Of course!
This is how I get ready.
I grab a 10 gallon tank from the garage. If it were a bigger Beardie, I would get a 20 gallon.
I bring the tank inside so it can warm up and then line it with white hand towels. I want it soft for the sickly and plain so I can easily see fluids/poop.
I don't want anything hard so I fold a washcloth up and then cover it with another washcloth for a basking spot.
Then I find the lights. A black light will keep him warm tonight and then tomorrow I'll swap out the black bulb for a low wattage white bulb (probably around 40 watts) for a day lamp and use my new T-5 UVB bulb.
While the tank warms up, I make my own Pedialyte. I decided to make a half recipe:
1 pint warm water, 1/2 Tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
Just in case I need to give a saline shot for extra hydration, I pull out my saline supplies. These I bought from my vet.
Oral fluids are usually enough, but a seriously dehydrated reptile will do better with saline injections. A critically ill reptile needs hydration first. For the first 24 to 72 hours, fluids and saline injections are the focus. It helps to show you if the kidneys are still working too and prepares the body to absorb real calories.
I had to step around my buddy Otis who sees me in the kitchen and comes to visit. Luckily, he found the warm air from the heater vent and stayed out of the way.
I sterilized the tiny syringe by dipping it in boiling water and drawing the hot water in and out a few times.
Now that the tank is warm, I need to calibrate the temp in the basking spot. A sick tank should be at 85 degrees. I raise or lower the heat lamp to adjust the temp. Closer = warmer; farther = cooler.
There goes Otis!
So now I wait for little baby to show up and then I see how bad he is and decide what to do next.
