Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a new beardie owner and I got my first beardie shipped to me a few days ago. The post office didn't meet their deadline and I got a sick beardie. Here is what I know. She is a german giant well over 600 grams never bred and 2 years old. She came from Tennessee 80 degree's and went to Washington state 45 degrees. She was well packed but no heat pad and she was in transit for 54 hours. Her eyes were full of water and snot like stuff and she seems to be very sluggish. I took her to the vet, they gave her a shot for dehidration, and said her eyes were fine. It seems like she is doing even worse now because her eyes are closed almost like they are sealed shut and she had fooled me for dead twice today. (As far as I know the beardie was in good health before shipment.) I am bathing her regularly and offering her a salad of mustard greens, carrots, and squash. I've got vitamin supp., and calcium sup., and the temp is very high on her cage. My first and most important question is what advice do you guys have to help me get her through this? Second, she was insured for the standard $100.00 and the shipping is free because they didn't have it here by noon on the first day but does anyone know if the sucky post office will reemburse me the $225.00 I paid plus the $55.00 vet bill if she passes? Sorry for the length but I need some support from you experienced people out here. Thanks so much and please, please, be timely with you desperately needed replies.
Jeff

You said the temperature is very high in her cage. Exactly what are the temps? Usually after a reptile has gotten too cold during shipment, it is best to let them gradually warm up to room temp before adding any other heat. This prevents shock. Since you've already taken it to a vet, I'd let it get settled in before making any other changes. A nice long warm bath will help with the dehydration. But make sure your room is warm & prevent any drafts.
As for the Post Office, no they won't reimburse you the extra money. It is up to the shipper to make sure adequate insurance is on the package. I don't know who you got the beardie from, but anyone with any knowledge of shipping reptiles should have had enough common sense to check the forecast using your zipcode.
Hope this helps,
Cricket

55 gallon tank, 110 on one side, 90 on the other....I introduced it to her gradually.

Welcome to my world. I've gotten uromastyx shipped to me in July of this year.

The girl I got was sick. Post office was supposed to get them to me in 2 days I got them in 3 days. The girl got sick and died. Post office did nothing.

Then I got a replacement for the dead girl. She was supposed to be 2 days, but it took 4. The post office lost track of her somehow.

I'd suggest bringing this up to your post officer supervisor the PostMaster.

Tell them what happend and inform them that she is suck due in fact to her late delivery.

I'd suggest getting pedialiyte and gerber baby foods such as peas. Mix those two together and get a syringer (with out the needle) and try force feeding the girl.

You can get a syringe in Flukers Repti Aid. It costs $9 but you need the syringe in order to give her the food.

I hope she survives.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

The guy that shipped him though he was shipping to D.C. not Washington state, an honest mistake, but the post office did nothing for you? Did you pursue it?

I got mine shipped from Washington State to IL. I told the post office what had happened and they said they were sorry for my loss and that's it.

The second time I got one shipped to me (the replacement female) I told them what happened and it was of big importance that they get her to me in 2 days before she gets sick. I was supposed to get her on Sept 10 my mom's birthday. She didn't come in. She was listed on the express truck to my town, and the postal workers immediately stopped everything to look for her, and she wasn't on the truck. She was missing but then a worker found her one morning when sorting through to find her and called me and I got up at 6 in the morning to go get her. I got her and she was moving around. Put my hand in there to get her out to soak her and she licked my hand and started to run around and play. When I put her in the water she was splashing around, having an overall good time.

She's fine now.

I suggest you talk to the PO now before things get forgetten.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

I'm not 100% sure, but I think post office rules say no live animal shipments. So if something did go wrong your out of luck.

>>I got mine shipped from Washington State to IL. I told the post office what had happened and they said they were sorry for my loss and that's it.
>>
>>The second time I got one shipped to me (the replacement female) I told them what happened and it was of big importance that they get her to me in 2 days before she gets sick. I was supposed to get her on Sept 10 my mom's birthday. She didn't come in. She was listed on the express truck to my town, and the postal workers immediately stopped everything to look for her, and she wasn't on the truck. She was missing but then a worker found her one morning when sorting through to find her and called me and I got up at 6 in the morning to go get her. I got her and she was moving around. Put my hand in there to get her out to soak her and she licked my hand and started to run around and play. When I put her in the water she was splashing around, having an overall good time.
>>
>>She's fine now.
>>
>>I suggest you talk to the PO now before things get forgetten.
>>-----
>>2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
>>2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
>>2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
>>1 leo gecko-Kalypso
>>1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
>>1 tarantula-Peter Parker
>>1 dog-cheeka
>>1 zebra finch-beeps
>>1 african gray parrot-keya
>>1 red headed parrot-pancho
>>And some fish
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Tim W. My Pictures
0.1.0 Dumeril Boas
0.1.0 Kittens
0.0.1 Leopard Geckos

It rubs the lotion on it's skin. It rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again.
Bleach and Ammonia make Ammonium Chloride = Dead you

That's right Tim. If you ship through the post office and use a box marked "Live Reptile" it goes to a different shipping method. In fact I believe they ship with fedex shipments and the reason for the delay on over night is because of the transaction between the two companys. If you ship throught the post office never mark the box as you are NOT doing the animals a favor. That is why my shipment to N.Y. was lost for several days.

Later,
Roert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

Why anybody would ship a live animal through the regular post office I don't know. Any living animal should be sent next day delivery. Two days in a box is too long for any animal.

However that doesn't solve your current problem. The vet you brought the dragon to, was he experienced with treating reptiles at all? The fact the eyes and nose were clogged with debries sounds more like a respiration infection. If your dragon isn't eating and is just lying there looking dead, it certainly isn't doing any better. I would deffinitely find another vet with more experience with reptiles for a second opinion.
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PHLdyPayne

It was overnight by 12, but didn't show until 2.5 days later. You know that guy might be onto something because I have recieved a handful of animals and the two times I had problems it was a box with live harmless reptile. Is there anyway I could check to confirm this?

The Post Office has something called "Express" shipping. Which means you take package to said post office. Post office puts it on a special truck that goes out every 2 hours to an airport. Airport takes it to the next stop which would be a big city such as Chicago.

Then that package goes out in trucks which are able to bring them to Post Master post office and they stay there for the night.

Then they get taken to the post office in your town where you are called to come pick up your package.

My post office does live animals and so does Doug Dix's.

We use Express which is next day delivery. Not my fault that the Post Master Post office screwed crap up.
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2 mali uro's-Ares and Apollo
2 saharan uro's-Orion and Iris
2 bearded dragon-Hades and Draco
1 leo gecko-Kalypso
1 tokaye gecko-Sid Vicious
1 tarantula-Peter Parker
1 dog-cheeka
1 zebra finch-beeps
1 african gray parrot-keya
1 red headed parrot-pancho
And some fish

I've had dragons shipped to me and it took 3 days through the post office. They were fine and they were very small hatchlings. I also shipped two adults to New York in July or August (with two cold packs) and they were lost for 4 days and were a little dehydrated but were also fine.

I would say the person sent you a sick dragon. The stuff in the eyes would have to be some sort of infection or "eye cold" it seems. Are the eyes matted shut? Like when you get an eyecold?

I would seek a second opinion from another vet as maybe that one doesn't know much about reptiles?

Keep us posted.

Later,
Robert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

Was your dragon sent express mail?
Express mail is normally guaranteed by 3pm next day...IF...
your area is serviced.If Express sevice is not available, then it is two day service.
USPS ships many express packages Fed Ex...And also DHL.
I thought insurance on Express Mail was much more than $100?
No matter...it is illegal to ship live animals through USPS.

Uhmmm, your wrong....it is not illegal. I put live animals on the box thinking the would take extra care of the package and I got hassled at the post office because they said that they don't ship it. They looked it up in their by-laws so to speak and found that you can ship small cold blooded animals such as lizards, but not turtles or snakes as long as they don't need any care during the alotted time they will be in transit.
Jeff

It was shipped over night express. If you mark the box you can ship through USPS they just use a different shipping method. I have went in, opened the box and showed them what was in it. You can't ship snakes through USPS but that's all unless they've changed it. If you don't markt the box it goes overrnight express and there is usually no problem.

Later,
RObert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

Yeah, I'm not even going to bother telling them what is in there or post it on the box. You can't ship turtles either. She read me word for word out of their book and you can't ship snakes or turtles and I only had bad experiences when I wrote live animals on the box.

I watched this documentary on mail services. You'd be surprised how many people will actually "mistreat" the pasckage if they see live animal or "fragil" written on the side of it. Just because it is marked does NOT mean they will have a less stressfull trip. In fact I think 80-90% of the time it would be more stressfull for them due to mishandling by jerks in the shipping process. Just my opinion.

Robert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

WOW!!! I got Bayou by USPS and he was here by 10 am the next day. But I was a worried freak the whole time. I got him perfectly save and he even ate when I put him into his tank. And there was a tag on it that said "LIVE HARMLESS REPTILE". But after hearing all this I wouldn't wanna get another that way. I feel lucky!!