# substrate for bearded dragon please help!!!!



## stacey5089 (Sep 26, 2011)

I am using beech chippings and erlier today I saw my 
bearded dragon eat 1 while she was trying to catch a
cricket will this harm her I have read that eating one
chip will cause impaction I have only had her a week
now she is a year and a half old she is very healthy and 
eating and shedding well I have read alot about them in 
the past week but I'm still confused about what substrate
to use surely the pet shops would not recommend beech
chippings if this will happen??


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## wbrace (Aug 23, 2011)

*Bearded Dragon Substrate*

Hi,
I'd recommend using playpit sand from your local garden centre.
There are lots of 'special substrates' made for Beardies but they're all over priced and unnecessary. Playpit sand has to be screened and cleaned by law before it can be sold for children to play with so is the safest option, it is a 'soft' sand too so won't cause compaction in the gut if ingested. 
Hope that helps.


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## Beardies are the best (Jun 28, 2011)

The woodchip could cause impaction but it depends on the size of the woodchip. I use plain paper, and I will start to use sand when she gets to a adult (which is normally 18 months)

Hope this helps


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## stacey5089 (Sep 26, 2011)

Thankz this was helpful I am going to use something different I don't like the idea of her eating the woodchip


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## Herpetologist_apprentice (Jun 22, 2011)

stacey5089 said:


> I am using beech chippings and erlier today I saw my
> bearded dragon eat 1 while she was trying to catch a
> cricket will this harm her I have read that eating one
> chip will cause impaction I have only had her a week
> ...


tbh, i dont recomend sand as it is not actually that good for them, wood chipping is okay newspaper is good but not nice to the eyes


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

Herpetologist_apprentice said:


> tbh, i dont recomend sand as it is not actually that good for them, wood chipping is okay newspaper is good but not nice to the eyes


Clearly wood chippings _aren't_ okay for this particular beardy if they are eating them. 
OP, I would change your substrate if you are concerned, to either newspaper, kitchen towel, or lino tiles... if you want a more natural looking substrate you can have slate with sand in the gaps to create a more even surface. Keep a close eye on the beardy for the next few days, make sure she is pooping and doesn't become lethargic or start straining like she's bunged up - that could be a sign of impaction. The likelihood is it will pass through and you will see it in her faeces when she does - but that depends how big the chip is, really; the mouth is much wider than the vent! 
If at any point you think she is in distress trying to pass this chip, I would strongly advise a warm bath and, if that fails, a trip to the vet.


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## wbrace (Aug 23, 2011)

Further to the comment 'sand isn't that good for them' by Herpetologist_apprentice, I have kept reptiles for ten years, my motto is always to replicate the natural habitat as closely as possible to make sure that the conditions in captivity match those the species has evolved to live with. Bearded Dragons are native to arid to semi-arid regions of Australia where the natural ground would be dry dust or sand, they have evolved to deal with sand storms and life in general in this environment (note the fine membrane over the ear and the eye lash like scales) so I cannot see how recreating this environment in captivity by using clean sand isn't good for them.
In my opinion, sand is the most natural and therefore the best substrate to use provided it is the correct sort, never use 'Calci-sand', builders sand, sharp sand or any designed for paving, concrete etc as these can contain nasty chemicals, always choose a 'soft' cleaned sand such as horticultural grade silver sand or preferably play sand as I previously suggested. I wouldn't recommend wood shavings or chippings as they tend to absorb waste and stick together which can cause problems if ingested, and newspaper although cheap and easy to replace isn't particularly attractive if you're looking for a naturalistic setup.


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## Herpetologist_apprentice (Jun 22, 2011)

wbrace said:


> Further to the comment 'sand isn't that good for them' by Herpetologist_apprentice, I have kept reptiles for ten years, my motto is always to replicate the natural habitat as closely as possible to make sure that the conditions in captivity match those the species has evolved to live with. Bearded Dragons are native to arid to semi-arid regions of Australia where the natural ground would be dry dust or sand, they have evolved to deal with sand storms and life in general in this environment (note the fine membrane over the ear and the eye lash like scales) so I cannot see how recreating this environment in captivity by using clean sand isn't good for them.
> In my opinion, sand is the most natural and therefore the best substrate to use provided it is the correct sort, never use 'Calci-sand', builders sand, sharp sand or any designed for paving, concrete etc as these can contain nasty chemicals, always choose a 'soft' cleaned sand such as horticultural grade silver sand or preferably play sand as I previously suggested. I wouldn't recommend wood shavings or chippings as they tend to absorb waste and stick together which can cause problems if ingested, and newspaper although cheap and easy to replace isn't particularly attractive if you're looking for a naturalistic setup.


perhaps a mixture of sand and anoter substrate? 

as bearded dragons dont live on purely sand and definitley not deserts, although i do see your point : victory:


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## darren81 (Aug 13, 2009)

bran never had a problem with it, its cheap get it in big bags and it stays quite warm and its digestible.


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## wbrace (Aug 23, 2011)

Herpetologist_apprentice said:


> perhaps a mixture of sand and anoter substrate?
> 
> as bearded dragons dont live on purely sand and definitley not deserts, although i do see your point : victory:


Bearded Dragons, Pogona vitticeps or 'Central Bearded Dragon' have a natural range from central (it's in the name) to eastern Australia. Although some populations are found in woodland and semi-arid regions, there also exist many populations in arid regions - that includes deserts (see map).
Now unless someone thought it funny to play a little prank and drop a number of Beardies in the middle of the desert on the day the wildlife survey was taking place, I think we'll all agree that they do in fact live in the desert.


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## Herpetologist_apprentice (Jun 22, 2011)

wbrace said:


> Bearded Dragons, Pogona vitticeps or 'Central Bearded Dragon' have a natural range from central (it's in the name) to eastern Australia. Although some populations are found in woodland and semi-arid regions, there also exist many populations in arid regions - that includes deserts (see map).
> Now unless someone thought it funny to play a little prank and drop a number of Beardies in the middle of the desert on the day the wildlife survey was taking place, I think we'll all agree that they do in fact live in the desert.
> 
> Map of Pogona vitticeps -- Discover Life]image[/URL]


 
I be failing :blush:


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## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

The most common floor beardies encounter in the wild is compacted (hard) mud / sand and dust. Along with a few rocks and the occasional plant.

I keep mine on upside down floor tiles to replicate the hard surface which keeps their nails short.

I sprinkle play sand or chinchilla bathing sand into the gaps and over the tiles just to make it look nice.

NEVER USE CALCI SAND OR BEECH CHIPS OR BARK OR SAWDUST.

ALTHOUGH IMPACTION IS NOT A CERTAINTY WHY TAKE THE RISK. P


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## Cyndi (Jul 16, 2012)

Personally id go with tiles by far the safest and easy to clean


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## mattyrobo (Jul 8, 2012)

i use sand and it is the best because it is most natural to their environment and they can dig in it. using paper lino or tiles is just lazy you want something that they have in the wild and last time i went to australia i didnt see any beardy houses in the wild with lino or tile flooring in them. you want them to feel as most at home as you can


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

mattyrobo said:


> you want them to feel as most at home as you can


Not that they've ever been to Australia :whistling2:


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## mattyrobo (Jul 8, 2012)

No but thats the environment that they have adapted themselves to live in


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## stacey5089 (Sep 26, 2011)

mattyrobo said:


> No but thats the environment that they have adapted themselves to live in


I agree!! I ended up going with sand in the end and its been totally fine! The only problem is it gets in the runners for the sliding doors and makes a horrible noise but besides that i would still recomend using sand.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

I've seen so many beardies accidentally digest sand whilst hunting so I avoid it. As for play sand being the most natural substrate for them, that's not entirely true. The sand they come into contact with in the wild, is very very different to what we use here in the UK. Through erosion, etc, the sand is extremely fine, therefore less able to impact, whereas the sand we use is a lot less spherical and can cause problems. I'm not saying sand should never be used, some beardies have spent their entire lives on it and faced no problems, I personally wouldn't risk it, that's all. I chose to go for outdoor slate, cut down to size. It's easy to clean (lets face it, Beardies are mucky animals and produce a lot of waste!), looks nice and natural and helps keep their nails in good shape. Sand in my opinion is harder to keep clean, (i.e. having to sieve through it everyday... very time consuming), harder to spot check and turns up EVERYWHERE.
:lol2:


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## Jibjab (Feb 5, 2012)

Hi, personally i use one of the 'overpriced' specialist ones, 
I use the prorep ground walnut sand, i find its good for the smell, plus looks natural and because its made of ground walnut husks can pass through a beardy with no harm done, the only problem i have ever had is when my beardy plays her bath time game ( jumping in and out the water bowl repeatedly)

but as i have heard many times before 'if beardies really do die if the swallow a little bit of snd how come they dont all die in the wild from eating it?'


anyway thats my recommendation its usually around £12 for a 5 litre bag which will do a light covering on a 4' viv but last for ages if you sift it regularly


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## stacey5089 (Sep 26, 2011)

darren81 said:


> bran never had a problem with it, its cheap get it in big bags and it stays quite warm and its digestible.


I like your milk snake!! I got one last week its about 3 months old.


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