free bearded dragon

[Madness420]

hey my cousin wants to give me her bearded dragon... what can you tell me about them? can i add it to my rack system? what temp do they need? what do i feed it and is it expensive? can i produce my own food? how easy are they to breed?

[Valvaren]

Just going to throw out a few things here.

No you cannot keep it in a rack system, an adult beardies should be kept in a 4x2x2 enclosure. If you cannot support this type of space I would recommend against it.

Yes you can breed your own food, insects, dubia roaches/superworms. These insects also need to be gut loaded and dragons also require veggies in their diet, as adults veggies should be 80% of their diet so this can be expensive depending on your income.

There are enough people breeding dragons and enough homeless dragons already.

[pdomensis]

I had a beardie a few years back. He was a really fun pet, but rasing roaches and making him a daily salad got to be a chore for me. I prefer the once a week feeding of snakes.

High temps around 100 in the basking spot. Humidity can be in the teens to 20s. Like Vavaren said, 4x2 is a good size tank for an adult.

[CosmicOwl]

I wouldn't get a beardie(or any other high maintenance herp) unless it's something your really want. There is always the chance you become bored or get tired of the work involved.

[Madness420]

i decided i did want him but i had no idea what the situation really was. turns out he needs help. he has been kept under a non UVB light and has not been eating, most likely because his temp was too low. very strong chance he has MBD... i sought help and was advised to syringe feed repti boost and get a UVB, which i did and he already seems much more alert. when i went and got him he was pitiful. i am taking him to a vet in the morning to get MBD medicine and check him for parasites. please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. i am doing everything i can for this little guy.

[Madness420]

before and after repti boost

[kwhitlock]

My goodness he's tiny..doesn't look good at all. I hope he makes a good recovery!

How did your cousin not think his/her beardie wasn't healthy..not trying to be an ******* but really..he looks awful. Looks a little better now that you got him the right light and some nutrients.

[Georgia]

Holy crap that dragon looks bad...

[Madness420]

that household is Effed up... one cousin is going to jail today and the other has neglected multiple pets. its sad. what really upsets me is how little time and effort it took for me to go from not knowing anything about beardies, to knowing that this guy is in terrible shape and knowing exactly why. in this day and age it is so easy to research an animal before you buy it, yet some people just dont care.

[Madness420]

less than 12hrs after being offered this animal i knew what kind of husbandry it required and what health problems it could have if it did not have those things. its not hard at all, you just have to want to know.

[SSSSnakes]

i am taking him to a vet in the morning to get MBD medicine

MBD is not curable. What ever has already happened can't be reversed. All you can do now is provide UVB lighting, vit. D3 and calcium to stop any further damage. A vet visit would be a good idea.

[Madness420]

i need some opinions here... my uncle said he would reimburse me for whatever it costs to get Birt healthy, but now i'm hearring he doesnt want to pay for an x-ray. the vet said they wont do calcium injections without an x-ray... and here is a text from my uncle's fiancé...

Lane... I understand u want to do all u can..i don't think he ever was exposed to outside issues...unless crickets and meal worms give parasites, they all came from pet smart but im pretty sure u can give him oral anti parasitic supplements and keep doing what ur doin..a vet bill is a little much......if it were me...

i am willing to borrow money and sell my xbox and laptop to pay it back if i must, but i am wondering how much he really needs a parasite test if ALL his food came from petsmart. as far as the calcium injection, im pretty sure he needs that, and if the vet refuses without an x-ray, he is going to get an x-ray... i want to do what he NEEDS. i really cant afford that but i am willing to make it happen. what i dont want is to pay for something he could realistically do without.

[Valvaren]

You should have regular tests done for your animals anyway, plus lots of animals that come from pets store already have issues. Parasite test should be done most definitely.

To be completely honest, his back doesn't look in the best shape at all to me. His front leg looks a little bowed to me, i'm not sure as it might just be the picture but I wouldn't be surprised if all his limbs were affected.

Also his nose looks off, I can't tell if it looks swollen, or in shed as I cannot see a nostril?

Get the parasite test, get the xray done, depending on what comes out of the xray especially concerning his spine I would consider the idea of euthanasia, probably not the most popular opinion but I feel the little guy has been through enough.

[Tsubaki]

Please don't see me as cruel, this is just my personal opinion. This animal doesn't have that big of a chance at a healthy life, i would reconsider what you're doing. I have seen dragons that were in a shape as poor as this, that just gave up even when they received good care from the moment they were rescued. It is looks emaciated, deformed and very ill. I would have it put down, and adopt a healthier dragon that needs a good home just as bad instead. There are so many bearded dragon out there needing help, the amount of funds going into a dragon as far gone as this one could spare many the same fate.. If you're going to continue caring for this animal, i wish you all the luck in the world!

[Madness420]

he is showing signs of improvement. thevet had to reschedual so i am taking him at 8am. he actually lifted himself a bit today when i rubbed his chin. also when i syringe fed him tonight he almost crawled out of my hands. i am noticing progress, tho slight, his is not getting worse, he is getting better. here is the most recent picture i took...

[Madness420]

just had x-rays done, vet confirmed severe MBD mostly affecting the legs. vet said his head and neck actually look pretty good, and if it were her she would not choose euthanasia at this point. his is getting injections of vitamin B and calcium right now.

[Madness420]

if anybody wants to help with the vet bills, here is a link to Birt's gofundme page...

Birt's vet bill by Lane Kennedy - GoFundMe (http://www.gofundme.com/i58bas?pc=mb_em)

if you would like to help by sending supplies, you can send them to..

PO box 568 Spring Hope, NC 27882

otherwise just continue to pray and/or keep him in your thoughts.

[Madness420]

Birt got his dragon wings tonight :(
its killing me that he is gone, but i know he isnt sick anymore. i fell so hard for him in just 3 days. i wish i would have found him sooner and given him a better chance. i plan to keep all of the equipment and eventually get a healthy bearded dragon in the future, but its gonna be a while before i am ready.

[Rattlehead]

I just read the story and you did everything you could, I wish everyone would be like you and give always the best care and love to the animals. Both you and Birt fought hard, and that's the positive side of the story, the one that you must keep and remember :) Good vibes

[Cmwells90]

I'm very sorry for your loss Madness, you really did go above and beyond with trying to help and at the end of the day that's all that matters!

[pet_snake_78]

Sorry for your loss but the fact that you took him to the vet tells me you are exactly the kind of person who CAN and SHOULD own a pet lizard :) Get your next one directly from a good breeder and you'll have a much more pleasant experience.

[Madness420]

thanks guys. its going to be a while before im ready...