Have you ever thought about the question, “Can bearded dragons get high?”
I was unaware of this, and no one could assist me in resolving it, so I conducted my own research.
Hopefully, my knowledge and experience will prove valuable to someone who shares the same curiosity as I do.
Let’s dive into it!
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Do Bearded Dragons Have an Endocannabinoid System?
Firstly, we should talk about the endocannabinoid system.
Beardies are the same as humans, and they have a system inside the body called the endocannabinoid system.
It is composed of the cannabinoid receptor protein and endocannabinoids.
If you stimulate this system, the pain will be released and reduce inflammation.
Can I Smoke Around Bearded Dragons?
Many beardie owners smoke, but they do not think about how it affects their animals.
We all know that cigarette smoking is harmful to our lives, but it is also bad for dragons because their size is small, and their lungs are also tiny.
If you have a bearded dragon, you should always smoke far away from them, and you should wash your hands carefully after smoking.
Without washing properly, the nicotine and other chemicals might remain in your hand and be transferred to your pet.
The odor and the skin contact with nicotine are not pleasing.
What Happens If You Get a Bearded Dragon High?
Someone loves the feeling when they get high from smoking cannabis. However, I am sure that it is not for bearded dragons or any animals.
If their endocannabinoid system is stimulated, the beardie will become very disoriented, and they will begin to slow down until they can not move. They might vomit, too!
It is not a comfortable experience for your lovely pet. Some beardies get hectic and move uncontrollably. If you want to see how they act, take a look at this video.
Can bearded dragons get high from weed? Of course, you can get them high with weed.
However, there are no medicinal advantages for reptiles from cannabis or weed.
Even cannabis can cause some severe poisoning for the beardie, resulting in intermittent and uncontrollable vomiting and even death in some severe cases.
If you do it for your entertainment, you should think again one more time to see if you deserve to have a pet or not.
Besides, it is some kind of animal abuse. It might kill your pet.
If you are looking for some excellent and perfect medicinal benefits or advice, you should get professional advice and consult a veterinarian.
Why Did My Pet Get Sick?
However, I can show you several reasons for the illness of bearded dragons. I am sure that you will find it suitable.
Firstly, I must say that illnesses are popular for the pet, and it is all because of our neglect or lacking knowledge.
Your beardie can get ill from stress, being improperly fed, or being kept in harmful conditions.
If you expect to get the best life for them, then you should do some research and, importantly, give your pet more attention.
Commonly, stress and being improperly fed are two of the most problems for beardies.
Your pet can get stressed easily and quickly, especially when moving to a new place.
The stress also starts from bad conditions such as the unsuitable temperature, the cleaning level, case conditions, lighting setup, suitable hiding spots, and the proper diet.
If you do not take care of these conditions, your pet will become sick soon.
Stress will result in many health problems such as metabolic bone disease, infectious stomatitis, respiratory infection, and adenovirus.
What Are Signs of Illnesses for Bearded Dragons?
You can prevent all these issues by catching the sign early and solving it with the correct method.
Getting bearded dragons high is not the right thing to do. There are three main signs for you to realize if your pet gets ill:
- Do not eat properly
- Not pooping
- Dark skin coloration
The two first things can be recognized easily. If they don’t eat, it might be because of their incorrect diet.
You can try to split the protein and vegetable into a ratio of 70% to 30%.
- 70% protein (mealworms or crickets are safe and nice food for beardies with rich protein content)
- 30% vegetables (cucumber, lettuce, tomato, carrot provide a lot of needed vitamins and minerals for your pet’s development)
The third sign, skin color, might start from the temperature inside the enclosure. This sign is also one of the main signs that your pet is coming to the brumation period.
It happens through the cold months, and your pet will slow down this time. You should consider this factor to stop your beardies from getting into the brumation stage too soon. They will stop eating at this stage.
That is also why they are healthy if they have to face this stage only one time/year.
The bad living conditions can affect their health. They always need to have optimal living conditions to stay healthy.
The enclosure temperature should be from 88 to 1000 degrees F. While the cooler end should be from 70 to 75 degrees F.
The level can be controlled through an excellent thermometer.
Besides, you should remember to remove all the excrement as soon as possible because leaving it in the cage for a long time will result in infections and illnesses, which would be very harmful to small reptiles.
You should remove and replace the substrate at least once a week. It will support your pet to reduce stress and reduce the chance of disease or infection.
You should offer them a suitable hiding spot, too. They want to hide from humans sometimes.
It will make them feel natural inside the enclosure.
However, you should monitor them well because the temperature can get too hot sometimes.
Although a beardie can deal with the high temperature, over a long time, it can drain their energy and cause them to take shelter for a while.
How to Take Care of Bearded Dragons?
If you do not know how to take care of your beardies, this section will be useful.
1. Enclosure
Choosing the large and well-ventilated enclosure from 20 to 40 gallons of glass with the screen on top will be very lovely for the beardie’s development.
a. Substrate
The bottom should be covered with clean and safe material. Your pet will eat bedding made of small particles.
Thus, don’t use sand, wood chips, or gravel.
You should choose some types such as newspapers, paper towels, or carpets for pets.
b. Water
You should keep the freshwater bowl to drink and change the water every day. Your pet will love the shallow soak every week with warm water and mist.
c. Light
Ultraviolet light is required for 12 to 14 hours every day in the summer and 8 hours in winter.
UV can not go through the plastic and glass, so don’t use any cover between the bulb and your pet.
UV light should be changed every six months.
Most UVB lights do not produce much heat, so the heat lamp is needed for basking.
The light should not be used at night because your pet needs to sleep in darkness.
Besides, nighttime heat should be provided with a ceramic heat emitter or under-tank mats.
d. Temperature
You should maintain the daytime temp between 75 to 85 degrees F.
The basking spot should be at around 88 to 100 degrees F.
At night, you should keep around 70 to 75 degrees F. It should be controlled by the thermometers mounted at both cool and hot enclosures’ ends.
e. Humidity
From 20 to 40% is suggested humidity. The hygrometer can help you control it well.
f. Furniture
Beardies need to climb on the rocks and low branches in the wild.
Thus, you should provide them the branches for climbing, rocks for basking upon, and shelter for hiding in. Rock should be put under the heat lamp and the pool area too.
The plants such as aloe, palms, and cycads are needed to use.
g. Maintenance
You should check the enclosure daily, and remove and replace the soiled or wet portions of substrate for preventing the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Besides, you should change the substrate and disinfect the cage with soap or bleach solution regularly and rinse thoroughly.
Don’t forget to wash your hands after and before cleaning.
2. Handling
If you have children at home, you should supervise children when they are interacting with pets.
Give them time to handle it for a short amount of time. Don’t handle the beardie by the tail, as it can break off.
You should pick them up with all 4 feet supported.
What to Do Before You Handle Them?
You should remember that pets might bite and can transmit diseases to us.
The pet is a potential carrier of infections.
Hence, you should wash your hands before and after handling and cleaning the habitat to prevent diseases’ potential spread.
Bearded dragons getting high is not the way to make them relax or your entertainment.
Thus, please avoid even smoking near their enclosure.
3. Foods
Here is a table that shows you what food you can give to your bearded dragon:
| Suggested foods | Occasional treats | ||
| Collards | Apples | Papayas | |
| Dandelion greens or flowers | Bell peppers | Apricots | Pears |
| Endive | Carrots | Bananas | Tomatoes |
| Grapes leaves | Green beans | Berries | Geranium flowers |
| Mustard | Peas | Cantaloupe | Pansies |
| Turnip | Sweet potato | Grapes fruits | Petunias |
| Green or red leaf lettuce | Cucumber | Oranges | Rose |
Read More:
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Radish Greens?
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Honeydew Melon?
- Do Bearded Dragons Eat Dill?
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Chard?
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Brussel Sprouts?
Frequently Asked Questions About Bearded Dragons
1. Can Bearded Dragons Get High?
Beardie loves to climb and bask up high. Hence, sturdy branches, logs, and rocks are necessary to keep your pet happy and enjoyable.
However, for safety, you should make sure that the climbing place is safe and that your pet will not fall and hurt.
2. Do Bearded Dragons Like Hugging?
They would love to be cuddled and handled. However, beardies will have unique personalities.
Your pet will have different acts compared to others.
3. Can My Bearded Dragon Learn Its Name?
They can learn to respond to their name if they associate it with something such as food.
If you want them to remember their name, you should use the same tone of voice and repetition.
4. Do Bearded Dragons Bite?
Yes, bearded dragons bite. However, it happens rarely.
There are many bearded dragon owners who have never got bitten at all.
5. Can I Kiss My Bearded Dragons?
They are not poisonous to us, so you can kiss them. A bite will not cause temporary swelling, but biting does not happen a lot.
6. Should I Wake Up a Bearded Dragon?
We need to wake them up for several reasons such as cleaning the cage.
7. Do Bearded Dragons Like Bathing?
Giving a bath with your pet is one of the funniest and most excellent activities. Most of them love the warm bath often.
Giving your pet consistent baths is important for proper hygiene.
Conclusion
Please, don’t try to get your bearded dragon high. If anyone asks you, “Can bearded dragons get high?” remember the answer!
I hope that my suggestion will be nice to you. If you think your pet is not healthy, see a veterinarian!
Key points on bearded dragons getting high:
Bearded dragons, as reptiles, have a unique physiology that differs from mammals, making them react differently to various substances, including those that may cause psychoactive effects. Here’s what you need to know about whether bearded dragons can get high:
1. Lack of Endocannabinoid System:
- Unlike mammals, bearded dragons do not possess an endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for the reception and processing of cannabinoids like THC found in marijuana.
- As a result, they do not have the necessary receptors for substances like THC to have a psychoactive impact.
2. Limited Sensory Perception:
- Bearded dragons have relatively limited sensory perception, particularly when it comes to detecting and reacting to external stimuli.
- Their primary senses include vision, touch, and smell.
3. Minimal Brain Activity:
- The brain activity of bearded dragons is notably lower compared to mammals, and their cognitive processes are basic.
- This limits their capacity to perceive and respond to stimuli in the same way mammals might.
4. Unique Metabolism:
- Bearded dragons have a metabolism tailored to their herbivorous diet and reptilian physiology.
- They process substances differently, making it unlikely for substances like THC to affect them in the same way they do mammals.
5. Potential for Harm:
- Attempting to expose a bearded dragon to substances like THC or other drugs is not only ineffective but also potentially harmful.
- Introducing foreign substances to their system can disrupt their natural balance and lead to stress, illness, or even death.
6. Dangers of Secondhand Exposure:
- Bearded dragons can be sensitive to environmental factors such as smoke, fumes, or aerosolized substances.
- Exposing them to an environment with substances like marijuana smoke or vaping can be harmful.
7. Responsible Pet Ownership:
- Bearded dragon owners should prioritize the well-being of their pets by providing a safe and clean environment.
- This includes avoiding exposure to any substances that could potentially harm or distress the reptile.
8. Toxic Plants:
- Bearded dragons should also be kept away from plants that may be toxic to them, such as certain houseplants or outdoor vegetation.
- Ingesting these plants can be dangerous.
9. Expert Veterinary Care:
- If you suspect that your bearded dragon has ingested or been exposed to harmful substances, consult a reptile-experienced veterinarian immediately.
In summary, bearded dragons do not possess the necessary physiological and neurological components to experience the psychoactive effects of substances like THC. Attempting to expose them to such substances is not only ineffective but also potentially harmful to their health. Responsible pet ownership entails creating a safe and suitable environment for your bearded dragon, free from any substances that could pose risks to their well-being. It’s essential to prioritize the health and comfort of your reptilian companion.
