Aziara
Hatchling Dragon
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- 59
This is a question that has been rattling around in my brain since an awful experience with a local petshop owner.
He had one half grown beardie, no UVB, on sand. I asked him about it, and he says he usually doesn't carry beardies, that one was a 'trade-in' for something else. He says he 'can't stand them anymore because he used to breed them, and got sick of dealing with their parasites and diseases. Also, they poop so d#%n much', then proceeds to tell me 'they don't need UVB, I stopped using UVB, I didn't see any difference at all'.
There was no reasoning with they guy, so I left, although I feel awful for the juvenile in his care, and what he's going to tell its next owner.
So why the heck is there so much misinformation about beardie care, especially among petshops? Not all petshops are bad though, the other locally-owned petshop has their beardies in enclosures with powersuns (I think that's what it's called, heat + UVB in one) on paper towels. They ALSO used to breed them, but got out because the babies eat so much live food(which is honestly a better reason. At least they were giving them proper care)
I've heard everything from 'he doesn't need UVB' to 'His beard's black because he's happy' to 'they can eat all veggies' or the ever popular 'they love sand! They come from the desert, after all!"
I can almost understand the sand/calcisand, because the petshop knows you'll be back to buy more. Why don't they always suggest the UVB? You'd also be back to buy more, every 6 months or so.
Other pets don't have this level of misinformation running around. If you get a dog, the petshop isn't going to tell you to feed him chocolate everyday, if you get a cat, the petshop isn't going to tell you to make him a salad. They sell you a fish, they're not going to tell you to pour milk in the tank or something. And nobody thinks that snakes are omnivores...
So why are bearded dragons so misunderstood??
He had one half grown beardie, no UVB, on sand. I asked him about it, and he says he usually doesn't carry beardies, that one was a 'trade-in' for something else. He says he 'can't stand them anymore because he used to breed them, and got sick of dealing with their parasites and diseases. Also, they poop so d#%n much', then proceeds to tell me 'they don't need UVB, I stopped using UVB, I didn't see any difference at all'.
There was no reasoning with they guy, so I left, although I feel awful for the juvenile in his care, and what he's going to tell its next owner.
So why the heck is there so much misinformation about beardie care, especially among petshops? Not all petshops are bad though, the other locally-owned petshop has their beardies in enclosures with powersuns (I think that's what it's called, heat + UVB in one) on paper towels. They ALSO used to breed them, but got out because the babies eat so much live food(which is honestly a better reason. At least they were giving them proper care)
I've heard everything from 'he doesn't need UVB' to 'His beard's black because he's happy' to 'they can eat all veggies' or the ever popular 'they love sand! They come from the desert, after all!"
I can almost understand the sand/calcisand, because the petshop knows you'll be back to buy more. Why don't they always suggest the UVB? You'd also be back to buy more, every 6 months or so.
Other pets don't have this level of misinformation running around. If you get a dog, the petshop isn't going to tell you to feed him chocolate everyday, if you get a cat, the petshop isn't going to tell you to make him a salad. They sell you a fish, they're not going to tell you to pour milk in the tank or something. And nobody thinks that snakes are omnivores...
So why are bearded dragons so misunderstood??