Is Sand Safe For Bearded Dragons?

Does loose substrate cause impaction in bearded dragons & other reptiles?

Impaction! Otherwise known as a blockage of the Gastrointestinal tract. But should loose substrate be avoided at all costs? Or is it necessary in achieving even satisfactory welfare? That’s coming up!

Lets put whether or not it causes impaction, aside for now. Don’t worry we will swing back and address that. For now, id like to concentrate on the behavioural need of loose substrate. If we look at the animal welfare act, we will find the 5 animal needs stated, one of which is the “need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns”.
And as we have covered in another video, this is considered as basic and only promotes up to satisfactory welfare. Now if we take two popular species, the bearded Dragon and the leopard gecko. Both of these are shrouded in folklore husbandry beliefs around impaction by ingesting loose substrate. Well, both of these have the evolutionary behavioural need to dig, allowing them to access different microclimates in the wild environment. Well then, by definition, you are restricting their ability to dig and therefore the keeper is failing to even meet the basic requirements of satisfactory welfare.
If we consider the fact that many of the keepers of both bearded dragons and leopard geckos who routinely object to loose substrate end up providing loose substrate in the form of lay boxes when they want to breed the animals, we really start to see how confusing that becomes? If loose substrate is believed to be so hazardous to the animals health, and routinely quoted as “not worth the risk”, then why is it now okay to subject the animal to such a risky substrate when the animal needs to lay?
If the thought process is well, “the animal wont be able to comfortably lay without access to loose substrate, we still believe it to be a unnecessary risk but so is the risk of the animal becoming egg bound. So, we provide it temporarily because its needed in this case.”
Well, that’s fine but aren’t you simultaneously acknowledging the fact that its needed for the animal to engage in a whole area of its natural behaviour? And what about its behavioural need to dig outside of egg laying?
Its when you think about it with criteria of animal welfare in mind the practice really doesn’t make sense in my opinion.
But, does loose substrate actually cause impaction? In a healthy animal? No! A healthy animal whether it be bearded dragon or leopard gecko will not get impacted as long as other aspects of their husbandry are correct. The correct temperatures, Correct uv indices, and adequate hydration all need to be correct for a healthy animal. It is only when an aspect of the husbandry is wrong and leaves the animal compromised that impaction becomes a risk. A compromised animal can become impacted on paper towel, and insect chitin as well as loose substrate. Impaction is a symptom of an underlying issue rather that the root cause of the problem. Removing substrate only masks the issue at hand.
But then how could impaction be caused? One of the main causes is keepers misunderstanding the hydration needs of “desert” species. Many veterinary clients with impacted lizards also have severely dehydrated lizards. Often both go hand in hand. If the lizard is dehydrated, then lubrication of organs and the ability to pass particulates can be reduced. In fact, the ability to even pass urates can be impaired by dehydration. In bearded dragons, when urates are formed, they are transported to the distal colon for storage. This is a site of water absorption, as the colon absorbs the water content, the urate suspension transitions to water and in healthy bearded dragons a semi solid urate plug is discharged during defecation. In a dehydrated dragon, water is withdrawn from the colon, causing the walls to contract around the urate fluid, stripping out more water, causing a solid mass to form and adhere to the colon mucosa. Less lubrication and a desiccated solid mass make passing difficult. I’d argue that the same applies to substrate ingestion. If the temperatures in the basking zone of either leopard geckos or bearded dragons is not at high enough temperatures, then digestion functionality can be decreased, as well as slowing gastrointestinal peristalsis. In less complicated terms, peristalsis is the rhythmic contractions of the intestines to move food along.
In a study conducted in 2019 on humans, lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were linked to reduced colonic transit times and chronic functional constipation.
JTB:
BeardieVet:
Studies:

[buzzell]

I’ve seen so many different videos on keeping bearded dragons and the information is conflicting, to say the least. This is the one channel I fully trust for the care of bearded dragons. Thank you for properly educating me! You helped improve the quality of life for my little guy.

[mollywells-rhodes]

So many people need to see this. It's 2020 and we know better so why do so many keepers choose to use outdated methods? Awesome video :D

[saxo]

Thank you so much! People keep telling me that loose substrate is terrible for my leo and I keep arguing that it's their natural habitat...unlike tissue and carpet

[terrariumchannel]

I dont want too play the "experience card" but I have kept and cared for reptiles for 20+ years. Not ones did we have an animal with impaction from sandy substrates. Or any other for that matter. I do want to point out that some people would keep their lizards like Pogona on a loose beechchips substrate.. those can cause issues with damaging the gastrointestinal trackts. Selecting the right (natural) substrate for your animal is needed.

[stephanierupp]

THANK YOU!!! I just switched to loose substrates and was beginning to question myself, but this helped a TON!

[Eternal__Sasha]

Holy moly! THIS should have far more views. The information here is astonishing! THANK YOU!!! I feel that I have work to do on my husbandry but in my defense I fell for the stigma surrounding sand and dragons. I will work to make my girls environment as close to her native Australia as possible! She deserves a better life than what I have given her so far!!

[toyzero]

It’s so hard to find scientifically backed data on reptile husbandry. It’s mostly all opinions. Thank you for doing the research for this. You even went through all the effort of typing it up.

[jackelinnesosa]

I’ve had my bearded dragon on newspaper for the last 3 months because a vet had suggested i take him off loose substate (only because of the risk of impaction), but i’ve never agreed with having a healthy adult dragon on newspaper/papertowel. I was really torn because i wanted to put him back on loose substate & this video was super helpful with reassuring me im making a good choice for my dragon !

i’ve decided to try a mixture of play sand & coconut coir/fiber

[ArcadiaReptile]

Humidity cycling is so vastly important to welfare as is the provision of hydration in the correct methods per species. I lay these theories out in detail in my books of course but will bullet point here. We must as keepers accept that the natural environments of each species has over larger periods of time not only become the animals core or 'perfect' provider, but it is within these slowly changing providers that the animal has changed and adapted itself within. Therefore this is apex supply, or the most bioavailable. Hydration and its correct collection is essential to all life from all species. This is coupled within the first 2 parameters of overall-nutrition. These being the providers that exist around the animal and those which are ingested.
The use of substrate itself is not an indicator as proven by this useful video to ill health. But rather the use of a non-natural substrate or one that is not akin to that found in the wild and moreover the incorrect provision of the parameters of overall-nutrition. In this case we would have an animal being exposed to a material from which it has no developed use for/nor level or protection against coupled with a reduction of the energy needed to processes this material and then compounded by the common issue of poor hydration.
The day/night cycles of hydration are vital to life. This wholesale increase in airborne water is a critical supplier to many species and is prevalent as the earth cools. Many species will have adapted skin collection mechanisms in order to transfer water collected over the body towards the mouth, but moreover they are obtaining water over the organ and function of the tongue with every breath. This is also apparent for those that use tunnels and burrows by day or night as humidity levels even a few inches underground are quickly elevating.
We then have the water carried by foods. Again, fresh growing plants will be consumed out of the ground, with the root networks collecting water naturally and also being covered in soil, mineral dust and pollen. Animals do not wash their greens but consume them by tearing and whole. Here we have nutrition in the form of the building blocks of life, high levels of water and incidental useful geophagy. We then also have the predation of insects, being of a varied gut content, well hydrated via the fresh plants that are being consumed and by their own purposeful water collection and once again being covered by the full-spectrum of earth minerals and pollen. Here we have core ingestable nutrition, water and incidental geophagy within the hunting and collection process and via that which is sticking to the body. We also now have evidence of preformed D3 ingestion after the ingestion of inverts that have been exposed to sunlight.
We then have purposeful drinking, the willful ingestion of water in the best and most natural way that suits each species. For some this can be direct drinking from standing or running water, for others this after sporadic rain. For those that are not exposed to regular bodies of water, their development is attuned to collection from humidity in the air and in the burrows and from foods as the core provider.
So for a species such as the Bearded dragon, we have a species that is best described as being an opportunistic omnivore, taking food from every group as opportunity allows. Each containing water, plus developing in an environment that has a large upswing in humidity over the darkening hours each day and can find very high levels of water within the burrows. These are the core providers. Couple this with the correct quantity of and spectrum of energy and we have an animal that can thrive even in harsh habitats.
Our issues come from negating its core developed process. Using substrates that are non-natural i.e not found in the wild. As such, the use of soil natural sand based substrates are beneficial as if implemented correctly, they exercise the body and inspire the mind and will provide naturally as a nutritional provider also. It is the use of non-wild sands/substrates or man-made byproducts that can cause issue and ESPECIALLY in those with poor or unbalanced husbandry. The same can be said for snakes kept in aspen, beech, walnut, corncob or lignocel as a sole substrate. Where in the world are these found as an earth layer solely? It is a madness, by using non-natural substrates we negate as stated in your video core developed process and providers.
We must provide a natural, wild-like substrate but then also provide that to a depth that can maintain enough water to allow the humidity to rise at night whilst becoming naturally dry over the heated day. We can help with daily spraying, but if we are to see advancing care, we need to encourage natural cycles. This means substrate layers deep enough to allow digging, burrows and tunnels and being deep enough to allow humidity cycles. Then we will start ticking off natural providers and start to see yet another uptick in welfare.

[repmuts]

Thanks sir for al the very good video's!
You are tackling some of the biggest myths in reptile keeping like no loose substrate, snakes dont need uvb and that ball pythons are completely terrestrial and you are backing it up with scientific facts and and papers. I love it!

[smandbj]

Thank you for this! Sad when I hear someone has their leos on tile and paper towels. 😔

[ConnorLongDVM]

This is a really good video. I was going to make a similar one because folks keep sending me messages on social media freaking out that I keep animals on natural substrate, but I'll probably just link back to you.

Another couple things to keep in mind: GI parasites can also alter gut motility, which can lead to obstruction. And many veterinarians aren't that familiar with reptile patients, and many reptile owners aren't able/don't want to pay for veterinary care for their animals. My personal theory: what has happened is the owner of a sick reptile comes in to a veterinary office, balks at the cost of a workup, maybe shells out $100-200 for the cost of a discounted xray, the vet sees a bunch of sand in the GI tract of a dying animal and goes "I'm so sorry, we have GI obstruction" and then they euthanize.

Nevermind that the animal was dehydrated and had coccidia, that wasn't diagnosed and the owner only remembers "sand impaction", which they post on social media, and now everyone thinks sand killed their lizard and that the Salt Range in Pakistan is lined with bounty paper towels.

[ZokomoTV]

When my mother and step-father first purchased their property for horses at least one (maybe two) horses died because of sand impaction which caused their gastrointestinal tracks to burst - this was mainly because we fed them directly on the ground. So we installed feeders we made out of barrels so they could eat off of the ground. Most horses would eat out of the barrels, some would instantly pull their hay out and eat it right off of the ground. Animals will be animals. We need to take care of them by minimizing risk; but, we also need to stop trying to over-engineer the habitats we make for them in our own homes, it's sad how much controversy there is over this topic. I'm glad you shared the clip of the vet who showed the natural substrate, along with the analysis. People will take sides over this topic without even remotely considering the animal's indigenous habitat.
Regarding the water dish, thankfully the dish we provide for our beardie doesn't raise the humidity too high. I can see how that would be a problem in some areas; however, for us, it works out great. Our beardie drinks at will and we still give him his baths to help with shedding. We're excited to upgrade him to a bioactive set up, hopefully soon!

[Shadiestallie]

I always thought it was weird when everyone said sand was bad. Thank you for confirming it's not, and Australian is mostly sand. I'm glad I keep fresh water in the viv

[Miduuza]

I love this video. Ive only been researching for about a month but I really needed this video

[amyleigh]

Great video with plentiful evidence! Thank you, this was needed!

[jess-sweetheartt]

excellent video :) there is one group i have previously tried to share John courtney-smith interview with animals at home, it was taken down! i stay in the group as they do seem to have good knowledge however if they refuse to accept loose substrate for bearded dragons is best care practice, does make u wonder!
i had a little tegu who had pracites and had caused her a long history of prolapsing with her previous owner. It was the saddest thing to see her on kitchen roll and trying to make her bed from shredded kitchen roll :'( She is happily diggin away on soil now :D

[karleeainslie]

Great video! Full of information and easy to follow.
Thank you!!

[LagartoMilanesa]

What a relief, I'm in Argentina (It's Spring right now and 28C, I think Summer will be hotter than his tank) and the humidity inside the tank is usually 55% no mater if I leave a bowl inside or not, I feared I was going to kill him (though somehow all the other bearded dragons in the country survive 😅)

I'm using paper liners because the breeder told me to do that until he is 1yo (he is 4mo) and then switch to spagnum peat moss or exo terra sand, but the poor thing tries to dig and I've found him sleeping under the paper (he sleeps on a branch otherwise). There is also a guy offering to sell me zoomed reptisand. The price difference is huge, 5USD (peat moss) vs 45USD, but I don't see anyone using peat moss alone.

[miamystical]

My beardie's new tank came with sand and I looked up people saying how it killed their pet so I'm so glad I found this video and these comments 🌟🌟 thank you