| How to Care for a Sick Bearded Dragon Posted: 24 Oct 2017 05:00 PM PDT Caring for a sick bearded dragon properly begins by assessing any signs of illness. Identifying the animal's symptoms allows you to assess the severity of them, begin treatment, and figure out whether they are getting worse. You also need to know when it is time to get the bearded dragon veterinary care, rather than simply treating it at home. With some care from you, including knowing when to seek out help, your bearded dragon should be able to recover from whatever is ailing it. EditCaring for Your Bearded Dragon at Home - Make your bearded dragon as comfortable as possible. If your bearded dragon is sick, you should make sure that the conditions in its cage are ideal. Above all, make sure that its home is warm enough and that it has access to food that it likes to eat, even if its illness doesn't allow it to move very far.
- Your bearded dragon should have an area of its home that is warmer and an area that is cooler. The warmer side should be 95°F to 110°F (35°C to 43°C) and the cooler side should be around around 85°F (29°C). This allows the animal to decide what temperature it wants to be in at any given time.[1]
- Make sure that your pet has enough water. Dehydration can lead to severe illness in bearded dragons. They also need plenty of water in order for their systems to recover from other illnesses. Replace your bearded dragon's water daily to ensure that your pet always has plenty of clean drinking water in its bowl.
- Dehydration itself can be the cause of illness in bearded dragons.
- If you suspect that your pet is dehydrated, offer it clean drinking water from a syringe or bottle. If it still won't drink, you can offer it a beverage made to minimize dehydration, such as pedialyte. You should also consult with your veterinarian about the possible need for intravenous fluids.[2]
- Look for signs of discomfort. If your bearded dragon is sick and you are trying to care for it, it is important to keep an eye out for signs of discomfort or increased illness. When caring for a sick bearded dragon, look for these symptoms and consult with your veterinarian if they begin or become worse over time:[3]
- Lethargy
- Erratic movements
- Swollen body parts
- Changes in mood or behavior
- Awkward posture
- No appetite
- Abnormal elimination
- Practice good husbandry. To keep your bearded dragon healthy and to help it recover from illness more quickly, it is important to keep its home clean. On a daily basis, you should clean up the animal's tank by removing old food, feces, and other messes. On a weekly basis, the whole tank should be cleaned and the bedding, dishes, and other items in the tank should all be cleaned with a disinfectant.[4]
- Keeping your bearded dragon's tank clean will minimize any bacteria and viruses that could infect your pet and make its condition worse.
EditGetting Veterinary Care for Your Bearded Dragon - Take your bearded dragon to a veterinarian. If you suspect that your bearded dragon is sick, you should have it looked at by a vet. A vet can assess the animal's health and run tests to find out exactly what is causing your pet to be unwell.[5]
- If you are unsure whether your bearded dragon's illness is serious, feel free to call your veterinary clinic. Tell them your pet's symptoms, and then ask if they think you should bring your pet in.
- In most cases, if your pet is sick and you are not sure what it causing it, it is a good idea to consult with a veterinarian right away.
- Help the veterinarian with assessment and diagnosis. When you bring your bearded dragon in, the vet will need to do a variety of tests to find the cause of the illness. They will also need information from you about your pet's health history and the symptoms of its current illness. Give the vet any information you can about your pet so that the cause of its illness can be determined as quickly as possible.
- Allow your veterinarian to do testing and treatment on your pet. When you bring your pet into a veterinary office for assessment and treatment, you should allow your veterinarian to do the testing they think is required for diagnosis. Once the vet thinks they have figured out the problem, discuss possible treatment options and allow treatment to take place if you find their suggestions reasonable and helpful for your animal.
- Allow your vet to use a variety of diagnostic tests. For example, an ultrasound can be very helpful for figuring out what is wrong with your bearded dragon. Since veterinarians cannot rely on verbal confirmation of symptoms from animals, getting a picture of what is going on inside your bearded dragon's body can be especially helpful in determining what illness it has.[6]
- Follow your veterinarian's suggestions for continued treatment at home. If your bearded dragon has an illness that needs continued treatment, your vet will tell you how to proceed. Be sure to ask the vet any questions you have about how to give your pet proper treatment, and feel free to call them for clarification at any later point.[7]
- For example, in the case of infectious stomatitis, your pet will need to have its mouth rinsed with an antibiotic solution regularly until the infection clears. Your veterinarian should show you how to do this and tell you how long it should be done for.
EditIdentifying Signs of Illness - Know the ailments that are common for bearded dragons. Knowing bearded dragons' typical illnesses will help you to assess their health over time and allow you to spot problems before they become serious. The most common illnesses that bearded dragons experience include metabolic bone disease, infectious stomatitis (mouth rot), gastrointestinal problems, parasites, and obstructed labor.[8]
- Less common conditions that bearded dragons can get include gastric cancer, liver cancer, kidney failure, and viral infections.
- Look for abnormal eyes. A bearded dragon that is sick my have droopy or puffed-out eyes. This can signal a variety of illnesses, including kidney problems or an eye infection.[9]
- Puffy eyes is also a sign that your bearded dragon is about to shed. If you see other signs of shedding, then it is safe to assume that the eye issues are related to the shedding.
- Monitor your dragon's bathroom schedule. Bearded dragons tend to have a very regular bathroom schedule. If your dragon doesn't go to the bathroom as usual or it has diarrhea or another change in its feces, then it may be sick.[10]
- If your bearded dragon has not gone to the bathroom for several days yet still continues to eat, it can become a major health problem. Take the animal to be seen by a vet so that any digestive problems can be treated quickly.
- Look for changes to your bearded dragon's body. Several diseases that are common in bearded dragons, including metabolic bone disease and infectious stomatitis, cause changes to the surface of the animal's body. Metabolic bone disease can cause swelling on the animal's body and infectious stomatitis causes swelling and mucus to form around the mouth.[11]
- If any part of your pet's body is swollen, you should have it looked at by a veterinarian.
- Pay attention to changes in behavior. If your bearded dragon is sick, it is likely to have behavioral changes that show that it is not feeling well. Look for lethargy or an unwillingness to move, even when you give your pet a snack that it is usually excited to eat. This illustrates that the bearded dragon is not feeling like its usual self.
- Assess whether your bearded dragon is just going through a natural process. Bearded dragons go through several processes every year that can be mistaken for illness. For example, they can go into hibernation in the fall or winter that is called brumation. During this process, your dragon can appear lethargic and listless even though it is perfectly healthy.[12]
- Bearded dragons also shed naturally. During this time their color can change and their eyes can bulge out a bit. If you are not expecting this, it can appear as if your bearded dragon is not healthy when it actually is.
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Grow a Choko Vine Posted: 24 Oct 2017 09:00 AM PDT Also known as chayote, choko is a perennial vine that produces pear-shaped, squash-like fruit. It's easy to grow in most environments, but thrives in warm, tropical climates. To start your vines, grow a sprout from a choko fruit in the spring. After it sprouts, plant it outside in a clear spot that gets lots of sun. Keep the soil from drying out, and provide a trellis to support your vines. The vines will flower in late summer and, by early autumn, you'll be able to harvest the fruits of your labor. EditSprouting a Choko Fruit - Start a sprout from a healthy, mature fruit. Choose a fruit that's hard, green, and smooth. It should be free of wrinkles, dents, or blemishes. Larger, mature fruits are the best choice, as small, immature fruits may just rot instead of sprout.[1]
- If you can't find choko fruit at a local grocery store, you could try searching online for a mail order company. Seeds are hard to separate from the fruit and aren't often sold on their own, but you might be able to track some down online.[2]
- Place the fruit on its side in a soil-filled container. Fill a gallon-sized (about 4 liters) container with potting soil, and make a little hole in the soil for the fruit. Place the fruit on its side in the soil so the tip of the stem points at a 45 degree angle. Cover the fruit with soil, but make sure the tip of the stem still shows.[3]
- Keep the container in warm, dry place. Find a dark place with good ventilation to store the fruit until it sprouts. If possible, keep the temperature between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (about 27 to 29 degrees Celsius). Water it occasionally, or when the soil completely dries out. The sprout should emerge in about one month.[4]
- A pantry, under the sink, or a closet (with the door cracked) are all good spots to sprout your fruit.
EditPlanting the Sprout - Plant your sprout when there's no threat of frost. When the sprout is about 5 to 7 centimeters (2 to 2.75 inches) in length and has three to four sets of leaves, it's ready to be transplanted outside. Choko vines are frost tender, so plant your sprout outdoors in the spring three to four weeks after the last frost.[5]
- Choose a well-lit spot in your garden with plenty of space. Choko vines love lots of sun. While they can grow in partial shade, less sun will result in a smaller harvest. They can grow aggressively, so make sure you give your vines plenty of space.[6]
- Once the roots are mature, a choko vine can grow at least 30 feet (almost 10 meters) in a single season!
- If you live in a hot, arid climate, it's wise to offer your vines some protection from the fierce afternoon sun and drying winds. Look for a spot in your yard that gets plenty of light in the morning, but becomes more shaded later in the day, when the sun is more intense.[7]
- Fertilize your planting site. Turn the soil at a 4 by 4 foot (about 1.25 by 1.25 meters) planting site with a garden tiller or shovel. Mix 20 pounds (about 9 kilograms) of manure with the soil. If you have poor draining soil, such as heavy clay, add mature, well-rotted compost to improve drainage and aeration.[8]
- Transplant your choko sprout. Dig a hole 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) deep. Carefully remove the sprouting fruit from the container and bury it in the hole. Cover the fruit with soil, but leave the sprout above ground level.[9]
- Water the sprout well after transplanting it.
EditCaring for Your Choko Vine - Provide a wooden trellis or fence to support your vines. When it matures, your choko will grow into a heavy mass of vines. Place a strong trellis or other support next to your sprout, and hammer its stakes deep into the ground so it doesn't topple once the vines become heavy.[10]
- You could also choose a planting site next to a sturdy fence to support your vines.
- Avoid using a metal support, which can get too hot and damage the vines.
- Keep the soil from drying out completely. If you don't get a lot of rain, keep the soil from drying out and water it regularly.[11] When vines don't receive enough water, they produce stringy fruit. If you do get lots of rain, add compost every month to maintain an intact top layer.[12]
- Train the vines to grow on the support. The vines will start to grow wildly, so you'll need to train them to grab onto the trellis or fence. Wrap loose vines around the support's bars regularly to keep them from spreading everywhere.[13]
- Harvest the first crop in autumn. After 120 to 150 days, or by the late summer and early autumn, the vines will start to flower and produce fruit. Cut fruit from vines with a knife or pruner before the skin gets too hard. Mature fruit are between 4 and 6 inches (10 and 15 centimeters) in length.[14]
- Cut back the vines and add a thick layer of mulch before winter. In temperate climates, cut back the vines to three or four short shoots after the fruiting season. If you live in a frost-prone climate, cut the vines to just above ground level. Cover the planting site with 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of mulch or pine straw to protect the roots during the winter.[16]
- Since it's a perennial, choko will grow back from its roots in the spring.
EditThings You'll Need - Choko
- Container for sprouting
- Garden tiller or shovel
- Manure
- Mature compost
- Climbing support
- Hose or watering can
- Knife or pruner
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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| How to Change a Group Name on GroupMe on Android Posted: 24 Oct 2017 01:00 AM PDT This wikiHow teaches you how to edit the name of a group chat on GroupMe, using Android. Edit10 Second Summary 1. Open the GroupMe app.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines icon.
3. Tap Chats.
4. Tap a group chat.
5. Tap the three vertical dots icon.
6. Select Change Group Name.
7. Enter a new name for your group.
8. Tap OK.
- Open the GroupMe app on your Android. The GroupMe icon looks like a white "#" sign in a blue speech bubble. You can find it on your Apps menu.
- Tap the three horizontal lines icon. This button is located in the upper-left corner of your screen. It will open your navigation menu.
- Tap on the menu. This will open a list of all your personal and group chats.
- Tap a group chat on the list. This will open the conversation in full-screen.
- Tap the three vertical dots icon. This button is located in the upper-right corner of your group conversation. It will open a drop-down menu.
- Select on the drop-down menu. This will open a new pop-up box titled Change Group Name.
- Tap the group name in the pop-up box. Your group's current name appears in a text field in the pop-up. Tapping will allow you to edit the group name.
- Enter a new group name in the text field. You can modify the current group name, or delete it and type a new one.
- Tap . This button is written in blue letters in the lower-right corner of the pop-up box. It will save your group chat's new name, and change it for all group members.
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