Bearded dragon acting strange

[Hoppy819]

Quick update, I'm so happy! I just came into my room to check on him again and found him A) sitting up, his eyes fully opened and B) he ate a calcium covered cricket!!! The first he's eaten in a few days. So, so, so, so, so, happy right now. Hopefully he keeps improving.

 

[Hoppy819]

buy yourself a timer then all you gotta do is set the time for them to come on and the time for them to go off. Yes that will play a part as they need to warm up before they will eat, and they should eat a couple of hours prior to them going down to sleep for the night.. make sure you take the crickets out of the enclosure at night as they are nocturnal and can bite your little one in his sleep.

Ooh, that sounds nifty. Alright, I'll look into getting one oof those. Thanks so much for all of your help!

 

[Hdrydr31]

Ooh, that sounds nifty. Alright, I'll look into getting one oof those. Thanks so much for all of your help!

Your welcome! You may even have a timer in your house somewhere even. By the way what size enclosure is he in?

 

[Hoppy819]

Your welcome! You may even have a timer in your house somewhere even. By the way what size enclosure is he in?

He is currently being housed in a 20g.

 

[Hdrydr31]

He is currently being housed in a 20g.

yikes I hope you plan on upgrading soon... that's not going to be big enough, it's not going to allow for proper thermo regulation you really do need length more than height... min I would go would be 40gal they can get up to 24" long

 

[Hoppy819]

yikes I hope you plan on upgrading soon... that's not going to be big enough, it's not going to allow for proper thermo regulation you really do need length more than height... min I would go would be 40gal they can get up to 24" long

Thank for the information. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a dollar a gallon sale at Petco and get one then. Will I need to upgrade my lights and stuff too? Is he fine in there right now? I measured him a few days ago and he was about 10 inches.

 

[PatsyB]

I hate the ExoTerra lights too. They are a different color or something. I like the Zoomed. I know that some people go cheap and buy halogen indoor flood lights for theirs but I've never had much luck finding the right one. I've never had problems with the ZooMed basking bulbs breaking or burning out quick so I just use those.

You can get a light timer at the hardware store. They are the best thing in the world

 

[Hdrydr31]

Thank for the information. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a dollar a gallon sale at Petco and get one then. Will I need to upgrade my lights and stuff too? Is he fine in there right now? I measured him a few days ago and he was about 10 inches.

He is probably ok for the short term, but I would get one as soon as you can. As being thermo regulators they will move around to get the temps they need but the 20 can't offer a wide area to do that in.. Just keep an eye on him for over heating, dehydration.. Get yourself a digital temp gun/prob so you can monitor the temps..

 

[lazer]

Hoppy. I'm so happy for you and I know that wonderful feeling when your Beardie is not feeling well and you see them the next day and they are back to themselves. It's a combination of incredible relief, happiness as well as a huge load of anxiety taken off of you.

Hoppy. I was laying in bed last night and thinking of some of the responses and suggestions I wrote you. Looking into a patient's file and seeing their age is one thing. But I should have realized that the Internet is a different world.

My purpose for asking your age was twofold. The first reason was to see if you were close to driving age and thus being able to take him to the Vet yourself soon. The second was to avoid embarrassing you if there was a reason that did not allow you to drive.

But this is the Internet and sadly, can be a very different world as I'm sure you are aware of. And even though you are here on the forum, and I'm not saying there is anyone here that you should be afraid of or not trust, I made a mistake by asking your age. I shouldn't have. Maybe I'm wrong but if I'm right, I would appreciate others chiming in agreeing with me.

Even though you feel comfortable here NEVER EVER give out any personal details about yourself. Unfortunately, the world that we live in today is in a sad state of affairs. How despairing it is today that we all have to be on the watch for some people that can cause us some harm.

I know you are probably aware of this Poppy but I just wanted to drive it home. I guess it's both the father and the doctor in me that is telling you this. We certainly can be warm and friendly with one another but there is a line that we just can't cross.

Please, if I'm wrong, anyone feel free to tell me. I'm only going off what I hear and read in the news.

I'm sorry if I put this thread into a somber mood but it never hurts to bring this up when need be and I take the responsibility of bringing it about.

Ok. With that said, I'm glad everyone has given you all this great advice so I will give mine now.

Try to buy as many books on Bearded Dragons that you can without draining all of your money. When I go to a place like Amazon.com, I search the USED books first because surprisingly, you can get a very expensive book that is in great shape (even new with its wrapper still on) for just a couple of dollars. The dealer may have been overstocked or there are newer editions that have come out.

If you go to say Petsmart. Try to find someone in the reptile sections that not only knows his "Stuff" concerning Bearded Dragons but has owned one or more over many years. Then try to ask as many questions that you have. Be aware if you see other customers waiting for his or her help. I know you will be tactful knowing when to approach the helper and when to give them space. If they are busy it's worth waiting for them to finish to have some free time for you again. You can form a kind of friendship with them and they can provide you with much valuable information about your little guy.

And lastly, it's not a bad idea to visit the veterinarian once your Bearded Dragon has gotten old enough where they are close to adult size which really doesn't take that long.

You can go for what is called a "well visit" meaning your Bearded Dragon is feeling great but you would like to have a good thorough examination on your little buddy. It gives you a chance to ask important questions and affords the opportunity for the veterinarian to give over everything you should know to take care of the guy so he can live a good long healthy life.

Again, I'm super happy that he's better and he should continue to stay that way. The beginning stages are usually the most difficult so hang in there and I'm sure both of you will have a close and happy relationship for many years to come.

 

[Hoppy819]

Hoppy. I'm so happy for you and I know that wonderful feeling when your Beardie is not feeling well and you see them the next day and they are back to themselves. It's a combination of incredible relief, happiness as well as a huge load of anxiety taken off of you.

Hoppy. I was laying in bed last night and thinking of some of the responses and suggestions I wrote you. Looking into a patient's file and seeing their age is one thing. But I should have realized that the Internet is a different world.

My purpose for asking your age was twofold. The first reason was to see if you were close to driving age and thus being able to take him to the Vet yourself soon. The second was to avoid embarrassing you if there was a reason that did not allow you to drive.

But this is the Internet and sadly, can be a very different world as I'm sure you are aware of. And even though you are here on the forum, and I'm not saying there is anyone here that you should be afraid of or not trust, I made a mistake by asking your age. I shouldn't have. Maybe I'm wrong but if I'm right, I would appreciate others chiming in agreeing with me.

Even though you feel comfortable here NEVER EVER give out any personal details about yourself. Unfortunately, the world that we live in today is in a sad state of affairs. How despairing it is today that we all have to be on the watch for some people that can cause us some harm.

I know you are probably aware of this Poppy but I just wanted to drive it home. I guess it's both the father and the doctor in me that is telling you this. We certainly can be warm and friendly with one another but there is a line that we just can't cross.

Please, if I'm wrong, anyone feel free to tell me. I'm only going off what I hear and read in the news.

I'm sorry if I put this thread into a somber mood but it never hurts to bring this up when need be and I take the responsibility of bringing it about.

Ok. With that said, I'm glad everyone has given you all this great advice so I will give mine now.

Try to buy as many books on Bearded Dragons that you can without draining all of your money. When I go to a place like Amazon.com, I search the USED books first because surprisingly, you can get a very expensive book that is in great shape (even new with its wrapper still on) for just a couple of dollars. The dealer may have been overstocked or there are newer editions that have come out.

If you go to say Petsmart. Try to find someone in the reptile sections that not only knows his "Stuff" concerning Bearded Dragons but has owned one or more over many years. Then try to ask as many questions that you have. Be aware if you see other customers waiting for his or her help. I know you will be tactful knowing when to approach the helper and when to give them space. If they are busy it's worth waiting for them to finish to have some free time for you again. You can form a kind of friendship with them and they can provide you with much valuable information about your little guy.

And lastly, it's not a bad idea to visit the veterinarian once your Bearded Dragon has gotten old enough where they are close to adult size which really doesn't take that long.

You can go for what is called a "well visit" meaning your Bearded Dragon is feeling great but you would like to have a good thorough examination on your little buddy. It gives you a chance to ask important questions and affords the opportunity for the veterinarian to give over everything you should know to take care of the guy so he can live a good long healthy life.

Again, I'm super happy that he's better and he should continue to stay that way. The beginning stages are usually the most difficult so hang in there and I'm sure both of you will have a close and happy relationship for many years to come.

Haha, no worries! All is well, if you clicked on my photo my age would have been given anyways. Thanks so much for all of your help! I'll see if I can convince my mom to at least take him in once a year for the well being checkups, we do that with my dog and I feel Griffin is just as valuable to the family. Thanks again for all of your help!