Why do bearded dragon owners say beardies can't live in sand

Question

Australian bearded dragon- Home/origin? AUSTRALIA.

http://www.adventure-tours-australia.com/simpson-desert/images/golden-carpet-flora.jpg

http://www.commodorecoaches.com.au/Australian_Desert.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/341062561_abf6cb02a6.jpg?v=0

(none of those look like Moss, reptile bark, or newspaper to me.)

... The MOST impaction cases I've ever heard, was because of the consumption of mealworms. (Hard Chitin- Outer shell) I've owned bearded dragons for a long time now... not ONCE did I have a single impaction case from sand. (Nor Mealworms- I don't feed him those)

Note* Please do not send me links to websites that are how sand is bad blah blah blah... I just want to see why people think this.

Thanks!

Answer 1

For all that i have heard they can

Substrate is another very important factor in keeping a healthy Dragon. Babies and Juveniles are particularly at risk of impaction and are often kept on paper towels or newspaper, as they are easy to dispose of and clean up after, and there is no risk of the baby ingesting substrate. Tile is another popular choice, as is reptile carpet and also nonadhesive shelf liner. As the Dragon gets older it can be put on finely sifted play sand. Calcium sand is often used and widely recommended, but is also reported to be a cause of impaction due to 'clumping' in the gut if ingested, while play sand will pass straight through a well fed individual. Rabbit food pellets, made of alfalfa, are the recommended choice by most breeders as they are ingestable and also easy to clean. Walnut shells, wood chips, and anything else of that sort are never to be used. They are large, with sharp edges, and can be swallowed. They are not digestible, however, and will swell and clog the gut, causing a very painful and potentially fatal impaction[4].

you just have to make shure thay do not swallow it . :] hopw this helps

Answer 2

I think someone popped up with ONE case and everyone freaked out about it. People are so paranoid when it comes to pets. I have my beardies on reptile carpet because it's so much easier to clean, but when they get older I'm gonna put them in a tank with a play pit full of sand. They looooove to dig and I think it's a shame that some beardies never get the pleasure of playing in sand just because people are paranoid about stuff.

Answer 3

because most baby beardies (or sometime adults) eat the sand which can lead to impaction, which can be fatal!!!

Answer 4

I had a baby beardie and it ate the sand and the sand smothered it. The big ones are just fine with sand.. He used sand for a while but its messy and clumps up if you know what i mean.. I'm not saying its bad i just prefer newspaper, wood chips, cardboard, etc.