Bearded Dragon in need of Rehabilitation

Wilmette IL

Description

This listing is for a bearded dragon in need of rehabilitation. I received this bearded dragon from a friend after seeing her condition and asking if I could remove her from his care. I keep geckos and know a reasonable amount about beardie care, but I’m realizing she needs a lot more time, energy and financial support than I have available to me right now. Plus, I don’t have any experience rehabbing really sick animals and don’t feel like I completely know how to help her. She and the equipment I received with her are free, but I definitely need to know that you have experience with reptile rehabilitation. I also need whoever takes her to realize I have no idea what kind of financial commitment this is, and you should be prepared for whatever costs may come with her healthcare. Her condition: She is extremely hungry and thin. I will say, while she is weak she does seem aware of her surroundings. She is interested in me when I walk toward the tank and is definitely interested in food. Unfortunately, she threw-up once when I first fed her, but after that I started feeding her in smaller increments and she has been able to hold down food. She is going to the bathroom and was even able to drink some water I dropped on her nose when I put her in the bathtub. I’ve been feeding her small amounts of a combination of Reptaboost and Oxbox Critical Care. There is not much Reptaboost left, but you’re welcome to the Critical Care diet if that would be helpful. I’ve given her a few crickets and greens, but I’ve been afraid to give her too much solid food. Again, I just don’t have any experience rehabbing reptiles! She also has a bump on her jaw. Her previous owner said she has a dental infection and her teeth need to be cleaned. I tried to inspect it, but it’s clearly painful for her and I didn’t want to cause her more discomfort. Her enclosure: The enclosure I received her in was a 40 gallon breeder and she is still in that. She has a basking spot that runs about 100 degrees (I scanned with a temp gun). I do see her thermoregulating, however it is somewhat infrequent. Sometimes she doesn’t want to climb all the way up the rocks and I think it’s because she is weak. Additionally, after talking to my friend I realized the UVB bulb she has is over 6 months old and needs to be replaced. I don’t have a new bulb for you, unfortunately. The fixture says Vivarium Electronics on it and says model EDJ 24W. Worth mentioning: She is a 15 year old animal— I was told her birthday was in March and she was purchased as a baby. I don’t know how long she’s lived in these conditions. She seems very hungry and like she wants to keep going, so with time and care you may be able to keep her for another several years. Despite the conditions she was in, she already seems to have outlived the average beardie life expectancy and is clearly a fighter. Please reach out to me via email, so we can chat. I honestly just want to find a good home for her and wish there was more I could do myself to help her. Thanks for your interest in helping this baby!