Newbie's Guide to Feeding Bearded Dragons

Your bearded dragon needs a proper diet to stay healthy. He is omnivorous which means he eats fruits, vegetables, as well as insects. This article will tell you everything you need to know about feeding bearded dragons.
Protein
If you have a baby or juvenile dragon, it's important that you provide plenty of protein in his diet. The extra protein is needed to help bones and tissues grow. Therefore, make sure you feed babies and juveniles plenty of insects in addition to vegetables. Adult dragons should have less insects and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Insects
There are a variety of insects that you can feed your bearded dragon. They include crickets, earthworms, cockroaches, wax worms, and silk worms. It's best not to feed wax worms too often because they're very high in fat. Also, silkworms have hard exoskeletons, so you shouldn't try to feed them to younger lizards.
The insects should never be larger than the width between your dragon's eyes. If the insect is too big, it could cause a blockage, seizure, or malnourishment. You can feed as many insects as he can eat in 15 minutes. Make sure that you don't leave any uneaten insects inside the enclosure.
Vegetables
You should feed fresh vegetables daily. Some of the most popular choices include collard greens, dandelion greens, cabbage, cucumber, and peas. You can also feed your bearded dragon carrots, squash, green beans, and broccoli. Make sure you don't get feed iceberg lettuce too often. He can easily become hooked and it provides no nutritional benefits.
Fruits
It's also important to feed bearded dragon's fruits on a daily basis. Strawberries, mango, melon, apples, grapes, and pears are all good choices. Other suitable fruits include raspberries, peaches, and cantaloupe. Make sure that you don't feed your dragon lemons, oranges, or other acidic fruits.

These are a few tips for feeding your bearded dragon. As an owner, there are probably many more things you need to learn about proper bearded dragon care. Fortunately for you, bearded-dragon-care.net provides everything you need. So, stop by today to start learning about a wide range of topics like bearded dragon housing

Newbie's Guide to Heating For Bearded Dragons

You need to provide your bearded dragon with external heat due to the fact that he's cold-blooded. If he can't properly regulate his body temperature, he will be unable to fend off diseases and digest food properly. There are a few things you need to know about providing bearded dragon heating. This article will tell you everything you need to know.

You can't have the temperature the same throughout the whole terrarium. You have to set up a temperature gradient. The warmer sides needs to be anywhere from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. The cooler side should be between the mid 70s and mid 80s.

Bearded dragons love to bask in the sun in the morning to heat themselves up. Therefore, it's important that you setup a basking area. If you have an adult, this area should have a temperature between 100 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a juvenile, you can have the maximum temperature up to 110 degrees.

Obviously in the wild, the temperature drops whenever the sun goes down. Therefore, the nighttime temperature in the cage needs to be cooler than the daytime temp. It should ideally be in the low 70s. One of the best options is to use a ceramic heat bulb to provide the necessary heat at night. Unlike other bulbs, it won't emit much light while producing heat.

It's very important that you monitor the temperature in the cage. You don't want your bearded dragon to be too cold or too hot. You should invest in a few quality thermometers. Place the thermometers as close to the area that you wish to monitor. If it's too far apart, you will probably get an inaccurate reading.

As an owner, there are likely many more things you need to learn about proper bearded dragon care. Fortunately for you, bearded-dragon-care.net provides everything you need. So, stop by today to start learning about a wide range of topics like feeding bearded dragons

Four Bearded Dragon Diseases Revealed

Bearded dragons usually remain healthy if you give them proper temperature, housing, and light. But even with the best care, they may experience various bearded dragon diseases. Some of these conditions include metabolic bone disease, egg binding, and stomatitis. This article will discuss some of the most common bearded dragon diseases.

Metabolic Bone Disease

Lizards in the wild don't suffer from metabolic bone disease. This problem is caused by improper care by the owner. An imbalance of vitamin D3, phosphorus, and calcium from the diet is one of the main causes. Too little UVB light can also be to blame.

The most prominent sign of this disorder is softening and swelling of the lower jaw. Your dragon may also develop lumps and bumps along his legs, back, and tail. If left untreated, your lizard will die. To treat the condition, the underlying cause needs to be fixed. Calcium supplements may also need to be prescribed.

Stomatitis

One of the next common bearded dragon diseases is stomatitis, commonly referred to as mouth rot. Although it isn't really a disease, it is a sign of an underlying infection. Bearded dragons with mouth rot will develop a grayish or whitish substance on the soft tissues in their mouth. If the condition is allowed to progress, the teeth will become loose and the gums may start to bleed. The underlying infection needs to be treated, or this condition will keep giving your beardie problems.

Egg Binding

Male dragon owners can relax, as egg binding only affects female. This condition occurs whenever she is unable to pass one or more eggs through the reproductive tract. Various illnesses, improper diet, obesity, and malformed eggs can all cause egg binding in bearded dragons. Since it can be fatal within days, a veterinarian needs to be consulted immediately. If drugs to induce egg laying don't correct the problem, your dragon will need to undergo surgery.

Adenovirus

An infection by an adenovirus is relatively rare in bearded dragons. This is a very good thing as most don't survive. Young dragons or those with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible. This disease is made more troublesome because it doesn't produce many noticeable symptoms. Fluids, forced feeding, and antibiotics are used to try to treat an adenovirus infection.

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Iguana Owner's Guide to Egg Binding

Egg binding is a condition in which the iguana is unable to expel eggs from the reproductive tract. It only occurs in females who have reached sexual maturity. This condition is extremely serious and can prove to be fatal in mere days. So, what exactly causes it?

Causes

There are many, many different causes of egg binding in iguanas. It can occur if the female's system produced large or malformed eggs. Some are born with an anatomical defect that prevents them from passing eggs. If you don't provide them with a proper nesting site, some females will procrastinate until the eggs are too large to pass. Other common causes include obesity, lack of calcium, malnutrition, and kidney disease.

Symptoms

Pregnant iguanas can have swollen abdomens. However, this is also a common symptom of egg binding. You will also notice that your iguana is much less active and appears to be depressed. Although they will keep straining to lay eggs, they won't be able to.

Diagnosis

Although a physical exam will likely be performed, it is very difficult for veterinarians to determine if iguanas are egg-bound or just pregnant by this method alone. It's necessary to at least perform an x-ray to make a definitive diagnosis. An x-ray or ultrasound will help determine if there are any eggs present and their location.

Treatment

The veterinarian will have multiple options when treating egg binding in iguanas. If he is experienced enough, he may elect to lubricate the cloaca and gently try to coax the egg out. This is risky because it's usually fatal if the eggs breaks open inside the female. Surgery is a more common option. During surgery to remove the eggs, the entire reproductive tract may be removed to prevent the problem from happening again.

This is everything you need to know about egg binding. As an owner, there are probably many more things you need to learn about caring for iguanas properly. Fortunately for you, green-iguana-care.com provides everything you need. So, stop by today to start learning about a wide range of topics like common iguana diseases.