I rescued a crippled bearded dragon from Petsmart (help)

[Ellenantula]

I admire OP for rescuing a BD.

I also shop at pet stores. It's where I purchase parrot pellets, seed, frozen mice and cat food. Not to mention purchasing replacement UVB & basking bulbs/tubes, reptile lamps, enclosures, lids, parrot toys, catnip and cat toys. As well as litter boxes, kitty carriers, food dishes, dog crates.... It's what pet stores are there for. I also purchased my BD from a pet store. Because I saw him there and wanted to.

Baths could bring on a BM from BD's swimming motion or perhaps it works more as an enema of sorts. Maybe it's just the warmth and wetness they like. I only know bath=poop. lol That said, mine has never had an impaction; but I believe baths are beneficial and mine sure enjoys his. I will continue baths. Even my ball python will poop in a bath.
I've already mentioned that wet veg/fruit is mine's moisture source. I don't think anyone suggested that a bath was a replacement for proper diet and food hydration. Mine has a water dish but doesn't drink from it.
I also believe baths and misting help later sheds.

 

[grimmjowls]

well that's the obvious option, but if you can't afford vet bills it's a different story unless you want to give your dragon to somebody who can pay for the vet bills. But most keepers aren't so willing to let their beloved pets go

Honestly, you shouldn't have a bearded dragon if you can't afford occasional vet bills in case of emergency.

Your lack of finances doesn't mean it's okay to neglect an animal.

Dragons should actually have a fecal check up every 6 months but I understand and agree that not everyone lives in an area that that would be possible, nor financially can afford that. But if you can't afford necessary vet care at the point of impaction, there's two options:
1. Don't give the animal improper husbandry.
2. Don't have a bearded dragon.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

Sorry, I'm not going to read all of that. You took it personally when I told you your information was wrong.

There is virtually no evidence of impaction from mealworms, just spun wives tales that everyone pounds into the skulls of new owners. You're doing more harm than good. I have fed lots of mealworms in one sitting to my dragons and never had an issue, because the chitin is not the problem. It's bad husbandry that causes it. When a dragon doesn't have the proper temperatures to bask at, he cannot digest it properly. That is a fact. I'm sorry, you are wrong.

You're going off about the size but I don't have the time or interest to read how you think you're more correct in putting your dragon in a small box. This is why Europe is appalled at the United States' keepers apparent need to stay in the past. Times gave changed, we know better now. Stop putting your pride before your animal's health.
4x2x2 is a MINIMUM for an adult. I simply told OP that. I'm not here to try and teach you, I just want to correct the incorrect information you gave OP.

The rest... I'm sorry but I think it's just more of the same.

so you don't bother to read my response, but will then still critic my answer. interesting.

ironic because i never said to keep an ADULT in a small box, if you had any abilty to comprehend what i wrote at all, you would know that. OP showed a picture of the beardie and it is literally about 4" long.
its barely long then his hand.

he does not need a FULL ADULT enclosure for a 4 inch dragon right away. especially if you bothered to even read the context of his post.

if you are going to openly criticize people, at the very least take the time to read their response.

i could be just a rude, quote your post and simply chalk it up as, "you obviously lack experience or logic" but i didn't do that.
but have fun feeding you dragon mealworms and when one does get impacted, ill enjoy seeing your post about it! meanwhile ill be back to helping the OP with the actual issue at hand and not nit picking everybody here trying to help him.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

The Internet disagree with everyone, at some point in time




Tenebrio molitor where "molitor" is "mugnaio", in modern Italian

yea, auto correct got me on that one, Please don't think I'm suggesting he feed or not feed his beardy any type of monitor haha

 

[Tanner Dzula]

I admire OP for rescuing a BD.

I also shop at pet stores. It's where I purchase parrot pellets, seed, frozen mice and cat food. Not to mention purchasing replacement UVB & basking bulbs/tubes, reptile lamps, enclosures, lids, parrot toys, catnip and cat toys. As well as litter boxes, kitty carriers, food dishes, dog crates.... It's what pet stores are there for. I also purchased my BD from a pet store. Because I saw him there and wanted to.

Baths could bring on a BM from BD's swimming motion or perhaps it works more as an enema of sorts. Maybe it's just the warmth and wetness they like. I only know bath=poop. lol That said, mine has never had an impaction; but I believe baths are beneficial and mine sure enjoys his. I will continue baths. Even my ball python will poop in a bath.
I've already mentioned that wet veg/fruit is mine's moisture source. I don't think anyone suggested that a bath was a replacement for proper diet and food hydration. Mine has a water dish but doesn't drink from it.
I also believe baths and misting help later sheds.

none of us did say that.
But don't worry, he seems to have a big issue of Not reading your post and then filling the blanks himself with what he Feels or thinks you said.
apparently an entire forum site dedicated to the care and raising of Bearded dragons is completely wrong, and the combined Decades and Decades of experience is all false and incorrect based solely on His life experience.
doubly ironic being that he is on a Similar Forum site(but one aimed towards Arachnids) , spewing similar but contradictory logic as fact. its almost as if we are ALL going off our own personal experience and findings from over the years.

 

[Ellenantula]

OP rescued a little injured bearded dragon.

Suddenly we've now got the poor little thing now impacted on mealworms while giving it useless baths instead of veterinary care, and apparently, are insisting that OP keep the little darling in a container too small to turn around in. Oh, and we're guilty of buying pet supplies at pet stores. smh

Good luck OP -- I think you did a wonderful thing to take on a rescue and trust you will do your best to provide a good home for your new pet.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

OP rescued a little injured bearded dragon.

Suddenly we've now got the poor little thing now impacted on mealworms while giving it useless baths instead of veterinary care, and apparently, are insisting that OP keep the little darling in a container too small to turn around in. Oh, and we're guilty of buying pet supplies at pet stores. smh

Good luck OP -- I think you did a wonderful thing to take on a rescue and trust you will do your best to provide a good home for your new pet.

yep. its a wonderful thing what context, and the lack there of, can do to a situation.


though, as a interesting thought i can imagine a Tiny ~4" in beardy in a 120g Tank just running in circles looking for a warm spot(because I'm assuming the light is more then 2-2.5 feet Feet from the beardy at this point and (Well over 30 CM by bare minimum logic in a 4 x 2 x 2 ) and him trying his best to climb as high as he can on his unfortunately deformed leg to get closer to it.

 

[user 666]

Y'all do realize that you don't have to read the other obnoxious person's posts, right?

There's this feature called "Ignore".

The forum would be a lot more pleasant if you would start using it.

 

[Tanner Dzula]

Y'all do realize that you don't have to read the other obnoxious person's posts, right?

There's this feature called "Ignore".

The forum would be a lot more pleasant if you would start using it.

I'm normally fine with ignoring, its when somebody goes out of their way to nit-pick my post, and then instead of taking the time to read my reply before criticizing again, just resorts to being petty.

its one thing to pleasantly disagree, thats all good, I mean nobody here is a true expert in this field and almost all of us usually just go by experiences we've had with these animals.

but to openly criticize people ,and to accuse me of purposefully giving misinformation on thread asking for help is kind of insulting(especially considering me and my family have been keeping/raising/breeding dragons for well over 2 decades without a single situation of impaction, dehydration, or ever having to make an emergency visit to a vet for an issue related to negligent care or bad husbandry, but thats irrelevant)

its not like i told you to feed it thumb tacks and to house him in the freezer to keep him nice and cold ya know? its one thing to jump in and prevent somebody from doing something that will kill or hurt the species, but another to nit-pick small details just to do it.

 

[Xafron]

Y'all do realize that you don't have to read the other obnoxious person's posts, right?

There's this feature called "Ignore".

The forum would be a lot more pleasant if you would start using it.

But then you'd have nobody left to talk to.

 

[grimmjowls]

I'm just so sad to see people act as if they're up to date on husbandry whilst telling new-comers to the hobby incorrect information...

OP, if you have a Facebook, I can invite you to a very well informed and educated group specifically for the research and care of bearded dragons in captivity. You'll get nothing but the most currently up to date information, not any rubbish that has been debunked. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

 

[grimmjowls]

You can keep on believing baths/misting helps shedding, but that doesn't make it true... Their skin is virtually waterproof.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

OP, if you have a Facebook, I can invite you to a very well informed and educated group

Facebook and "educated" combined together? That's incredible, sublime, like a fresh water Oasi in the desert.

Bravo, bravo!

 

[grimmjowls]

Facebook and "educated" combined together? That's incredible, sublime, like a fresh water Oasi in the desert.

Bravo, bravo!

You've been in the wrong crevices of Facebook then, my friend.
Any social media platform can become a gathering ground for intelligent people.
I'm in a group for tarantula owners worldwide and it's very enlightening.

 

[VolkswagenBug]

While I applaud the OP for rescuing the beardie, the problem with saving injured animals from large pet store chains like this is that they'll just replace it with another one and care for it badly.

 

[Ellenantula]

While I applaud the OP for rescuing the beardie, the problem with saving injured animals from large pet store chains like this is that they'll just replace it with another one and care for it badly.

I used to feel the same way you do. But they're gonna replace that beardie whether someone buys it and saves it... or it just dies in their care there and then is re-ordered by 'inventory' to replace it.

So, I suppose, my take on this now is like that story of the boy walking the beach and seeing thousands of washed-up starfish on the beach. (I know most here already know this story, sorry). But anyway, the boy would pick up a star fish and toss it back into the ocean so the starfish wouldn't dessicate and die in the sun. An old man watching the boy approached and pointed out that the job was pointless; the boy couldn't possibly make a difference since there were miles and miles of washed-up starfish. But the boy picked up yet another starfish and threw it back into the ocean, explaining "it made a difference to that one."

 

[VolkswagenBug]

I used to feel the same way you do. But they're gonna replace that beardie whether someone buys it and saves it... or it just dies in their care there and then is re-ordered by 'inventory' to replace it.

So, I suppose, my take on this now is like that story of the boy walking the beach and seeing thousands of washed-up starfish on the beach. (I know most here already know this story, sorry). But anyway, the boy would pick up a star fish and toss it back into the ocean so the starfish wouldn't dessicate and die in the sun. An old man watching the boy approached and pointed out that the job was pointless; the boy couldn't possibly make a difference since there were miles and miles of washed-up starfish. But the boy picked up yet another starfish and threw it back into the ocean, explaining "it made a difference to that one."

That does make sense. I guess the beardie would have a better chance of survival in captivity, at least.

 

[Ellenantula]

I would guess most pet stores make their real money in selling food and supplies. I assume selling live animals is just an added 'draw' to the store -- people just like to see hamsters and reptiles during their visit -- it just makes a store more diverse.

I imagine the average pet store customer assumes pet stores are experts on animals and it probably never crosses their minds how many creatures may suffer and die there.

 

[user 666]

While I applaud the OP for rescuing the beardie, the problem with saving injured animals from large pet store chains like this is that they'll just replace it with another one and care for it badly.

What they used to do was just kill the animal outright, or even worse, throw the living animal in the dumpster because it could no longer be sold.

Now they give the animal away at no cost. I consider that a huge improvement.

I would guess most pet stores make their real money in selling food and supplies. I assume selling live animals is just an added 'draw' to the store -- people just like to see hamsters and reptiles during their visit -- it just makes a store more diverse.

The animals are there so the pet stores can sell the accouterment (cage, food, etc), yes.

 

[user 666]

OP, if you have a Facebook, I can invite you to a very well informed and educated group specifically for the research and care of bearded dragons in captivity. You'll get nothing but the most currently up to date information, not any rubbish that has been debunked. Shoot me a PM if you're interested.

(just now seeing this)

I am on FB, yes. Sending you a PM now.