3 weeks. any advice or comments or more than welcome. we live in a very rural area and the closet vet for her is many many hrs away.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I wouldn't worry she should be fine, usually the reasons they would throw up their food are: they are full, the temp dropped (they need heat to digest) or they are bored with the food. Also sometimes they don't eat when shedding as it's bothersome to them.
The food size should equal the space between their eyes. Get yourself some calcium without the D3 Is she eating any greens?
Is she pooping ok?
what is her enclosure like? what is the lighting? what are your temps? What substrate are you using? Pictures are always helpful for us. How old is she?

 

[ajam1212]

Might just be a case of her slowing down beardies do empty themselves & eat less when they brumate.If her wieght is good & she's been pooing ok til this incident she May be trying to brumate. They slow right down sleep more just generally luthargic.Mine vary from year to year sometimes full on lazy for a few months(full brumation) or just generally less active.Try not to panic & keep an eye her general condition.Leave her to her thing.
Bathing is a good way to her hydrated short warm baths every week will help with emptying her bowel & hydrating her.
Also vary her feeders fresh veg gut loaded locust,morio,meal worms etc, also wax worm are excellent for reigniting the appetite(high fat & moisture content).
As for dusting cut back any vitamin D3 calcium powders to once a week or two.
Concentrate more on just plain calcium dust every feed or so.
You can give to much d3 orally ,So make sure your lighting is correct 10% uvb dessert tubes on for 12hrs aday increase as spring/summer comes.
Basking & general temps should be provided with either a separate bulb/ceramic heat emitting bulb. (I use both).
Obviously make sure you control the heat source via a thermostatic device.
Beardies are tough little lizards when properly cared for,although they do have their quirks that can scare you to death.
Even if she is slowing down a bath & some quiet lap time wrapped in a towel after is good way to maintain the bond.
Hope this helps you.

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

we are not sure of her age she is young only have gave d3 once. she is probably about 6 1/2 long her belly is very thin this morning she was not well taken car of at pet store she shows no intrest in the baby crickets at all but just offered a medium cricket and she charged it had to offer her something she loves kale but since she has had crickets the other day she doesnt want any lol we only just gave her one medium cricket figured if she s ok in the am will offer more

 

[ajam1212]

we are not sure of her age she is young only have gave d3 once. she is probably about 6 1/2 long her belly is very thin this morning she was not well taken car of at pet store she shows no intrest in the baby crickets at all but just offered a medium cricket and she charged it had to offer her something she loves kale but since she has had crickets the other day she doesnt want any lol we only just gave her one medium cricket figured if she s ok in the am will offer more

Try to keep her hydrated( worm bath).
She may have had a bite from the cric which has made her wary.Changing feeders is another way to stimulate her.If she's a little under wieght wax worms will work with other feeders will help her fatten up quickly. (That's why we call it lizard candy)
Also baby food smeared on the nose is a good way to get food in her.
See how she is for a few days but I always recommend a herp vet check up for piece of mind.Not as expensive as people fear & you can worry about cost after the visit.The vet will put the animal first before the bill.
Giving a vet a ring & explaining your situation will get the ball rolling.
Hope she's OK & just testing you out.
http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/t...4/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twittern your situation

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

i think today she may have just wanted a medium cricket after she ate it she livened up ran around her cag chasing her reflection and waving at it now she is basking/ digesting her cricket.we will deffinenetly look into the wax worms the pet store said to give her pellets bc thats what they give and only a cricket every now and then but she shows no intrest in the pellets so thats why we went after the crcickets her lights are the repti sun 10 that came with the tank and the 100w basking keep them on 6am-9pm at the pet store they used the red lights at night but she doesnt get cold keep a check on her at night the lowest it gets is 72 so lights out and she sleeps all night stays a little over 100 at her highest basking spot and 90 at that bottom of the tank and in the 80s on the opposite side where her hide and water is

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

i also got her some juvenile repti bites i am going to start offering her alot of people ive seen say they are popular

 

[Hdrydr31]

we are not sure of her age she is young only have gave d3 once. she is probably about 6 1/2 long her belly is very thin this morning she was not well taken car of at pet store she shows no intrest in the baby crickets at all but just offered a medium cricket and she charged it had to offer her something she loves kale but since she has had crickets the other day she doesnt want any lol we only just gave her one medium cricket figured if she s ok in the am will offer more

she should be just fine they have a big mouth/throat area you would be surprised how much they can eat... As a young beardie they should be fed 3 times a day as they are in their growth phase.. if they don't want anymore they stop eating.. keep offering a variety of greens if you need the link let me know.. Just stop feeding several hours prior to lights out as they need time to digest before sleeping.

 

[Hdrydr31]

i also got her some juvenile repti bites i am going to start offering her alot of people ive seen say they are popular

they don't need those.. they eat live food and plants

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

thank you guys so much honestly think as new owners we may have over reacted and freaked out. thanks so much for comments and suggestions

 

[Hdrydr31]

thank you guys so much honestly think as new owners we may have over reacted and freaked out. thanks so much for comments and suggestions

your welcome just relax and enjoy her she's still learning her environment and you.. Your learning about her and trust me they are such interesting creatures and they do some interesting things..As you go you will learn what she likes what she doesn't... but know that they are pretty hardy creatures. Crickets, dubia roaches, superworms, butterworms, waxworms, silkworms, hornworms are all good, some are treats as they are high in fats...are all good choices..

http://greathousefarm.com/Greathouse-Reptile-Nutrition-List.pdf
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

 

[ajam1212]

Good to hear I second hdrydr31 advice above.
She shouldn't need any night light at room temps tobe honest.As stated above she's still settling in & your learning. So don't be afraid to seek advice on here, each beardies different like people they all have different characters & quirks.First time mine went into brumation I'd thought he was dying.He wasn't to impressed with bein woken up every couple of hours.You live & learn.
Also try to stick to live food & veg. She may eat the pellets if you leave a constant dish in her viv. I wouldnt rely on them as part of her diet though.Most pet shops (unless its reptile only specialist ) talk a lot of rubbish & arnt really qualified to give advice.
Also don't be afraid to interact with her especially now as she's starting to settle in to her environment.Beardies react well to human interaction so don't be afraid to give her some out of viv treat time.My little girl has handled beardies from about 4 and they never seem fazed or afraid.Obviously supervise them. She 9 now and is eyeing a career as a herp vet.Bought my first lizard to help with her fear of bugs she now gives reptile talks at school.
They are great pets when you get past the live food.Entertaining educational and little bit different.As long as you keep the basics uv light,temps,calcium,proper gut loaded feeders,fresh water etc and plenty of attention these hardy little devils will thrive and repay your efforts.
Enjoy her and welcome to the ups & downs of reptile ownership.

http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/t...4/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitterg.

 

[Hdrydr31]

i think today she may have just wanted a medium cricket after she ate it she livened up ran around her cag chasing her reflection and waving at it now she is basking/ digesting her cricket.we will deffinenetly look into the wax worms the pet store said to give her pellets bc thats what they give and only a cricket every now and then but she shows no intrest in the pellets so thats why we went after the crcickets her lights are the repti sun 10 that came with the tank and the 100w basking keep them on 6am-9pm at the pet store they used the red lights at night but she doesnt get cold keep a check on her at night the lowest it gets is 72 so lights out and she sleeps all night stays a little over 100 at her highest basking spot and 90 at that bottom of the tank and in the 80s on the opposite side where her hide and water is

Waxworms, butterworms, hornworms are all treat food items... if you want to vary her diet crickets, dubia roaches (great bug BTW) superworms (once she is big enough) the night time temps can go down a bit more to into the 70's as they really do need the dip in temps. NO light of any sort at night as long as it doesn't get below 65F all is good.
It's a shame that some petstore people are not very knowledgeable... sigh..

 

[ajam1212]

[QU OTE="Hdrydr31, post: 114933, member: 6230"]Waxworms, butterworms, hornworms are all treat food items... if you want to vary her diet crickets, dubia roaches (great bug BTW) superworms (once she is big enough) the night time temps can go down a bit more to into the 70's as they really do need the dip in temps. NO light of any sort at night as long as it doesn't get below 65F all is good.
It's a shame that some petstore people are not very knowledgeable... sigh..[/QUOTE]
TOP Advice, i hope you can keep an eye on this thread & keep giving the necessary help &giudence .I get the impression your both USA based.Feeders trends tend to vary a little from uk to the US. Completely agree with your advice & glad your on hand help this family & beardie. People should be able to ask for advice without feeling inadequate or having to rely on pet shops who can cause more harm with often poor advice.
Keep up the good work & keep Sharing your knowledge

 

[PatsyB]

Start looking into a Reptisun 10.0 HO T5 bulb or T8 bulb. Those compact bulbs aren't very good UVB sources. You need UVB that is going to cover a good portion of the tank, at least 2/3rds. Those compact bulbs in the dome only concentrate your UVB to that area. When you do get a better UVB, make sure it overlaps with the basking bulb. Heat helps the body absorb D3 better. Also, make sure you feed no later than 2 hours before the lights go out for the night so that she can have some time to digest her food. Invest in either a couple of digital probe thermometers or a temp gun. The temp gauges that rest on the glass don't give accurate readings. You need to know the temps right on the basking spot where your beardie is sitting and on the cool side. Up on the glass is only going to give you the reading right there (where your beardie can't get) and of the glass itself.

Sounds like your little girl is growing. I think medium crickets are going to be fine to feed her, just watch while she eats them and don't feed her too many. Usually when a bug is getting to small for them, they loose interest until they get something a bit bigger.

 

[Hdrydr31]

[QU OTE="Hdrydr31, post: 114933, member: 6230"]Waxworms, butterworms, hornworms are all treat food items... if you want to vary her diet crickets, dubia roaches (great bug BTW) superworms (once she is big enough) the night time temps can go down a bit more to into the 70's as they really do need the dip in temps. NO light of any sort at night as long as it doesn't get below 65F all is good.
It's a shame that some petstore people are not very knowledgeable... sigh..

TOP Advice, i hope you can keep an eye on this thread & keep giving the necessary help &giudence .I get the impression your both USA based.Feeders trends tend to vary a little from uk to the US. Completely agree with your advice & glad your on hand help this family & beardie. People should be able to ask for advice without feeling inadequate or having to rely on pet shops who can cause more harm with often poor advice.
Keep up the good work & keep Sharing your knowledge[/QUOTE]

Thank you very much! I appreciate your words, I am somewhat new to dragons but have spent alot of time researching and soaking up as much info as possible.. and I absolutely love my dragon and learn as I go and when I can help others I do. Yes I figured you where from the UK when you talked about the feeders Everyone on this forum is very helpful and all want what's best for our critters and anyone eles's that are in need.

 

[New Beardie Daisy]

is the Repti-glo 10.0 uvb bulb ok 20w and 24 inches long

 

[ajam1212]

is the Repti-glo 10.0 uvb bulb ok 20w and 24 inches long

Hi the best size (fluorescent type)tube is as long as you can fit in your viv.You can provide hiding areas if your lizard needs to seek shade. Obviously you will need the correct sarter pack to match the wattage of the tube.
Bare in mind that as your beardies grows it will need a bigger viv. Adult beardies usually require a 4ft Long x 2ft wide viv. So if you currently have a small viv it's best to purchase a twin tube starter pack so when you upgrade your viv you will only need to purchase an extra tube. So 2 x 24 inch 20 watt tubes will cover a 4ft viv.
As for make I personally use arcadia tubes namely because I'm in the UK arcadia are German and give me the best deals as I have to purchase 6 each renewal time.Remember all these tubes(No matter what make) generally need to be replaced every 9 months .
Repti-sun I believe are US manufactured and are excellent .
Also don't get to drawn into the T5 or T8 dilemma basically T5 is a newer format smaller diameter tub with better energy efficiency and output per wattage. They tend to be more expensive.T8 tubes and starters packs tend to be cheaper and are more than adequate for your reptile.
The all in one uvb coil bulbs are useless especially with a big lizard like beardies.So avoid.
All in one uvb mercury vapour bulbs are really for large open VIVS housing multiple lizards and are to powerful for enclosed VIVS or single lizard set-up.
So linear tube type lamps are perfect for the smaller set up. They provide enough uvb radiation to 24 inch below the lamp to keep your dragon healthy. Obviously the closer the lizard gets the more uvb can be absorbed. So climbing branches high basking spot will allow the lizard choose for itself.
I hope that helps & gives you some understanding of the importance of uvb type lighting. Also remember that the tubes only provide uvb for around 9 months so need changing even if they still are giving out light.

 

[ajam1212]

Hi the best size (fluorescent type)tube is as long as you can fit in your viv.You can provide hiding areas if your lizard needs to seek shade. Obviously you will need the correct sarter pack to match the wattage of the tube.
Bare in mind that as your beardies grows it will need a bigger viv. Adult beardies usually require a 4ft Long x 2ft wide viv. So if you currently have a small viv it's best to purchase a twin tube starter pack so when you upgrade your viv you will only need to purchase an extra tube. So 2 x 24 inch 20 watt tubes will cover a 4ft viv.
As for make I personally use arcadia tubes namely because I'm in the UK arcadia are German and give me the best deals as I have to purchase 6 each renewal time.Remember all these tubes(No matter what make) generally need to be replaced every 9 months .
Repti-sun I believe are US manufactured and are excellent .
Also don't get to drawn into the T5 or T8 dilemma basically T5 is a newer format smaller diameter tub with better energy efficiency and output per wattage. They tend to be more expensive.T8 tubes and starters packs tend to be cheaper and are more than adequate for your reptile.
The all in one uvb coil bulbs are useless especially with a big lizard like beardies.So avoid.
All in one uvb mercury vapour bulbs are really for large open VIVS housing multiple lizards and are to powerful for enclosed VIVS or single lizard set-up.
So linear tube type lamps are perfect for the smaller set up. They provide enough uvb radiation to 24 inch below the lamp to keep your dragon healthy. Obviously the closer the lizard gets the more uvb can be absorbed. So climbing branches high basking spot will allow the lizard choose for itself.
I hope that helps & gives you some understanding of the importance of uvb type lighting. Also remember that the tubes only provide uvb for around 9 months so need changing even if they still are giving out light.

10
10% uvb is the correct tube also known as dessert tubes.