Posted by:
PHLdyPayne
at Wed Nov 11 12:11:31 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by PHLdyPayne ]
Definitely get rid of the big tank...at 4' high, its wasted space and that much harder to heat properly. Though dragons like to climb, it is much better to have floor space than height. Two feet of height is enough for dragons.
Coconut husk very very bad for bearded dragons to be on. Too easy to get ingested and it holds moisture. Not to mention when dry its rather dusty. Children's washed and sifted playsand is ok for adult dragons though I prefer paper towel, non stick shelf liner, plastic table cloth, newsprint, tiles etc or for those who like more of a challenge a soil/sand mix.
Definitely need a better diet for your dragon. Fruit should be an occasional treat with high calcium low phosphorous greens his primary food. (ie mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, chicory and others. Avoid grocery store mixes as they often have too much empty lettuces (ie iceberg, red/green Boston lettuce, romaine and spinach). Avoid spinach as it is very high in oxalates with bind with calcium. Kale is also high in a chemical that isn't good to have in high concentration (sorry mind is going blank on what it is right now) It can be used VERY sparingly but you definitely want it included with other healthy greens.
I find the best way the make a healthy salad is have 2-4 staple greens (ie mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole would be your staples) and 1 or two other greens and rotate the staples every month and/or the additional greens. This keeps a variety and helps dragons from getting too fussy about what they eat. I do the same with the insect portion as well. I hate crickets and avoid them as much as possible. I do offer them to my dragon once in awhile as a treat but my adult dragon gets superworms (I usually drop 3-6 ontop of their salad every day. By the time I put the dish into the cage, the worms work they way to the bottom, and their movement causes the greens to move..helps gets the stubborn eaters interested in the greens.) In addition to superworms, I also offer silkworms, hornworns, butterworms and the occasional superworm beetle. (black inch long beetles that smell foul when handled)
I think it would be a good idea to bring your dragons to a vet...get him a complete examination, bring a fresh stool sample, have bloodwork and an x-ray done. Find an experience reptile vet to get this done at. Being fairly old there could be many underlying problems that have been caused with improper care throughout his life...or just old age catching up to him. The poor eye sight may be a symptom of something that could have been corrected in the past.
Let us know your temperatures of the cage (basking spot, ambient and cool end. Digital thermometer with probe is one of better ways to find this out, or a temp gun)and height/weight of your dragon as soon as you are able to.
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PHLdyPayne
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RE: Lethargic Beardie - PHLdyPayne, Wed Nov 11 12:11:31 2009