Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a snake raiser/breeder and while attending a show I sat next to a man selling bearded dragons. I knew I would be going home with one and I did. Now I have found one in the local paper for sale a 3yr old female. I went to see her and she was flat as a pancake, limp as a wet washrag, and had two little bones sticking up at the base of her tail. She looked like she could not move and just laid where ever you placed her. There was no UVB...he said it " just blew out" and he put a regular bulb in. He said he was feeding her " 100 crickets a week" " as many as she will eat" She seems too weak to eat. I left her there, but can not stop thinking about the poor little thing...I am new at dragons. Is there a chance she is not too far gone. I thought she died while I was holding her. I turned her on her back to see if I could see her breath and she just laid there with her legs, head , and tail just hanging there. So sad.
-----
Some of my best friends are snakes
Snakes Rule

Best thing would be to get it to a vet.

Next best thing is to report this A-HOLE to PETA or similar group. Stories like this really make me angry.

Hearing things like this make me so mad for two reasons - knowing that the beardie has been so badly neglected, and two, that I can't be there to help!

If it were me, I would take her in and try my best to save her. Sounds like she's suffering from malnutrition, possible MBD, possible parasites, and dehydration, just to name a few...

Before getting her on a stable diet, you want to make sure she is hydrated properly. Forcefeeding a beardie who is severely dehydrated can cause shock and even death. Pedialyte works great to rehydrate reptiles, but if you don't have any on hand, plain old water is better works too!

Here's my article on dehydration...
http://home.comcast.net/~holachapulin/Dehydration.html

Her energy level may pick up some after she is hydrated. If she is really malnourisned, she just may not have the energy and will sleep most of the day. Keep her comfortable and at the higher end of the basking temps (105 - 110 degrees F).

After one - two days of giving just fluids, you can introduce semi-solid food in the form of baby food. Mix calcium, vitamin B complex, and acidophiliz in with the baby food and dilute it down with water to make it soupy. Give her this mixture in small amounts 3 - 4 times a day. With any luck she will lick it off the tip of her nose and you won't have to stress her out with force feeding.

I would make sure she has a daily intake of calcium. And if you can get your hands on some NeoCalglucon that would work even better. It's a liquid calcium supplement sometimes found at RiteAid or Walgreens. It tastes like orange syrup and I currently have a beardie on it who has severe MBD. It's great stuff. And if you can't find it, I can get you some. I've got a big bottle of it.

After you get her stabilized, then worry about getting a fecal to the vet. If she makes it this far I'd say you have a pretty good chance. Good luck and please email me if you have any questions. I'm here to help!

Hugs,
Veronica
email: veronica.gomez@hrc-cc.com

>>I am a snake raiser/breeder and while attending a show I sat next to a man selling bearded dragons. I knew I would be going home with one and I did. Now I have found one in the local paper for sale a 3yr old female. I went to see her and she was flat as a pancake, limp as a wet washrag, and had two little bones sticking up at the base of her tail. She looked like she could not move and just laid where ever you placed her. There was no UVB...he said it " just blew out" and he put a regular bulb in. He said he was feeding her " 100 crickets a week" " as many as she will eat" She seems too weak to eat. I left her there, but can not stop thinking about the poor little thing...I am new at dragons. Is there a chance she is not too far gone. I thought she died while I was holding her. I turned her on her back to see if I could see her breath and she just laid there with her legs, head , and tail just hanging there. So sad.
>>-----
>>Some of my best friends are snakes
>> Snakes Rule
-----
Beautiful Dragons

____

Signature file edited; [phw 8/31/04]

That was a great post Veronica!
hevychevy427-
I feel so bad for that dragon, unfortunately it happens all the time. . I really hope it's not too late for her, and I wish you the best of luck.
Just a note, I would definitely not report this to PETA. They do not believe people should keep reptiles as pets, and this example of negligent herp keeping would just add more fuel to their fire. I would report it to a reptile-friendly humane society, though, couldn't hurt.
-Nicky
Not all vegetarians and vegans are PETA fanatics!

-----
Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
-Alice In Chains

2.1 Bearded Dragons: Gordo, Layne, & Chiquita
2.4 Cats: Zeus, Remi, Kiki, Delilah, Sadie & Cheyenne
1.0 Betta: Mr. Purple

I tried twice to get this dragon, but I guess the owners think I am blowing smoke or insulting them. Now they will not return my calls. My friend told me not to kill the owner because they will not let me keep reptiles in prison.
You guys are great and I really appriciate all of the responses.
Thank You. Maybe this guy will develope some compassion and call me back. Let's pray.
-----
Some of my best friends are snakes
Snakes Rule