Vet Q&A-Reptile

My son got a male bearded dragon from someone. we noticed that his left front paw is turned in a way that the bottom of his paw is facing outwards towards the left {almost flipped over}. He is also missing some nails. Should we take him to a vet?

This could be a result of prior injury, nutritional deficiency or congenital defect. Since Airez is "new" to you, an exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet would be recommended. The missing nails should not pose a problem. If he isn't lame or does not seem bothered by his paw, then it may not be an issue but this would need to be confirmed after a physical exam.

My beardies colours are fading a bit, from what they normally are. and he has been digging in his incloser a lot, I am wondering if maybe he is fading cuz of the dust from digging on his body making him look dull, or maybe he is going into shed? He is an adult ... I don’t know if adult bearded dragons shed at all. Is there anything I can do for his colours to come back? ( The photo is of what he normally looks like )

Yes, it sounds like Lightning could be in the process of shedding. Here is great article that should answer all of your questions about the process. http://pogopogona.com/caring-for-bearded-dragons/bearded-dragon-shedding Just be sure that you have all of his husbandry 100% correct (lighting, diet, supplements, humidity, temperature, etc) because that is the #1 reason bearded dragons have health issues. If he is not in the process of shedding then he may be getting sick. https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/bearded-dragon.html Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again. Best wishes.

Hi my name is Cameron and I got sand for my adult bearded dragon and I used to have a Matt like what you use for a golf course surface and I was wondering how do you make your bearded dragon from not licking the sand and swallowing it?

Hi Cameron and thank you for your question. I would recommend that you keep using the mat rather than sand exactly because of the concerns you have mentioned. You could get 2 mats and use one while the other is being cleaned. There is no real way of preventing them from swallowing sand.

My baby bearded dragon keeps getting crusties all over his mouth. Is this mouth rot?

Look for redness, swelling, decreased appetite or excess salivation. The "crust" may be food crumbs, shed skin or substrate. A physical exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet would be needed to definitively diagnose rot. In the meantime, make sure the enclosure is clean as poor husbandry can predispose a beardie to infection. High humidity can also promote bacterial or fungal overgrowth.

My small red eared turtle was attacked by a small dog but he survived he hasnt move much but hes still alive. Part of shell was broken off and another piece was cracked. If there something i could for him.

Hello. Henry must be taken to a veterinarian immediately. The shell is made of bone and any break is extremely painful and open to infection. Also, the location of the break may communicate worth the lungs or coelomic (abdominal) cavity and this could be serious. He likely needs fluids, antibiotics, and she’ll repair in addition to pain medication. Arav.org has reptile vets listed by state. Good luck Henry!

So I've had my bearded dragon for 5 days now and he hardly has eaten anything. I was wondering if there was any ways I could get him to eat his food. He hasn't eaten any veggies at all but he has had a few crickets, a roach, and a few calciworms. He looks skinnier now that when I got him. Also he keeps glass surfing... but outside of his tank?

He may still be adjusting to his new home. Check the temps in his enclosure. Low temperature can affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Aim for a gradient of about 80 F to 90 F from cool to warm side. The basking spot should be about 100 F. Soak in warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20-30 minutes daily. Gently massage his abdomen to stimulate defecation in case of constipation. Offer appropriately sized prey, no bigger than the space between his eyes. As a new pet, he should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose any preexisting conditions or to confirm a healthy dragon. You can also request a consultation to discuss set up and care in greater detail..

What snakes are the easiest to care for as a first-time owner?

Hi there,. The best starter snakes are corn snakes and red tailed boas. They don't get too large and usually have good temperaments. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Snakes/Corn-Snake/ https://www.petco.com/content/petco/PetcoStore/en_US/pet-services/resource-center/caresheets/red-tailed-boa.html I hope this helps!

My bearded dragon caught a common toad (Bufo bufo) in the backyard and ate it.Next morning she vomited the toad undigestet with some other insects i gave her.She didnt wanted to eat and now,the day afer,is very introvert and depressed.She vomits everything I give her but drinks water.I read online that bufotoxin can kill them if they dont vomit the toad...So is there any hope and what should i do?We dont have any specialist for reptiles here so please help me,I love her so much :(.Thanks so much

It is likely thst some of the toxin has entered her system, but hopefully most will have come up with the toad itself. She will lukely be off form a few days and have an upset tummy. If the vet isnt an option all you can do is nurse her, bathe her to try and keep hydration up and just keep a close eye on her.

Does my bearded dragon look overweight? I'm planning on taking him to the vet soon for a checkup but just wanted to know now. Also, is there anyway you can tell his age other than size. He's almost 81/2 in so I guesstimated around 3 months. Does this seem accurate? Anyways, thank you for the help!

It appears based on the picture that clyde is at a good weight currently. He does appear to be on the young side like 3-5 months old. I would recommend following up with a vet like you plan to . This will help review his basic husbandry needs. proper light and diet are very important in maintain Cyldes health.