My bf's baby bearded dragons (1 mo and 4mos) were left exposed to sunlight for about 20 minutes.. after that when he came back, one of them died and the other is still breathing but it seemed that he had a really really bad sunburn! He barely moves and his skin is a stiff! We immersed his half body in a shallow basin of water..
Help! Can he still make it?? What can we do??
2007-02-22 13:26:02 · 7 answers · asked by dzzy21 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
They were in their terrarium for 20 minutes when this happened.. How do I know if they have been sunburned or just dehydrated? I feel really terrible about the 1month old dragon. We just got this baby last night!!
By the way, I am here to ask questions and not to be judged with my pet caring skills. I try my best to take care of my animals. But accidents do happen. I just appreciate any help that anyone can provide. Thanks to those who answered sensibly.
2007-02-22 13:50:12 · update #1
you have done about it other than get it to a vet and he will give you salve to put on the skin that will cool it and give temp relief sometimes lessons are learned the hard way. I am not 100% sure 20 minutes in the sun can give them a sunburn that would cause that much trauma. my dragons bask in the sun for hours at a time. it would take about 80 degree ambient temp (temp in room) with direct sunlight in a sealed container about 30 minutes to reach 110 degrees. it would take about 25 minutes with a 40 watt bulb to reach 110 in a sealed container. beardies skin is always stiff unless I had something to compare it to I would be hard pressed to tell a difference at 1 month. it sound more like heat exhaustion than a type of sun stroke or sun burn. basically they baked like in an oven. serious risk of brain damage. no real type of medical attention will repair that I am sorry to say. dehydration def. I hope things are not as gloomy as they seem. learn from your mistake and hopefully your tragedy will keep someone else from doing the same I am sorry for your little guys.
2007-02-22 15:02:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
one thing Ive learned from over zealous reptile owners, is they over due the compassion, a bearded dragon is a desert lizard and as long as it has a screen top and a basin of water, it should be fine in the sun, why do reptiles lay huge clutches of eggs ?
because they aren't supposed to all Ive, go to any pet store and look at the baby iguana tank half of them are already dieing,
Ive been chastised for feeding live prey to my snakes, this is the natural instinct, the snake loves it, its the snakes favorite form of exercise, half these people criticizing you have 50 or more animals, which i think is cruel, none of these animals get the exercise they need, including real sun and fresh air, they spend most there time in boxes on a shelf,
love your pet, take care of it, if you can afford a vet take it there if your really concerned, but don't think the lesson here is to keep your b.d. out of the sun
2007-02-23 01:40:39 · answer #2 · answered by eyesinthedrk 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To me it sounds like heat stroke. Beardies need UVB to survive, so they cant be "overexposed" to the sun. Sorry to hear your little one died :/
If you got the other one back inside and out of the sun great, brain damage is possible if the dragons get to hot. Keep the dragon inside in your normal set up and set up a vet appointment to make sure he's fine. If you kept them outside in a glass tank the sun could of easily been reflected into a hotter and brighter beam, think of it like useing a magnyfying glass on an ant. My best advice to give is take him to a herp vet ASAP and get a checkup done immediately.
2007-02-22 14:14:45 · answer #3 · answered by Chris 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Putting them outside in a glass tank is like holding a magnifying glass over an ant, try giving it lots of water. Give it a bath. Let's all I can say I don't really know what else you can do but maybe take it to the vet.
2007-02-22 15:03:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Depending on where you live, it is unlikely your beardies got sun burned, de-hydrated yes, sun burned no. Without knowing the details, it sounds like they were left out in direct heat without an escape and got over heated and de hydrated. Mist your beardie twice a day with water to encourage him to drink. Do NOT mist so much that his habitat gets humid. If you need more help, just ask.
2007-02-22 13:33:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
If they were in a glass tank, they basically were cooked. It's the same as sitting in your car on a hot day. Natural sunlight is great for Beardies IF they are in a vivarium not made of glass.
2007-02-22 23:25:21 · answer #6 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stop killing animals... if u are not responsible don't get em.
2007-02-22 13:29:49 · answer #7 · answered by Maniaka 5 · 0⤊ 5⤋