Hi all!
It's been a little over a week since we brought home our new Bearded Dragon, Pog.

We've seen some spectacular development in his/her behavior this week. Increase of appetite, activity and sociability. Pog already recognizes my voice and also the little feeding box I use.
When I open the enclosure for something else than feeding, he stays alert but doesn't seem worried and stressed like before. When I open the enclosure and have the feeding box in my hand, he runs to the place where I usually drop the crickets and assumes the hunter position =)

In this last week, we turned his diet from (strictly) mealworms to crickets and vegetables. In the store they were giving 5 mealworms a day to each Bearded Dragon. They were surprised when in the middle of the week I told them Pog was eating 5 crickets and veggies. In the last 3-4 days, Pog has been eating veggies + 10 crickets only because I'm afraid to give more than that =)
In a couple of days I'll raise the number of crickets again.

We have noticed that he was looking bigger and better than when we brought it home but didn't had a clue on how much that difference would be.
Tonight we returned to the store for more crickets and we saw one of Pog's original cage mates, still unsold, and we were shocked.
They were roughly the same size and built and now Pog is clearly bigger, fatter and he even looks longer.
It was a mixed feeling, we were so happy to see how much better he is and so sad and surprised at the same time, because that Bearded Dragon, as well as his new cage mates are not being properly cared.

We called the shop clerk that handles the reptiles and talked with her for a while, trying to explain that they weren't doing things right but we were wasting our time. I don't know what else we can do =(
One more reason to speed up my reptile info site in Portuguese.

Ricardo

Ricardo,

Sounds to me like you are doing a GREAT job! Keep up the good work! Post a picture sometime.

Steven

Hi Steven! Thanks! =)
There are already a few pics posted here and as soon as I finish Pog's blog/gallery, there will be more.
This is Pog at the store first time I saw it, Pog's first day home a week later, Pog catching some ZZzzz.

Ricardo,

Well done on doing an obviously fantastic job! Pog looks just great, and I love the pics.

Sadly pet shops very often don't know, or even care, about caring for the animals they sell properly, which is why so many are mistreated, as many people will take on the advice of the pet shop without further research and continue to look after the animal improperly. Well done to you mate for researching properly and taking care of your animal. Have you read my care sheet on here? It discusses the right foods etc for your animal and the proper way to care for it..

As for your dragon's diet - I refrain from feeding young Bearded Dragons too many mealworms, and even then will only feed mini mealies and regular sized mealworms to young dragons, as they are harder to digest than other foodstuff and can cause constipation and regurgitation. You did well in swapping your dragon over to crickets and veg - has s/he taken to it well? Don't worry about feeding more crickets - your little one is growing and will eat accordingly., as s/he gets older s/he will eat less. Don't forget to dust the food with supplements, and try feeding veg in the morning and crix in the afternoon if you have trouble with him/her eating veg.

Good luck, it's sad about the pet shop, but good for you for trying to educate them. Apart from calling the authorities there's nothing more you can do, however they are unlikely to do anything for feeding Bearded Dragons mealworms, particularly as they are unlikely to know how to properly care for reptiles themselves. Keep trying to give them advice and hopefully you will get through - show them that you care and they might listen to you. One can always hope.

Wish you all the best with Pog - what a little darling. Haha if you think s/he has grown already watch over the next couple of months - you'll not recognise her/him!

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Thanks Rachel! =)
Yup! If I had a bedside table, it would be there and if it would fit in a post-it it would be glue to Pog's terrarium =) For now is in various forms in my computer.

Pog's philosophy seems to be: if it moves, it's eatable =)
One time just to see where she would take this, I placed a dead cricket (which had died during the night) in the enclosure, s/he watched closely surprised it didn't move and I gently blow the cricket's antennas. A nanosecond later the cricket was gone =)
So to answer your question, I believe so. It's becoming a great cricket hunter, eats more and more everyday and the digestive system works properly. Every day I have a poo or two in the terrarium.

I'm doing that but the veggies are not very appreciated. We'll try other kinds of veggies to see if s/he finds them more "interesting".
I have a calcium + vitamins supplement that I will replace for separated calcium and vitamins as soon as that order arrives.

As for the pet shop, I'm thinking about taking Pog there to show them what happened after 9 days of proper food.
I hope s/he explains the situation better than I did =)

Thanks again!
Ricardo

Persist with the veg - movable foodstuff is much more interesting to dragons but in time she will learn to eat the veg as well. I find that if I chop it into small pieces and then drop it into the bowl so they can see it move as it lands they come running over to investigate, and if they like it then they will continue to eat it

Good idea - perhaps Pog can explain the importance and success of proper care better than you, and perhaps they will take notice, let us know how it goes.

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Pog is beautiful, and it's wonderful how s/he is improving under your care! For the sake of the other Bearded Dragons, I hope the pet shop will do the right thing and listen to reason.

__________________
~Juliane~

Awesome job Ricardo. Keep up the good work.

__________________
MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Ricardo...you have a great looking dragon, keep up the good work.

I can't wait to hear the pet stores reaction when they see you Bearded Dragon and get to compare them

Hi all!
I'm having a complicated week, I haven't been back to the pet store yet.
Just a quick update to tell you that I've posted some more photos here.