new to site and a bit confused!!!

[bev33]

Hi, Im bev, have a new bearded dragon called dexter bought for my 7 year old son, he is lovely, im just a bit confused about a few things...any help is much appreciated!!

When we bought him and all the housing, we were given wood chip as we were told sand could cause a blockage?? is this right? i just find that im having to make sure no crickets burrow under the chip!!!! would sand be ok to use? ??? ??? ???

Also, he isnt intereted in his veggies, i have stuck to the list given by the pet store, but he doesnt even go near the bowl! He eats the crickets, 6-7 at a time over about 10 minutes, he has these 3 times a day, is that ok? Also, what happens with shedding skin and when should i expect this? He is 10 weeks old

Im so grateful to all of you for any advice, this is a fantastic website!

Bev xxx

 

[TheWolfmanTom]

Morning Bev and welcome aboard.
Make your life easier. Get rid of the wood chips. Your pooper may eat a wood chip thinking its a cricket. Tile or non adheasive shelf liner is your best route.
Greens take time offer them in small amounts every day one day they will be gone.
Tom

 

[corrine]

How old is your dragon? Newspaper or papertowel work good too. sand is very messy and holds a lot of bacteria if not cleaned properly. tile is wonderful. that's what i use. it's very easy to clean looks nice and keeps my dragons nails under control. I used newspaper for my baby dragon and that was also easy to clean. Beautifuldragons.com is a great site with a list of stuff dragons can eat.

 

[bev33]

Thanks guys, he is 10 weeks old. really sociable, just want to make sure i do this all the right way!!! never thought i would have a bearded dragon as a pet, i have dogs, fish, hamsters and a tortoise but dexter is so cool! my son is obsessed with him and sits on my sons shoulder and falls asleep!! xx

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Hello and Welcome Bev. We love pictures here! ;D

 

[renich]

Hi, Bev. Welcome to our site.

For starters, take a deep breath. We have ALL been in your shoes. These little guys like to keep us on their toes, but once you get the basics down, it's pretty second nature to care for them.

So cute about falling asleep on your son. Awesome!

I agree with everyone regarding not using sand or wood chips. Both have been found to be bad, especially for a dragon so young. I used tile after giving up my sand. Best move I ever made. Easy to clean and made for a nice home.

With some dragons it takes time to eat their veggies. As Tom points out, keep offering them. Everything should be no larger than the size between your beardie's eyes. That goes for crickets too.

I think the amount of crickets is ok. He needs time to adjust to you and your family.

Here's a link to an article that lists out the basics in caring for bearded dragons. Give it a read and let us know if you have any questions -
Bearded Dragon Care

 

[bev33]

Thaankyou everyone, tiles bought and husband now on the mission to fit them! Should i grout them? very very pleased with this little chap! he has really given my son confidence to handle him and im so suprosed at the way they interact! as a total newby, we get him out and he climbs on shoulders and heads, but do any of you let them roam? i know he i too young at the moment, but i really wondered about when they get bigger? our tortoise roams around for a few hours a day, but as i dont know the speed and behaviour of beardies i find myself sitting waiting to catch him if he leaps off my son! lol, will try to upload pictures xxxx

 

[ladyknite]

LOL..............@ waiting for the leap.

I have a special room that i let my adults roam in. Not babies. Too many nooks and crannies for little guys to hide in.

 

[renich]

You can grout them in, but I recommend laying papertowels under the tiles and fitting them into the viv. This makes for an easy cleanup for quick jobs and lifting tiles out for a thorough job.

You can take your beardie out. Just keep an eye on him. They can take off when they want to. A little bit at a time is enough. They need their daily UVB.

 

[DragonMom]

:-X