fuzzy mice, play sand, hot-rocks, oh, my...(pix)

[Anya]

Just rescued my first beardie ever from Craigslist...let's just say, I'm glad I picked her up, because there are going to be some changes...

From the ad she actually seemed like she was really well cared for, but on closer inspection...oh, my. When he started asking me what I should feed her, and I replied with appropriate vegetable and fruit matter, he interrupted me and was like, "and PROTEIN?" lol...he then proceeded to feed her two f/t hopper mice! I mean, there were like twice the length of the distance between her eyes...and in her food bowl all i saw was some wilted lettuce and shredded carrots... Plus, she has NO UVB bulbs, and I'm a little panic-y at this point, because I really wasn't expecting to have to buy UVB bulbs and lamps so soon...I do NOT have the money this week...stupid me. Anyway, basically what he did was put her out to bask in a wire care for a few hours a day. I'm afraid I'll have to do the same for a little while...but I live in Half Moon Bay, which is fog central. Sunlight is a rare commodity, especially during the summer...

Sigh. I really think I did the right thing. I'm going to get her on a good diet, vitamins, calcium dust everything, and OFF that stupid sand and hot rocks (two of them. Her ONLY heat-source, may I add? Yeah.) He also gave me a few small basking lamps and heat bulbs for them. That he never used...grr...

Here's my plan, tell me what you think-

Get her a warm bath to get all that stuck shed off...

Get those claws trimmed!

Sterilize the tank and furniture, get her on paper towels, better diet obviously,

Run a piece of flexxwatt the length of the tank (I have one) and set the thermostat to 85

Position the 2 heatlamps (both 75 watts, I don't think just one will cut it...) over the warm end, and monitor temps of course.

Open the window, take her out of the tank, and position her in a morning sunbeam whenever I have one/afternoon sun when I have it.

Get her UVB asap...



Okay, moment you're been waiting for, here's 'Allie' She's a total sweetheart. I've already fallen in love, and now I want to do everything I possibly can to make her life better!