UK Bearded Dragons: Health Issues |
Bearded Dragon Health THE SECTION HERE ON HEALTH IS HERE AS A GUIDE ONLY AND NOT AS A GAURANTEE TO ANYTHING WORKING CORRECTLY. I AM NOT A VET NOR DO I PROFESS TO BE AND IF YOU ARE IN ANY WAY IN DOUBT ABOUT THE HEALTH OF YOUR BEARDED DRAGON THEN PLEASE CONSULT A VET FOR ADVICE There are some bearded dragon health issues that arise from time to time. Bearded dragons are extremely hardy reptiles, especially as they pass the hatchling stage. These health issues are just some things that could affect your dragon. This doesn't mean that every dragon will be affected by them. Even so, it is good to be aware of some of the things that can affect your pet. Find a Veterinarian Probably the best advice that can be given, on bearded dragon health issues, is to find a veterinarian that will handle exotic pets and reptiles, you can look at our vets directory page for one in your area. It's even better if you can find one that specialises in reptiles and, more important, bearded dragons. In a perfect world, you should get your dragon a check up at least once a year. I say a perfect world because I know that this doesn't happen sometimes. Things come up and money gets tight. I definitely understand these things, but it's good to at least know where you can take your dragon in case of emergencies. Most illnesses cannot be diagnosed or treated by the owner. I have seen many posts in reptile forums concerning their sick dragons. Many of these posters are frantic, and rightfully so. The response that I see most of the time to these posts is "Why are you on this forum when you should be getting your dragon to a vet?". For most of the illnesses I write about here as these are only teh basic and most common ones you will probably receive the same response. Prevention Prevention is a big point of bearded dragon health. It is a really good idea to do research and learn as much as you can about caring for bearded dragons. It is also good to own at least one bearded dragon manual. These books will give you great insight to your bearded dragon. I highly recommend The Bearded Dragon Manual by Phillipe de Vosjoli (available on the books page buy clicking title.) If you provide proper housing, heating, lighting and diet you should not come across most things that can affect bearded dragons. Poor conditions, improper diet and care will lead to illness. I also have to say that dragon owners have varying ways of providing care. We all have differing opinions on certain things, but as far as the main things are concerned, most of us agree. It is good to research and find out what others have to say. This website offers guidelines to help you in caring for your dragon. In no way do I think that it is the best way, but things that I have had success with. General Symptoms There are different bearded dragon health issues with varying symptoms. There are, however, some general symptoms that you can watch for. These are some symptoms that you can spot and know that your dragon is ill. If any symptom seems severe, it is time to take your dragon to the veterinarian. The first thing is to observe your dragon every day. Even if you don't suspect illness, it is good to see how your dragon acts when they are healthy. This will help you gauge whether your dragon is healthy, a little under the weather or severely ill. It is good to note that reptiles can go from appearing healthy to be sick very rapidly. Some symptoms to look for are:
These symptoms can also be associated with other things that you don't need to seek care on. That is the one thing that is frustrating about bearded dragon health. A loss of appetite, and lethargy can be attributed to brumation and skin shedding. A dragon not having bowel movements can be caused by these things as well. This is why it can get kind of tricky when doing self diagnosis on your dragon. Common Bearded Dragon Health Problems These are some common bearded dragon health problems that can
occur. As we learn about more health issues and remedies for them or experience them first
hand with our own dragons, I will definitely update this list for you all togain and
benefit from. Metabolic bone disease is caused either by insufficient calcium intake or inability to absorb calcium that is taken in. This is preventable by providing a proper diet with supplements and also providing proper lighting (UVB). This disease goes along with calcium
deficiency and vitamin D3 deficiency. These
also are preventable by providing proper care. Though, these problems can be reversed and
treated if they do occur. The supplements will be very crucial for this. I really like
Nutrobol for calcium supplementation. Used properly the calcium supplement will help
decrease the possibility of metabolic bone disease. Check out my Bearded
Dragon Feeding page to find out more on dragon diets. There are continual advances in reptile lighting technologies
with products such as mercury-vapor bulbs and also Zoomeds Reptisun 10.0 florescent bulb.
If you don't have a UVB source and you are experiencing deficiencies and MBD, you might
want to add a source for your dragon to receive this light. Symptoms of Metabolic Bone Disease are softening of jaw bones, deformities in the tail and spine, not growing at normal rate, fractured limbs, and not being able to move. In extreme cases there
is complete immobility, no appetite, and twitching and spasms of their limbs. These
symptoms will show when the disease has already set in. There really are no early signs of
this condition. Calcium supplementation should be done immediately. I have read of people using Neo-Calglucon (used orally by people) to get calcium in their dragons quickly (Klingenberg, The Bearded Dragon Manual , 2001). If your dragon is too weak and can't feed by themselves you
will have to help them by giving them liquids and food. If your dragon doesn't accept the
involuntary feeding, you will have to see a vet. Metabolic bone disease can be prevented. It is far better to prevent than to treat. With proper diet and care your dragon shouldn't develop this problem. Though, even with the best care things can still go wrong. If you do happen to come by this illness, it is reversible. For questions on feeding and UVB lighting see Bearded Dragon Feeding page and Bearded Dragon Lighting page. Hopefully, armed with information on caring for bearded dragons you won't have to worry about metabolic bone disease. Impaction Bearded dragon impaction is probably the most feared health risk for dragon owners. This is probably one of the most talked about subject that I have seen, related to bearded dragon health. Fear of impaction is the very reason the subject of bearded dragon substrate is so controversial. Certain types of
substrates are more susceptible to being ingested and causing a blockage in your dragons
intestinal tract. I cannot say, for myself, that I know which ones cause this and which
ones don't, there are plenty of opinions out there. Feeding too many mealworms or other insects with hard chitinous shells can also cause impaction. Poor basking temperatures can cause this too, by making it hard for a dragon to digest food properly. Dehydration can also play a role in impaction, as well. Symptoms of Bearded Dragon Impaction Bearded dragon impaction can occur over a period of time, and can have varying signs depending on the severity of impaction. Symptoms for a mild case will include having a hard time passing waste or being constipated. As the impaction gets more severe, symptoms can include:
When giving a bath, make sure that the temperature of the
water is no hotter than what they usually bask in ( 95 degrees). The fluids and baths will
help relax your dragon’s body making it easier to pass what is in their system. You will want to hold back on feeding crickets or worms at this time, depending on the severity of impaction. You can feed strained baby food that is watered down through a medicine dropper. You can also add calcium and vitamin supplements to the baby food. These are just some suggestions that I have read. I have not
yet had to do any of these (knock on wood). If you are going to attempt any of these, make
sure and read the article that I linked to. Bearded dragon impaction is one of the most feared health issues that dragon owners face. With proper heating, feeding, and also watching your dragon closely you should be able to prevent this from happening. As far as substrate goes, I still think that it is a decision that is up to you. I have had good success with substrates that some say are bad and also had poor success with ones that some suggest. It really is going to come down to what you think is best for your dragon. It is a good idea, though, to use a substrate that is very fine (if using sand), and if you use play sand make sure you screen it before use. As with most health issues that affect bearded dragons, good husbandry will decrease the chance of them from happening. Prevention is definitely the key to keeping a healthy bearded dragon. One last thing, don't be unwilling to change if something isn't working. If you always keep in mind the welfare of your pet, you will do well. Injuries Bearded dragon injuries are one of those things that are preventable, but sometimes occur no matter what. Bearded dragon owners can do everything in their power to
make sure that their dragon is safe and things can still happen. Even with
prevention it only takes a slight mishap to make it seem like it was all for nothing. If you have two or more dragons, they might also be prone to nipping at each other. If housing two dragons together, it is best to have only one male per cage. Injuries can be taken care of by using pressure to stop bleeding, if there is any. Then the wound(s) can be cleaned with water and an antiseptic. Make sure to keep the wound
clean. You can also use a triple antibiotic ointment to help aid the healing
process. If wounds don't show signs of healing, don't stop bleeding, or are infected, it
is time to get your dragon to a veterinarian for diagnoses and treatment. Abscesses are small
wounds that go untreated and become infected. These are serious, because they harbour
bacteria and toxins. If these go untreated, they will rupture and lead to septicaemia
(Mazorlig, Bearded Dragons, 1998). These kinds of injuries need immediate veterinarian
help. Burns will occur if your dragon gets to close to its basking lamp or you have a malfunction with one of your heating devices. Make sure that your dragon cannot touch their basking lamp. If able to they will press their body against the light and not know that they are being burned. Also, check your heating equipment every now and then to make sure that it is properly working. Burns, depending on severity, will require a veterinarian
visit. Dehydration and shock go along with burns, as well. Bearded dragon injuries can occur when you least expect it. There are measures you can do to prevent these from happening, but sometimes even with the best prevention they can still occur. Some injuries can be treated by you, and others will require you to see a vet. Injuries can happen, but not every dragon will experience them. You might go the whole life cycle of your dragon without them being injured. Don't get too worried about things that can go wrong. Give your dragon the best possible care you can and you shouldn't have any problems. Mites Bearded dragon mites is a topic that doesn't get discussed that often. The reason for this is bearded dragons aren't as susceptible to mites as other reptile petsSometimes information regarding mites and bearded dragons will be overlooked, because of its rarity. Though, there's always a possibility of this happening. I have found most of my information, pertaining to bearded dragon mites, by reading care information for snakes. Mites seem to be more common with pet snakes. Although uncommon, your dragon can provide a nice home to a colony of mites. If you have different reptiles in your collection, such as snakes along with bearded dragons, the mites can be passed from one to the other. A good way to prevent this is to practice good hygiene between handling and upkeep of the different reptile’s cages. Also, keeping your pets cages clean will help prevent an outbreak. What are Mites? Mites are small arachnids (about 1mm), relatives of ticks. They are external parasites that will feed off of the blood of your bearded dragon. They can be hard to see, because of their small size. They will look like small black dots moving around on your dragon. They are usually first noticed drowned in a water dish. If you’re worried about mites, the first place you might want to check is your dragon’s water dish (if provided). Also, a mites faeces is a white powdery substance that can
sometimes be more noticeable than the mite itself (Tom Mazorlig, Bearded Dragon, 1998).
You might even be able to brush some of the mites off by rubbing your hand over your
dragon. Mites multiply rapidly and can cause lethargy, dehydration or anaemia when present in large numbers (Bill & Kathy Love, The Corn Snake Manual, 2000). Once mites are established they are very difficult to get rid of. There are various products on the market claiming to get rid of mites. I am not sure what products work and what doesn't. I haven't encountered mites with my dragon's yet. It seems that invermectin spray is the most widely prescribed product . This can be done by diluting 5-10 mg of invermectin with a quart of water and apply directly to your dragon. You can use a cotton swab to apply around mouth, eyes, and nostrils. Invermectin is usually only available by prescription from a vet. There are some that will inject it right into your reptile. This not advised. According to Melissa Kaplan of anapsid.org, even the drug’s manufacturer strongly advises against injecting directly into reptiles. There are other treatments that are out there as well. Check
out this great article on mites at anapsid.org
, it just about covers everything about mites and reptiles. Cleaning the Enclosure While trying to eradicate the mites off of your dragon, you will also have to make sure you get them out of their enclosure as well. Any treatment you use on your dragon will only work as good as the treatment you use for the enclosure. You can use the same invermectin spray for this as well. You
will want to soak all cage furnishings for about a half hour, and discard the substrate. While you are fumigating your dragon’s enclosure, you might want to set up a temporary sterile enclosure. You can do this by using a plastic tote and some newspaper. Depending on how long they will be there, make sure you provide a heat source (basking lamp). In Closing While mites may not be as common with bearded dragons as other reptiles, they can still occur. These external parasites are difficult to get rid of, and require some time and effort on your part. Though difficult, you can get rid of them. If this didn't provide enough information, you might want to check out this great article at anapsid.org. This article will have just about everything you need to know about bearded dragon mites. Coccidia are microscopic parasites that are found in the intestinal tract of bearded dragons. Most bearded dragons in captivity will harbour small amounts of this parasite. A small amount of this organism is fairly normal, and a dragon's immune system can usually keep it under control. Whether these parasites are a natural occurrence or were
introduced in captivity is unsure. What is sure, though, is that large amounts of this
parasite will adversely affect your bearded dragon. As you either already know or will find out, bearded
dragons’ don't stay clear of their faeces. Most dragons will run through their waste
and then proceed to run through their water and food dishes. This provides a way for the
parasite to be ingested. If you are buying a new dragon, no matter where you get it
from, it will take a little while to adjust to its new home. This transition will also
cause your dragon an amount of stress. For this reason it is a good idea to give them
plenty of time to get adjusted before doing other things that might push the stress even
further, i.e., handling. It can also lead to your dragon not wanting to eat, weight
loss and lower their immune system and make it easier for other infections to come in. The best thing that you can do when acquiring a new dragon is to have a stool sample checked by a veterinarian, and if your introducing a new dragon into a colony of dragons you will definitely want to quarantine them before putting them in with the others. While having a stool sample checked might not be necessary all the time, it is a good preventive measure. Some veterinarians will check a stool sample without giving a check-up. This will save you a little bit of money in the process. The other thing you can do, is prevention. To prevent this parasite from growing in numbers, you have to practice good hygiene for your dragon and it's enclosure. Make sure that you scoop out waste every day, depending on what substrate you use. If you use newspaper as a substrate you will want to change it daily, and if possible right after a dragon defecates. If the faeces is left in the cage, your dragon has more of an opportunity of running through it and tracking it throughout the rest of the cage. Live prey such as crickets and mealworms can also pass through the faeces, making it easier for your dragon to re ingest the parasite. Bearded dragons have even been known to eat some of their own stools. You'll also want to make sure you have a cage cleaning routine. You'll want to clean your food and water dishes on a regular basis. Make sure you wash them separately from the rest of your regular dishes. You can use a 10% bleach and water solution to disinfect the dishes and also cage fixtures. Make sure that if you use bleach, you rinse the items thoroughly to get rid of any excess bleach. If you use a sand substrate, you will want to
have a schedule for a complete change out. It would be good to change it at least every
month to three months. I will say that I am not perfect at this. Prevention is the best key to keeping a healthy dragon. Sometimes, though, even with the best of prevention things do happen. Some symptoms you can look for are lethargy, loss in appetite, runny stools, weight loss and just an overall sick look. If you suspect a coccidia outbreak, it is time
to take your dragon to a vet. Your veterinarian will prescribe a sulpha drug, such as
Albon. They will let you know how much to give and how to administer it. It will be a hassle to provide the upkeep on the cage, but it will be well worth it to get your dragon healthy again. Even with prescribed drugs it will take up to six weeks for successful treatment. There are new drugs that are still being
developed that could potentially do a better job than what is out there already. Time will
only tell when and if these drugs come to market. For the most part bearded dragons are hardy animals and are not prone to getting sick easily, but it does happen. The best thing to do for any noticed sickness is to seek a veterinarian. You might be able to diagnose and maybe even cure some lesser illnesses, but for ones that are beyond your control you don't want to endanger your dragon's life. You don't have to look for illness in every little thing, but it is good idea to keep an eye on their behaviour. With prevention and good husbandry you shouldn't have to many problems keeping a healthy dragon. Tail Rot Bearded dragon tail rot is a health problem that can occur from time to time. I have experienced this myself just recently with one of my own dragons This isn't a common problem, but it does occur. Bearded
dragons with tail nips, or tail trauma of some sort seem more susceptible. While tail rot
can lead to problems, if it is caught early it can be treated and reversed. Tail rot is the term used when a bearded dragon tail tip darkens and gets infected. If tail rot is not caught early enough this will spread down the tail and may eventually fall off. Don't worry that your dragon is all of the sudden going to
develop tail rot out of the blue. There are certain things that cause this to happen. There are actually a couple of different things that may lead to bearded dragon tail rot. The first cause is trauma to the tail. Trauma can include, but not limited to, injuries from being crushed by cage decor (or anything else), and tail nips. The second cause of this is accumulated, unshed tail tips. I purchased a dragon with a minor tail nip. This
made it harder for the tip of the tail to shed, I am guessing. It was so small that I
didn't noticed unshed skin accumulating. Unshed skin was accumulating, however, and sure
enough the tail of my dragon started to darken. Since the causes of bearded dragon tail rot are caused either by trauma or unshed tail tips, it can definitely be prevented. Even though it is preventable, we sometimes fall short of being perfect dragon owners. I am speaking of myself here. If this fits you too, feel free to join me. I do make mistakes, but I learn as I go along. The first thing to do in prevention of bearded dragon tail rot, is make sure that there is nothing in your dragon’s cage that can fall on or pinch their tail. Make sure that there is nothing that they are exposed to that can damage their tails. Another prevention tip is to give your dragon
baths to help aid them with tough shedding. This will help stop unshed tail tips from
accumulating. I don't know about other dragons, but my dragon became lethargic and soon refused to eat anything. There will also be a noticeable darkening of the tip of the dragons tail. Over time this darkening will start to work its way toward the base of the tail. You don't want to let this go for too long, if
you notice it. I am not sure if the lethargy goes along with tail rot. It might have been
the fact that my dragon was having a hard time shedding her skin at the same time. If the tail rot is identified before it gets out of hand, it can be treated at home. When we realised what was happening to our dragon we immediately gave her a bath and also dipped her tail in hydrogen peroxide. Using hydrogen peroxide will help soften the skin allowing its removal. Hydrogen peroxide will also treat the infection. If your dragon experiences a trauma to their
tail, you can also use hydrogen peroxide to stop infection from the injury. This will help
stop anything before it even starts. My dragon shows no signs of the tail rot. I'm
not sure how bad that the tail rot had got, but I do know that it down her tail. That's why my wife had to do it. She is really
good at helping unshed skin come off and also at other things that take a delicate hand
like nail clipping. I am totally blessed to have someone to help me with these things. Bearded dragon tail rot can be a real pain in the tail. Sorry for the pun. If you use the prevention methods, you probably will never have to deal with this. If you're like me and sometimes make mistakes, tail rot can be reversed. Keep an eye on your dragon, especially when they are shedding and especially if they have a tail nip. If you see any sign of darkening in their tail,
start treating it right away. I hope that my bad experience helps you to not
encounter the same problem. I know that I am more aware of tail rot now. It's hard on dragon and owner when there is a problem. The best advice that I can give on bearded dragon health is to find a veterinarian in your area that provides care to reptiles. This will take a lot of the guess work out of diagnosing illnesses yourself. I have just written about some of the bearded dragon health issues that I have come across while doing my own research. Don't let all these things worry you, though. Provided with proper husbandry, your bearded dragon should avoid most of these problems. Even with the best of care, though, some dragons can still get sick. I hope that you and your dragon(s) never experience any of these problems. I also hope that you find this information useful. Remember, take these things with a grain of salt. As I said earlier, I am not a veterinarian. I just wanted to pass along information that I have found useful. |
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