Bearded dragon care

[Tangoares]

A guy and his son live downstairs.
He doesn't work and stays home playing video games 90% of the day.
He took in a bearded dragon last December, ( he was found abandoned outside elsewhere )
and we always assumed he took good care of it, based off him telling us he had many reptiles before and all the work & care they are.

I noticed the last couple of months, the bearded dragons tank by the front door . ( inside of course)

And there were a lot of things that caught my eye.. like there wouldn't be any water for days..

Then I noticed all he got fed were mealworms and they'd be in his tank burrowing in the sand..

Then I actually noticed there was no more food at all in the containers .

Also, his lights would stay on all night long... both the heat and the UV..

The more I noticed that nothing ever changed the more it started bothering me.
We have a camera pointing to the front door so I can see he never gets taken out

It broke my heart thinking he's depressed.
So I started googling all the time.
And the past couple of weeks we have been reallly taking care of him.

I have been giving him his daily greens, vegetables, occasional fruit.
I feed the mealworms veggies& greens too,
But I haven't gotten any other type of worm/bug yet..
We turn off his lights at dusk, and on again in the morning .
He comes out and hangs out. Goes for walks in the grass, hangs in a dish of water while we sit on deck. Falls asleep on us. He seems comfortable and very relaxed, and is also so much more active now, where as before he seemed very lethargic..

When we come downstairs to do laundry , he turns our way and comes as close as possible to us lol it's so cute .
I'd love to bring him to a vet for a check up..
We are trying to come up with a plan to ask him if we can keep him, since we are hoping to move as soon as possible, & I don't have it in me to leave the beardie behind .

So just curious about their daily care.
What do you feed yours,
how much water in their dish for whatever gallon tank so it doesn't cause humidity,

What do you do with yours for their entertainment,
Can they be in the same room as a parrot during the day, or can either get sick?

What do you put on the bottom of your tank?
Etc

Just wanting to know pretty much all info anyone is willing to share. I have been researching but hearing firsthand is always comforting.

Also I feel he needs his nails trimmed?

 

[.........]

Aww, he is adorable. Thankyou for taking him in.
Some different bugs you can feed him are earthworms, mealworms , silkworms, crickets and roaches. I haven't had hands on experience with this, but I know many people feed them and their beardies are fine and healthy.
I'm not sure on the other questions sorry, hopefully another member can answer them

 

[Tangoares]

Aww, he is adorable. Thankyou for taking him in.
Some different bugs you can feed him are earthworms, mealworms , silkworms, crickets and roaches. I haven't had hands on experience with this, but I know many people feed them and their beardies are fine and healthy.
I'm not sure on the other questions sorry, hopefully another member can answer them

Thank you for your reply it is appreciated

 

[barbs0nly]

my cousin has a few that i’ve taken care of on occasion and his care seems appropriate (let me know if i’m wrong) dubia roaches are one of the best feeders you can get roaches sound super nasty but they don’t stink like crickets aren’t as noisy and they don’t die as fast, they also have a great protein fat and moisture ratio if you can’t get them where you are it’s not a huge deal and you can get whats available. for veg i’ve seen dark greens, maybe sweeter veggies to get them started and a little fruit. substrate is debated a lot, don’t do calcium sand it encourages licking the substrate and does cause impact ion, the one i took care of had tiles on one side and forest floor mixed with play sand on the other. for water ive seen people not add a bowl at all! they get a lot of their moisture from their food but if you feel more comfortable with the bowl (i would too) you can get a water bowl with more circumference but fill it more on the shallow side. if his toes are going sideways because of his nails or they’re making his toes curl slightly they need to be trimmed and taken care of. he seems like a sweet boy, thank you for taking him

 

[Tangoares]

my cousin has a few that i’ve taken care of on occasion and his care seems appropriate (let me know if i’m wrong) dubia roaches are one of the best feeders you can get roaches sound super nasty but they don’t stink like crickets aren’t as noisy and they don’t die as fast, they also have a great protein fat and moisture ratio if you can’t get them where you are it’s not a huge deal and you can get whats available. for veg i’ve seen dark greens, maybe sweeter veggies to get them started and a little fruit. substrate is debated a lot, don’t do calcium sand it encourages licking the substrate and does cause impact ion, the one i took care of had tiles on one side and forest floor mixed with play sand on the other. for water ive seen people not add a bowl at all! they get a lot of their moisture from their food but if you feel more comfortable with the bowl (i would too) you can get a water bowl with more circumference but fill it more on the shallow side. if his toes are going sideways because of his nails or they’re making his toes curl slightly they need to be trimmed and taken care of. he seems like a sweet boy, thank you for taking him

Thank you for your response
I'll definitely ask around here what kind of bugs are available lol , switch it up for him sometimes
And good to know about the water! Makes sense especially if he is eating veggies etc.
Since he wasn't before, now I see why he always ran over to the water dish when I'd give him some,

& I want to attempt to trim his nails but looking at them, it's tricky for me to know where to cut, since they're all dark & yellow .. maybe I can sneak him off to the vet .. he needs it BADLY

 

[Tangoares]

Closest picture I have at the moment of his nails .

I'd like to take him to the vet asap,
We havent asked yet to keep him since we don't really get along with the guy downstairs, and doubtful he'd give him to us . . But he thinks it's been my friend thats been caring for him,,that has been staying with us, so we are working on a plan for her to ask lol..

 

[barbs0nly]

Closest picture I have at the moment of his nails .

I'd like to take him to the vet asap,
We havent asked yet to keep him since we don't really get along with the guy downstairs, and doubtful he'd give him to us . . But he thinks it's been my friend thats been caring for him,,that has been staying with us, so we are working on a plan for her to ask lol..

ooo yes he needs it, you can take him to a vet and they’ll do it fast and they’ll handle bleeders

 

[barbs0nly]

Thank you for your response
I'll definitely ask around here what kind of bugs are available lol , switch it up for him sometimes
And good to know about the water! Makes sense especially if he is eating veggies etc.
Since he wasn't before, now I see why he always ran over to the water dish when I'd give him some,

& I want to attempt to trim his nails but looking at them, it's tricky for me to know where to cut, since they're all dark & yellow .. maybe I can sneak him off to the vet .. he needs it BADLY

yes fs!! silk worms are good for hydration too!! you’re doing a really good job

 

[camelotshadow]

I hope you can keep him as it sounds like he was not being cared for yet the guy may be stubborn & not want to give him up.
If he was left in a public place not in his apartment then that's just not right. Still its a neighbor & as long as you live there you have to deal with him.
I imagine you could offer to pay to cover the tank etc. Likely the guy would go for it as he does not seem vested in the guys care anyway.

Poor guy. Reptiles are so often misunderstood & neglected. I still cringe when one of those reality shows had a rich house where the kid had one & starved it to death. Just to see the poor dead thing that died from improper care but its a parents responsibility to monitor there childs pets.

It really hurts me to see any animal neglected or poorly cared for.

 

[Tangoares]

yes fs!! silk worms are good for hydration too!! you’re doing a really good job

Good to know and thank you

 

[Tangoares]

I hope you can keep him as it sounds like he was not being cared for yet the guy may be stubborn & not want to give him up.
If he was left in a public place not in his apartment then that's just not right. Still its a neighbor & as long as you live there you have to deal with him.
I imagine you could offer to pay to cover the tank etc. Likely the guy would go for it as he does not seem vested in the guys care anyway.

Poor guy. Reptiles are so often misunderstood & neglected. I still cringe when one of those reality shows had a rich house where the kid had one & starved it to death. Just to see the poor dead thing that died from improper care but its a parents responsibility to monitor there childs pets.

It really hurts me to see any animal neglected or poorly cared for.

That's a good point.. I will definitely offer to buy off him.. I really hope he agrees because I wouldn't be able accept him going back to the old living conditions when we move.
Last resort, I'd honestly say he escaped..

And I totally agree. I wish there was more steps to being able to take any animal home.

& wow, how heartbreaking.. people really sicken me
I can't leave a bee hanging who needs help, ( I have so many stories of bees landing in my hand, needing water etc)
Or just yesterday I seen a honeybee stuck on a piece of old web ( no spider around)
And he must have been trying to break free for quite a while , because he tangled his legs up pretty good and a little bit over the face, but not wrapped up like a spider would do,
So I took him off, unravelled his little feet and it right away tried getting it off his face.. I helped it with that, and then he flew off.. ( sorrrrry rambling off topic)

But I have huge empathy for animals so it all deeply saddens me

 

[GreenThing]

I really hope you get to keep him. I have a soft spot for bearded dragons when I was the educator at a nature center/wildlife hospital we had a dozen or so education animals, most native Florida rescues but a few exotics that came along for our talks on pet care or just reptile adaptations. The beardie was one of the sweetest-- I actually bought an enclosure and came super close to adopting one, myself, but decided it wasn't the right time in my life for pets.

All I'd add is that there seems to be a lot of debate about sand causing impaction, and I think it is always better to err on the safer side. I lined his cage with floor tiles that had some nice texture to them and he seemed to like it! Wonderful that you are giving him some sunshine time, too-- there is no perfect substitute for sun.

 

[Tangoares]

I really hope you get to keep him. I have a soft spot for bearded dragons when I was the educator at a nature center/wildlife hospital we had a dozen or so education animals, most native Florida rescues but a few exotics that came along for our talks on pet care or just reptile adaptations. The beardie was one of the sweetest-- I actually bought an enclosure and came super close to adopting one, myself, but decided it wasn't the right time in my life for pets.

All I'd add is that there seems to be a lot of debate about sand causing impaction, and I think it is always better to err on the safer side. I lined his cage with floor tiles that had some nice texture to them and he seemed to like it! Wonderful that you are giving him some sunshine time, too-- there is no perfect substitute for sun.

Thank you for your input, . Do you know how often the flooring/ tanks are cleaned out? Other than removing their daily going to the bathroom lol
& I really am enjoying his company. He is a sweetie:') It makes me feel so happy watching his progress, he moves around so much more now and is so much more observant and curious now

 

[Tangoares]

I'm also curious about health.
Since the guy downstaires has never brought him to the vet, is there anything I should be aware of or look out for,
since I'm handling him?
I wash my hands frequently while and after handling him,. At the moment I mayyy go a little overboard with sanitizing alot etc lol

 

[barbs0nly]

I'm also curious about health.
Since the guy downstaires has never brought him to the vet, is there anything I should be aware of or look out for,
since I'm handling him?
I wash my hands frequently while and after handling him,. At the moment I mayyy go a little overboard with sanitizing alot etc lol

mbd, if his spine is straight he’s probably fine but getting a vet to take a look would be nice. look for stuck sheds too!!

 

[barbs0nly]

Thank you for your input, . Do you know how often the flooring/ tanks are cleaned out? Other than removing their daily going to the bathroom lol
& I really am enjoying his company. He is a sweetie:') It makes me feel so happy watching his progress, he moves around so much more now and is so much more observant and curious now

i’d do every two weeks to every month, beardies are quite messy

 

[Tangoares]

mbd, if his spine is straight he’s probably fine but getting a vet to take a look would be nice. look for stuck sheds too!!

Okay thanks

 

[Tangoares]

I don't know if anyone knows the song
Day By Day, by Doug & the Slugs ,
but it's totally this beardies song lol

It popped into my head one day and it just stuck and seems fitting

 

[Tangoares]

So he hasn't let us take him (yet)..
But I noticed a big beetle in his cage, which came from a mealworm ..
Trying to figure out how to mention that his cage needs cleaning and that sand needs to go...
Ugh I don't even want to put him back in there at all , I don't know how long he has been breathing in his own feces.

But I did sneakily scoop some dirty sand out and everything that shouldn't be in there

 

[barbs0nly]

So he hasn't let us take him (yet)..
But I noticed a big beetle in his cage, which came from a mealworm ..
Trying to figure out how to mention that his cage needs cleaning and that sand needs to go...
Ugh I don't even want to put him back in there at all , I don't know how long he has been breathing in his own feces.

But I did sneakily scoop some dirty sand out and everything that shouldn't be in there

ugh im so sorry, maybe you can offer to buy him or something? you’ll figure out a way