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LadyJ
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A week or two ago. What made me 'think' they needed to be soaked in bleach was because they were sitting outside at a highly industrial setting and I wasn't sure whether something had found it's way onto them - if it were a rock I found on a walk through the forest down the road I wouldn't worry so much.
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LadyJ
Guest
Going into the vet tomorrow - bleach it just to be sure as it's no extra burden to me either way...
Edit: Working in a breeding facility I'm used to 'over-doing' it...
Yes, well it would be a massive burden if your bearded dragon died because of it.
Personally, I would rather feed my animals vermin of unknown origin before exposing my animals to rocks that had been soaked in bleach after sitting in a highly industrial setting.
But lets hope the vet can shed some light on it.
PS- What breeding facility did you work in that condoned bleaching rocks to be used in enclosures?
cwtiger
Active Member
Bleach shouldn't hurt your beardy at all. Use a 1/4 cup of bleach mixed with a 3.8 litres of water. This is done easiest in an old, clean, milk bottle. After mixing the bleach and water then fill a spray bottle with the mixture. This makes it easy to cover the entire surface of what you are cleaning and leaves a container full for when your spray bottle is empty. All surfaces that get feces on them should be disinfected, including water bowls, food bowls and cages. This is how we disinfect all cages, cage accessories and the tub after bathing at National Parks and Wildlife.
Spray the entire surface of what you are cleaning until it is soaked. Then let it sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes scrub the surface with a rag making sure any old food or feces is removed. Rinse all surfaces repeatedly until you can no longer smell bleach. If you still smell bleach rinse again
Make sure there are no chemicals in the air that could be affecting his health(i.e., air fresheners). Beardies are very sensitive to chemicals, and you should do you best to keep the air(and his cage) as clean as possible.
Spray the entire surface of what you are cleaning until it is soaked. Then let it sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes scrub the surface with a rag making sure any old food or feces is removed. Rinse all surfaces repeatedly until you can no longer smell bleach. If you still smell bleach rinse again
Make sure there are no chemicals in the air that could be affecting his health(i.e., air fresheners). Beardies are very sensitive to chemicals, and you should do you best to keep the air(and his cage) as clean as possible.
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LadyJ
Guest
Glad I'm not the only crazy one who disinfects things... working at a breeding cattery I'm payed to 'fuss over' these things and fully disinfect all surfaces and anything else that's put into an enclosure. The bleach is well washed of course after this and I make certain to check I can't smell the slightest hint of it. I don't see how it differs from brand name cleaning products, by some logic you'd think they'd also be bad and harmful...
And Persona, I agree... but as I'm not entirely sure and this is the other thing that's changed within the past month I'm looking around in the dark for any ideas.
Edit: A friend and fellow keeper suggested bad breeding? I know there'd be nothing around this... but perhaps?
well...if were searching in the dark, I suppose some genetic issue/internal problem that has been there all along and only now becoming an issue, is not 'impossible' as such, but given its been a sudden and dramatic thing, it seems unlikely.
May well be a combination of factors.
How is your lizard today?
cwtiger
Active Member
It pays to be safe and disinfect things. You also as me would have to be careful to make sure you disinfect yourself before going home as you can pass things onto you reps at home. It doesn't matter what animals you work with you can never be to careful in my opnion.
You maybe trying to work out for weeks what caused the little guy to get sick maybe now you should focus on helping him recover I know you would like to know but sounds to me you have taken actions to make sure it doesn't happen again. The other thing to look at is his food I got a bad batch of crickets a few weeks ago a lot of dead bodies in the container when it arrived) made the frogs and other animals that rely on them ill (problems with having helpers who don't realise). Just a thought.
Good luck with it all and I hope the little guy comes along in leaps and bounds. Onwards and Upwards from here.
You maybe trying to work out for weeks what caused the little guy to get sick maybe now you should focus on helping him recover I know you would like to know but sounds to me you have taken actions to make sure it doesn't happen again. The other thing to look at is his food I got a bad batch of crickets a few weeks ago a lot of dead bodies in the container when it arrived) made the frogs and other animals that rely on them ill (problems with having helpers who don't realise). Just a thought.
Good luck with it all and I hope the little guy comes along in leaps and bounds. Onwards and Upwards from here.
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LadyJ
Guest
Thanks Persona, may very well have to considering some serious budgeting but that's certainly something I'll think about...
Trust me cwtiger, I'm really strict with washing up after work (or as you said, with going from any one animal to another) - the smell alone after cleaning up after so many cats is enough to make me want to take a dip in disinfectant!
But yeah, just taking it in little steps so far... he's looking great and doing the 'sexy leg' (any beardie owner will know what I'm talking about!) pose for basking, even gaping a bit so I know my temps are up there and he's moving around a lot to find his ideal temperature. Still very dopey but that's to be expected after has little episode.
Thanks again everyone.
Trust me cwtiger, I'm really strict with washing up after work (or as you said, with going from any one animal to another) - the smell alone after cleaning up after so many cats is enough to make me want to take a dip in disinfectant!
But yeah, just taking it in little steps so far... he's looking great and doing the 'sexy leg' (any beardie owner will know what I'm talking about!) pose for basking, even gaping a bit so I know my temps are up there and he's moving around a lot to find his ideal temperature. Still very dopey but that's to be expected after has little episode.
Thanks again everyone.
shellfisch
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How is your Beardie?
Tit4n
Active Member
Any updates ? *good ones i hopes*
? *good ones i hopes*
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LadyJ
Guest
Thanks everyone - well, great updates!
He seems to growing more alert each day and I'm sure this will keep improving! His enclosure is incredibly bare at the moment with his 'favourite' towel (yes, he does have a favourite towel... it has our scent on it and that's something familiar to him, he's had it since he arrived) underneath his basking spot, his terracotta pipe (which he's know spending his days on) and his little 'bachelor pad' (a platform with fake grass and a slate tile). But the point is, everything else has been removed until I can slowly add it piece by disinfected piece to judge any reactions...
This has been a stressful time and one of the biggest scares was yesterday... after he'd shown me he can infact see by chasing a darkling beetle I placed him on the window sil behind me and watched him carefully in the laptop reflection. He loves sitting and staring out the window for hours on a sunny day and will always perch atop a little wooden box and watch the world go by... but after a while, I noticed him shaking. I really didn't want to turn around and see but of course... so I grabbed him up and brought him to my chest where he continued to tremble. I was just about to break down crying when I felt something on my arm... an ant. He was trying to rid himself of a few ants that he crawled over him! God, that was the biggest relief! Dusted them off and sure enough he looked up at me as if to say, "right... can I go bask again now?". But he'd had enough 'fun' and went back home!
It was great to see him put himself to bed last night, crawling into his terracotta pipe and 'burrowing' madly... so I wrapped him up and he was out like a light. He was also quick and eager to wake this morning, coming out within 15 minutes of the lights being turned on, shame I returned to school today - no excuses!
But, just got home and presented him a bunch of dandelion flowers and leaves that I'd gathered from the forest (no, they're NOT poisoned!) and he was quick to eat those and then his crickets. I was also glad to see a nice big pile of dragon poo which was waste and urates, normal colour and... (yes, I checked... lots of gloves...) all perfectly normal.
Tomorrow Rem does go back for another visit to the vet, he'll be 'conscious' so to speak but I'm sure he'll go fine. The better half will be with us and we're all eager to get him checked out and another shot... although I'm not sure Rem will enjoy it. I'm keeping him hydrated and he really enjoyed his bath last night in 'knee'-deep water and seemed to relish it when I gently stroked him with a wet cotton-ball (especially on his head where he's shedding... that's the tricky spot!).
More updates to come and I'll keep you all posted when we return from the vet. Thanks again!
He seems to growing more alert each day and I'm sure this will keep improving! His enclosure is incredibly bare at the moment with his 'favourite' towel (yes, he does have a favourite towel... it has our scent on it and that's something familiar to him, he's had it since he arrived) underneath his basking spot, his terracotta pipe (which he's know spending his days on) and his little 'bachelor pad' (a platform with fake grass and a slate tile). But the point is, everything else has been removed until I can slowly add it piece by disinfected piece to judge any reactions...
This has been a stressful time and one of the biggest scares was yesterday... after he'd shown me he can infact see by chasing a darkling beetle I placed him on the window sil behind me and watched him carefully in the laptop reflection. He loves sitting and staring out the window for hours on a sunny day and will always perch atop a little wooden box and watch the world go by... but after a while, I noticed him shaking. I really didn't want to turn around and see but of course... so I grabbed him up and brought him to my chest where he continued to tremble. I was just about to break down crying when I felt something on my arm... an ant. He was trying to rid himself of a few ants that he crawled over him! God, that was the biggest relief! Dusted them off and sure enough he looked up at me as if to say, "right... can I go bask again now?". But he'd had enough 'fun' and went back home!
It was great to see him put himself to bed last night, crawling into his terracotta pipe and 'burrowing' madly... so I wrapped him up and he was out like a light. He was also quick and eager to wake this morning, coming out within 15 minutes of the lights being turned on, shame I returned to school today - no excuses!
But, just got home and presented him a bunch of dandelion flowers and leaves that I'd gathered from the forest (no, they're NOT poisoned!) and he was quick to eat those and then his crickets. I was also glad to see a nice big pile of dragon poo which was waste and urates, normal colour and... (yes, I checked... lots of gloves...) all perfectly normal.
Tomorrow Rem does go back for another visit to the vet, he'll be 'conscious' so to speak but I'm sure he'll go fine. The better half will be with us and we're all eager to get him checked out and another shot... although I'm not sure Rem will enjoy it. I'm keeping him hydrated and he really enjoyed his bath last night in 'knee'-deep water and seemed to relish it when I gently stroked him with a wet cotton-ball (especially on his head where he's shedding... that's the tricky spot!).
More updates to come and I'll keep you all posted when we return from the vet. Thanks again!
cwtiger
Active Member
That's the greatest news I have heard all day. Not the shaking from the ants but the rest of the recovery. Good on both of you.
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LadyJ
Guest
Thought I'd just like to post that Remmy'd doing STUNNING and did a great job at the vets! The vet thought I'd brought in a new lizard... she couldn't believe it was the same one and a few other people came in and marvelled at him (one man in reception was so impressed - a fellow reptile keeper which surprised me!). He took his shot (antibacterial) amazingly well despite spooking the vet when he whipped around after he was prodded...
But eating, passing and acting perfectly fine. It does dissapoint me that I'd had plans for a breeding project for him (converted the better half into getting a female for Rem!)... but when the times comes I'll gladly get the tests done to make sure everything's clear.
Thank you again everyone and I can't believe we got through this - I started crying in the vet's office when she said how stunning he was looking and how she never would have thought he would make it through... but I'm even more thankful for him now (if that's at all possible).
But eating, passing and acting perfectly fine. It does dissapoint me that I'd had plans for a breeding project for him (converted the better half into getting a female for Rem!)... but when the times comes I'll gladly get the tests done to make sure everything's clear.
Thank you again everyone and I can't believe we got through this - I started crying in the vet's office when she said how stunning he was looking and how she never would have thought he would make it through... but I'm even more thankful for him now (if that's at all possible).
shellfisch
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