Are we getting it right?

[LoveLola]

Hi. I'm a new member joined today! We are first time Bearded Dragon owners and have had Lola for 6 weeks. She's around 10 months old. We think we're doing OK but there is so much conflicting information I'd just like confirmation that we are!
We feed her twice a day - fresh veg (Kale, pepper, Basil, Parsley, Coriander, Butternut Squash etc) but she doesn't seem to eat much of that. We also give her approx. 10 hoppers in the morning plus about 10 wax worms. We then give her about 5 more hoppers in the evening.
She always has fresh water but doesn't seem to drink - I'm a bit worried about that.
We handle her every couple of days and she's getting less nervous about that but we only have her out for about 15 minutes at a time - is that OK?
We bath her once a week - sometimes she loves it, others she climbs straight out!
She doesn't poo much! Once or twice a week - bit concerned about that too!
We haven't witnessed brumation yet - how often will that happen?
She has about 13.5 hours of uv light a day and that seems about right for her.
I think that's it! We love her loads - my kids are 10 and 14 and adore her but we just want to know she's doing OK.
Any thougths/advice, greatly received x

 

[Hdrydr31]

Hi. I'm a new member joined today! We are first time Bearded Dragon owners and have had Lola for 6 weeks. She's around 10 months old. We think we're doing OK but there is so much conflicting information I'd just like confirmation that we are!
We feed her twice a day - fresh veg (Kale, pepper, Basil, Parsley, Coriander, Butternut Squash etc) but she doesn't seem to eat much of that. We also give her approx. 10 hoppers in the morning plus about 10 wax worms. We then give her about 5 more hoppers in the evening.
She always has fresh water but doesn't seem to drink - I'm a bit worried about that.
We handle her every couple of days and she's getting less nervous about that but we only have her out for about 15 minutes at a time - is that OK?
We bath her once a week - sometimes she loves it, others she climbs straight out!
She doesn't poo much! Once or twice a week - bit concerned about that too!
We haven't witnessed brumation yet - how often will that happen?
She has about 13.5 hours of uv light a day and that seems about right for her.
I think that's it! We love her loads - my kids are 10 and 14 and adore her but we just want to know she's doing OK.
Any thougths/advice, greatly received x

Welcome to the forum and to beardies!! There is alot of info out there and it can be difficult to know what is what.. What we have done is at the bottom of some of our comments you will find links that will take you to posts we have put together all the info you could possibly need and want.. All aspects of general care for these critters. Large amount of knowledge here and we love these dragons. so take a few and read the general info for new comers as that will answer alot of your questions.

They at a younger age won't really eat alot of greens and that's ok as long as your gut loading your bugs..I would if your able to get ahold of Collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens these are all really good staple greens that can be fed daily.. Kale is ok as long as it's not all by itself or all the time.. In that general care link we have food links that most of us go by as our "bible" it tells you how often the item is to be fed and the breakdown of them. It also gives you items like good/safe plants and what are poisonous plants. Just keep offering the salads every day eventually she will eat more of it, but during all their growth they go more for the protein..
Be careful on the waxworms as those are like candy to them and they are high in fat, your little one may turn up other goods until she gets the waxworms.. Those are more for treat items..
Water: Most dragons don't really recognize standing water as a source of drinking. The get most of their water intake from the bugs and greens..Most will drink some while in the bath. I give my 2 a bath 2 times a week as this is also where they prefer to poop which is fine with me lol Some dragons like baths some don't and some just tolerate it for short periods. If she's not eating much she won't poop much, dragon's bodies are incredibly efficient and they will absorb every bit of moisture and nutrients before pooping..as long as the urates (pee) is a nice white she is hydrated. Water in the tank can increase the humidity too much you want to stay under 30%
You can handle her as she tolerates I handled both of mine several times a day.. when she gets cold put her back.
Brumation that mysterious thing... some do it some don't but typically they won't do this until over a year in age. She will likely just get lazy the first time around. (this is also in the general care link)
Hope this helps

 

[Mom of blazey]

Hello, welcome! The following info is what I do for my beardies, I have 8, for 7yrs.
Food: collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens - everyday, she may not be eating what you're giving her bcuz she simply doesn't like it, they can be picky. Kale should be given sparingly. She may not like the basil, it's pretty strong. As far as crickets, worms etc...hdrydr31 posted an itemized list, it's under the heading: wondering.
Wax worms should only be given as a treat, mine get 5 each once a month. Will she eat crickets or superworms, for me those are what I use with mine.
Water : they are desert dwellers and would get their water from the dew drops from plants, so they don't drink a lot of water, I bathe mine 2X a week and they'll drink then. If she's not pooing much she might be a bit dehydrated, try giving her a bath (very warm, but not hot) and drizzle some water over her head, gently, if she starts licking she's thirsty. Put her on your hand in your bathroom sink , lower her gently to where she can reach the water and let her drink, don't let her over do it. If you want to have a water dish in her tank, just watch the humidity level, can be between 19-20% in her enclosure. Do you have a basking light and a uvb light in her tank, lighting is 1 of the most important things you need to supply your beardie with. Hope this helps

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A using Tapatalk

 

[LoveLola]

Hi Mom of Blazey
Thank you so much for the information and the links - I've been having a good look around. I've read a lot about collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens - they come up on every list! I live in the UK and can't find any of those. I have found something just called Greens so I'm using that. When we bath her she doesn't seem to drink but does put her mouth under the water so I guess she might be taking some in.
At around 11-12 months, do you think 12-20 locusts a day is enough?
We have both a basking light and a uv light and the temperatures seem to be OK.
Thanks again x

 

[Hdrydr31]

Hi Mom of Blazey
Thank you so much for the information and the links - I've been having a good look around. I've read a lot about collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens - they come up on every list! I live in the UK and can't find any of those. I have found something just called Greens so I'm using that. When we bath her she doesn't seem to drink but does put her mouth under the water so I guess she might be taking some in.
At around 11-12 months, do you think 12-20 locusts a day is enough?
We have both a basking light and a uv light and the temperatures seem to be OK.
Thanks again x

I do think that in the UK collard greens are called greens I just looked up online and this is what I found.
https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/sh...reens.jpg&sp=683a74cb17871a4b8a5eaab7acb5407e
I am still doing some research on this ....

 

[LoveLola]

That's exactly what I bought!! Thank you x

 

[beeneufe]

Pretty sure almost everything has been covered.

One thing I will say is with the greens, even if she is not eating it, keep feeding greens. Trust me.
My chunker <----- was a bit too spoiled when she was young and now getting her to eat any greens is a task in itself.

My girl loves her baths, but she used to freak out when she was little. Something they can get used to with time! If she is putting her mouth under the water, there is a good chance she is having a little sip. It is also a great place for them to do their business, and you don't even have to really clean it up which is always a plus.

On the brumation point, from what I understand, most beardies will go down naturally during late Fall/Winter (my girl goes down in about October/November and snoozes until February). Some beardies will be out cold, while others may wake up and come out for a bite or wake up for baths; however, some beardies may not go down at all. This is something, unfortunately, that seems to change with every beardie, so hard to pinpoint exact facts.

Only mentioning because it is a common error, but in regard to UVB make sure you are using a 10.0 linear, not a compact-- much better quality and coverage. Not sure if UK has different brands and whatnot, but I have used ReptiSun for beardies and chameleons and never had any issues. I would also recommend a digital thermometer if you do not have one yet. I keep two in my set up-- one on the hot end, one on the cold.

There is a lot of good information around the site on pretty much everything, so be sure to look around! I find searching for topics or issues is useful, as there is a good chance someone has already asked the question you are looking for