New Beardie Owner

[Natie]

I am new to owning bearded dragons. I’ve done tons of research and finally got one. He was being rehomed. He’s about 2 years old and sweet. I’ve had him about a week now and he has barely eaten. I have been squirting him with water. I talk to him everyday and interact with him for several hours. I know he is learning a new place, people, sounds, and smells. Is it normal for beardies to slow down their eating in new environments? I held him tonight wrapped in a blanket while I watched TV with my kids. He fell asleep. Is that a sign that he is starting to get more comfortable? I know it takes time to adjust, I just want to make sure he is getting the nutrition that he needs and the attention that will help him thrive. (Pic of my new baby: Mr. Bigglesworth).

 

[Janelle]

He’s cute! They do take some time to settle in. If you did your research, all your lighting is probably correct, but it might be helpful if you give us a quick rundown of what you’re using.
Most of us don’t mist them. You can just drop water down the center of their nose, continuing until they stop drinking. This way, they can drink it the way they would drink dew in nature, the humidity isn’t being raised in the tank, and they’re not suddenly being sprayed with water every day.
I love nighttime snuggle time. It’s a great way to bond with your beardie.

 

[Natie]

I was using the lighting that came with him when I purchased him from the previous owner. She was using a 75W heating bulb, but the temperature was rating at 68-70 degrees so I changed it to 100W. It now rates around 78-80 degrees. The UVB bulb was the one he came with. We are in the process of converting a dresser we don’t use into a terrarium for him. I plan to use the long UVB lighting source, instead of the small bulb (which is what we are using now). I didn’t want to change any of his stuff out since he is in a new environment. I wanted him to keep the same stuff he had when we got him. I did add tiles to the bottom of his cage since she only had him on the glass bottom, which he would slide around on when walking. He ate some kale the first day and one superworm yesterday. Other than that he hasn’t eaten and he hasn’t gone to the bathroom yet. Is that normal? We have a juvenile beardie too and he/she eats straight from our hand, eats veggies, follows you around, enjoys interactions, etc. I guess he’s just so young it hasn’t bonded to others yet. Do beardies adjust to new ownership well? Is there anything else I should be doing? I’m sitting and talking to him, holding him, trying to feed him, and taking him out and letting him explore. The sleeping in my arms with a soft fleece blanket last night was the first time. I wasn’t sure if that is a small sign that he’s becoming more comfortable or am I pushing him to much to fast? Thank you for answering me back. I just want to learn as much as I can and make sure he has an easy transition and the happy rest of his life. He was originally a rescue from the lady I got him from. She got him from someone she said was neglecting him and now he is in a new home. This will be his last home and I want it to be the best!

 

[Janelle]

Kudos to you for wanting to make things good for him. He’ll do so much better with proper lighting. The lighting change won’t stress him, he’s stressed by not having what he needs. A two-year-old beardie basking spot should be around 95*-100*. How are you measuring the temps? A temp gun is best, though a thermometer with a probe is sufficient.
The compact UVB bulbs don’t put off enough UVB for a beardie and have been shown to hurt their eyes. I think if you bump up his temps and get him a prober uvb bulb (Reptisun t5 10.0 tube or Arcadia), you’ll see him perk up and his appetite pick up pretty quickly.
For food options, most of us refer to http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
Thank you for adopting a beardie needing a good home!

 

[Natie]

I just want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I did what you said about putting water down his nose. I talked to him and he didn’t take to it right at first, but after several drops he started drinking. After some water and letting him rest for a minute, he perked up, turned his head towards me and I continued giving him water until he turned away from me. It was such a huge break through. I then snuggled with him and he burrowed down a little to get comfortable on my chest, then went to sleep. It was such a good feeling. Thank you for your help.