Common Bearded Dragon Diseases

If you notice that your Bearded Dragon is sick then you need to consult with a qualified Herp vet immediately. Dragons do not show illness until it is almost too late to save them.

If it is not breeding season, brumation or the beginning of a new shed period, the following signs may indicate pain from an injury, abscess, tumour, abdominal mass, or other problem:

Behavior:
Restless
Anorexic
Lack of appetite
Depressed
Changes in stool such as smelly, runny, bloody or none at all
A discharge from the mouth, eyes or nostrils


Movement:
Lethargy
Lack of usual activity
Reluctance to move
Favouring a limb, tail or quadrant
Limping, lameness
Slowed reflexes (in the absence of being too cold)

Responses:
Unusual aggression to all contact
Withdrawal or avoidance behaviour, especially in a usually sociable or gregarious individual

Posture:
Hunching (abdomen tucked up)
Sunken eyes
Won't lay down, even in favored places
Stands holding foot or limb elevated

Impaction

Impaction is a condition where a bearded dragon's digestive tract is blocked by a solid or semi-solid object.

In the case of a major impaction, the dragon will not be very mobile, one or both back legs may appear paralysed. If the impaction is higher in the digestive track, the front legs may also be paralysed. A lower impaction that is only affecting the back legs can continue to grow until the front legs are also affected.

Causes of Impaction.

Impaction can be caused by several things. One possible cause is if a beardie ate items that are too large to properly move through their digestive tract.


1. Mites

Mites, like ticks, are eight-legged bloodsucking organisms. They carry and transmit diseases from one reptile to another. Mites can usually be found roaming the body, tucked under the edges of scales and congregating around the eyes, ears, and any place on the body where the scales are thinner.

2. Terminal Ingestion

Young dragons swallow food that are too large and they can die from this because the item gets lodged within their digestive track. Signs of this is when they extend their back legs straight back as though they are paralysed or in pain. You can raise the basking temps and soak your dragon in warm water to induce a bowel movement. Success is a long shot.

3. Thermal Burns

These are caused by direct contact with a heat source and scald the skin - most likely resulting in blisters. The blisters often break open and create the opportunity for secondary bacterial infections which not only complicate treatment, but could possibly be fatal (depending on the severity). Dragons will walk through their feces - so an impeccable cage is a must during treatment. While daily treatment can be taken care of at home - initial diagnosis and follow-ups should be performed by your veterinarian.

4. Calcium Deficiency

Without adequate calcium and vitamin D3 in your Dragon's diet, aside from a slow growth rate, you will more than likely encounter Metabolic Bone Disease.

5. Hypovitaminosis A

Early on, there is some swelling of the eyelid, some mild swelling around the iris, and some tearing of the eye in cases of hypovitaminosis A.

6. Respiratory Infections

Bearded Dragons are very resistant to respiratory infections. BUT... prolonged exposure to low temperatures, improper humidity and poor cage conditions could result in respiratory complications.

7. Dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration are sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, lack of appetite, and lethargy. The digestive tract requires fluids to process foods, if there are not enough fluids available they will be taken from other critical systems. When dehydrated, having a loss of appetite may be one way the Beardie's body tries to protect itself.

8. Stomatitis

Stomatitis or mouth rot is a systemic infection that often shows up as a whitish or yellow-gray cheesy substance in the soft tissues of the mouth. In advanced cases, the head may be quite swollen, and teeth may be loose. You need to take your dragon to a vet for a proper diagnosis and antibiotic treatment if you suspect he has mouth rot.

Reptiles with stomatitis usually stops eating and drinking.

9. Internal Parasites

Symptoms of internal parasites include weight loss, worms in the stools, runny stools, gaping and listlessness. If you observe a combination of these symptoms you should take your bearded dragon to a veterinarian to have a stool sample examined to determine if there are any parasites present and if so, what kind they are. Follow their recommendation for treatment. If you notice any of these signs, please contact your vet.

10. Coccidia

Coccidia is a microscopic parasite that all dragons normally have in their intestinal tract, in some very small amount. This is a normal occurrence, both in the wild, and in Beardies being kept in captivity. A minimal coccidia count is usually not troublesome in a healthy dragon. Their immune systems are able to keep the amount of coccidia in their systems in check, so that they don't become sick from them.

However, one of the things that can cause a dragon's immune system to stop working properly is stress. And unfortunately, when you bring your Beardie home with you, no matter where you get him from, or how much you fuss over him, he is going to suffer from relocation stress for at least a week or two.

11. MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease)

In general, metabolic bone disease (MBD) is the weakening of the bone of your Bearded Dragon caused by an imbalance in vitamin D3, calcium, and phosphorus. Several foods, which have a high calcium content, such as spinach, carrots, collards, chards and other thick leafy greens, also contain oxalates, which bind to calcium. When foods high in oxalates are eaten by a Beardie, the oxalates attack the calcium and make it useless in their body.

Vitamin D3, calcium, and phosphorus work together in maintaining bone growth, muscle contractions and blood coagulation. Too much phosphorus can throw this balance off, as can too much or too little vitamin D3 or too little access to UVB light.