Sand?

[Mile_High_Dragons]

Okay! So, I know I posted on this before but humor me. I have tried pretty much every substrate that you could possibly think of. And I have found something I hate about all of them. Except sand.

However, I have been told by some that it is safe and will not cause impaction. (Big and small breeders)

Others say avoid it completely.




Lets but this "Bigfoot" of Bearded Dragons to rest!

And here...we...GO!

 

[UwabamiReptiles]

I used to use washed play sand for my beardeds when I used to have them a few years ago. I kept and bred them on sand and never had a problem. Now I wouldn't use sand for a young dragon. My rule was once they were around 8 to 10 inches, then I felt safe putting them on sand. Of course some people don't like sand and others do. This is probably another subject that has no right or wrong answer. People can come up with pros and cons for every type of substrate out there, thats just the way it is. Just my two cents.

 

[GHC Exotics]

This is a highly debated subject. Though the easiest way to look at it is this. What works for one person doesnt always work for another. Some people may have perfect results with sand... some people may not. But what works for you wont be known until you test out that theory. I personally have used sand on all of my dragons. and as stated above, I waited for the young ones to reach min. of 8 inches before I put them on it.

 

[frillielover17]

I think the last 2 posters said it perfectly. For younger dragons (under a year for me), absolutely not a good idea to use it but for older dragons I don't see too large of a problem as long as you maintain it properly and observe your dragon so that it may not ingest any of it. I think this is going to be one topic that will never be put to rest. People have different experiences with every substrate. Just make sure you make proper adjustments to the enclosure depending on which substrate you choose.

 

[rcarichter]

Back when I was into dragons, I always used washed play sand. Never a single problem. The beauty of desert animals is that they are they only ones where we can actually come pretty close to their natural substrate. The difference in captivity is that they are made to be close to their own waste. So, go for sand and keep it clean. My opinion.

 

[pdragon]

Impaction is linked to lack of vitamins/calcium in the dragons diet. Babies grow so fast indoors, that they require a lot of added supplementation. If they don't meet these requirements, they will look towards other options, like sand.

Josh

 

[Kalie]

Impaction is linked to lack of vitamins/calcium in the dragons diet. Babies grow so fast indoors, that they require a lot of added supplementation. If they don't meet these requirements, they will look towards other options, like sand.

Josh

I had asked my vet the question once, as I had heard about the possible impaction problems with sand, and he said this exact thing. Beardies do ingest some sand while they're eating, but it only gets problematic when in search for vitamins and minerals they actively start eating the sand.

 

[pdragon]

When I used to work with outdoor dragons, I would always see adults constantly picking and sampling little things on the ground like small rocks, twigs, seeds, etc. These lizards know what they need to keep themselves balanced.

Josh

 

[pdragon]

You have a good vet
Josh

 

[Mile_High_Dragons]

Wow! Awesome posts everyone! I'm glad that so many people had an opinion about this subject! And I'm excited about the number of responses! You guys are awesome!

 

[angie.h]

I have used sand as well in some enclosures for over 16 years. A couple more things worth mentioning is that a dragon that is not well - hydrated and/ or eating greens is more prone to constipation and impaction . The other thing is that the calcium type sands are actually much more problematic because some animals get a taste for it and when they sample a bit too much, it hardens in their digestive tract. I was in a pet store about 12 years ago that bought dragons from me and the manager mentioned that the leopard geckos were dying that were on calcium sand. I picked them up , turned them over and you could clearly see through their skin that their entire intestinal tract was blue....they were loaded with it and couldn't pass it. So, I would avoid that stuff for any reptile.

 

[Jabberwocky Dragons]

In agreement with the previous posters, we use playsand for 8"+ bearded dragons and paper towels for babies. In over 15 years, we've never once had a problem with impaction.

As a side thought, I would be concerned about keeping adults long-term on anything but a soft, loose substrate (preferably playsand) if your enclosure has a hard floor surface such as glass and it also includes climbing branches. Over the years, as the animal leaps to the floor from branches, half-logs, etc, it may cause discomfort/damage if there is not adequate cushion (paper towels, newspapers do not provide much). Sand provides a nice soft surface that doesn't jar bones. This may cause issues in elderly dragons.

 

[Mile_High_Dragons]

Wow! Your all sooo knowledgeable! Great input! And good point Jabberwocky Dragons. All this information is sure to bring clarification to the topic of sand as substrate!

Thank you all very much!