Originally Posted by IRescue452
You would think so but that's not correct. Any type of sand substrate is very very dangerous, as is walnut shell substrate. Numerous beardies die each year due to impactions from consuming too much sand. It binds together and cannot easily pass, building up in the digestive tract and eventually killing them. Granted, there are a lot of beardies that do fine on sand, but why take the chance when there is strong evidence it's not ok? Too big of a chance to take IMO. I have seen two beardies so far at my work ( I work at a vet clinic) who have had major impactions. Luckily one was caught in time and had surgery but the other wasn't so lucky. Not only can sand cause impactions but so can feeding too many insects, such as mealworms and superworms as their outer shell is hard to digest. If an owner refuses to give up their sand/shell substrate do the beardie a favor and at least feed them in a seperate area away from sand.
Misting is not a major cause of illness and death in beardies. All bearded dragons should be misted once a day in the early morning hours. Humidity is a leading cause of illness, and because of the chance of beardies becoming ill they have more of a chance of death from that illness. Standing water is ok ONLY if left in the cage while you supervise the lizard drinking and it is promptly taken out and not given under the heat source. Leaving a dish of water in while they drink for 5 minutes is not going to change anything significantly, and having a humidity gauge in the enclosure helps owners monitor the humidity. Again, you want to avoid upping the humidity of the enclosure. Plus, a lot of breeders and owners hate keeping a water dish in the cage as it creates a lot of bacteria if the animal defecates in it. That's why most avoid it. Plus, most bearded dragons cannot recognize still water and don't understand how to drink out of a dish, which is why they must be sprayed.
Not only is spraying good (only once daily as to not increase humidity which can lead to URI, and not too close to bedtime as you want to avoid them getting too cold at night) but so are tub baths. All beardies should be soaked in the tub at least twice a week. This helps them stay hydrated as well as helps aid in the shed of their skin. Plus if your beardie likes to drink from a puddle this is a good way to encourage them to take in some nice fresh water.
Has your sister had a fecal done on her girl? Beardies should be dewormed about every 6 months as they are very likely to pick up parasites from their food source, especially if the live food is purchased from a pet shop. Buying online and preferably from an organic breeder is the best way to go. It's not 100% the prey will be parasite free but your chances are a lot greater.
Are you sure she is not dehydrated? How much water does she get a day and how is her water given? This is where tub soaks and misting are very important. Beardies with a thick tail are well hydrated. If her tail looks a bit on the thin side and may need more water intake.
Also, what about her diet? Have you guys tried any high protein foods to help bulk her up? Waxworms are high in fat so you may want to offer her a few of those, just make sure she doesn't get too much. Is she offered greens along with insects? Are the insects gut loaded before being given? Does she recieve a good vitamin/calcium supplement? They need a well balanced and varied diet daily.
Here's a link that shows an autopsy that was performed on a beardie who died of walnut shell impaction. Not for the squeemish!
http://mrskingsbioweb.com/beardeddragngrossanatomy.htm
Another good article.
http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/impaction/
Oh and kudos to you for the paper towel substrate!
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