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I get tons of calls and email's from worried dragon owners wondering if their dragon is sick. It can be a very stressful time for the dragon owner and the
dragon as well if things aren't just right. Some people forget that I am not a veterinarian lol. Yes, most breeders can diagnose and properly treat their
animals IF they have what they need on hand, but still... I must stress as I have done in several pages of the site, when in doubt or you suspect something is
wrong - go to the vet (click here for local vets in the GTA) or check out Herp Vet Connection ! They have the equipment and the years of experience that I
don't. After hours I will only see badly injured dragons or if I suspect respiratory infection - because things can go downhill fast if not treated promptly. Know
that when you call or email me I will be running down a bunch of questions to find out what may be the problem. These are some of the questions I will ask:
These are all questions you can ask yourself as well. Believe it or not many of these questions can tell a person a lot of information. For example If your
dragons eyes appear sunken and the skin is wrinkled that tells me your dragon is very dehydrated and possibly has lost allot of weight recently. If your
dragon appears to be failing to thrive, lethargic and you possibly view twitching... The questions I would hone in on first are questions about the UV light and
vitamins. Allot of diagnosis is a process of elimination. Remember there can be "things" causing problems that can only be determined by a microscope.
A quick way to rule out or rule in something is a simple stool sample to the vet. At least then you know or not whether your dragon is suffering with a
parasite, worms or flagellates. Most vets charge anywhere from $35 - $50 for a fecal examination. You can collect a stool sample in a clean 35mm film
canister or an empty pill bottle. Sanitize these containers as best as you can and dry it thoroughly. After you have collected your stool sample put a label on
it with your reptile's name, approximate date of birth, date of collection, species, sex of your reptile and your name and contact information. Analyzation
usually takes about 2-3 days. Ask your vet if they only call you with results if something is found or if they call you regardless.
If your dragon is required to take medication it is VERY important that you follow the directions and complete the treatment duration that your vet has outlined
for you! Bearded Dragons, actually reptiles in general have a small selection of medications that they can take effectively and if you fail to complete a
treatment of Baytril for example... You can pretty much rule that medication off your list of options for future treatments because you have now built up a
resistance to it by failing to complete it. Much like antibiotics in humans.
Please copy and paste the above questions into an email and answer each one to the best of your ability and honestly. I cannot give you sound advice if
you don't give me all the facts. Please remember I am NOT a vet. I can only tell you my suspicions and advise you to go to the vets for a firm diagnosis.
dragon as well if things aren't just right. Some people forget that I am not a veterinarian lol. Yes, most breeders can diagnose and properly treat their
animals IF they have what they need on hand, but still... I must stress as I have done in several pages of the site, when in doubt or you suspect something is
wrong - go to the vet (click here for local vets in the GTA) or check out Herp Vet Connection ! They have the equipment and the years of experience that I
don't. After hours I will only see badly injured dragons or if I suspect respiratory infection - because things can go downhill fast if not treated promptly. Know
that when you call or email me I will be running down a bunch of questions to find out what may be the problem. These are some of the questions I will ask:
- How old is your dragon?
- How long have you had him?
- What are the temperatures in his enclosure?
- Is there a clear basking zone and cooling zone?
- How often are you giving him Calcium with D3?
- How often are you giving him a multivitamin supplement?
- When was the last time his UV light was changed?
- What is the brand of UV that you are using on your dragon?
- How close is the UV to the dragons most common area to hang out?
- What are his symptoms?
- What has he eaten lately?
- Tell me what a typical feeding consists of?
- Is he eating anything new?
- When was the last time he had a bath?
- When was the last time you misted him?
- Do his eyes appear sunken in?
- When was the last time he had a stool sample analyzed? Did they find anything? Was he treated?
- When was the last time he went to the bathroom?
- Did it appear normal? Runny? Solid? Ashy?
- What was the size of the urate?
- Is his skin wrinkled?
- What time does he get up in the morning?
- What time does he go to bed?
- Does his poop smell *more than usual*?
- Has he been on any medication lately? What for? What was it called?
These are all questions you can ask yourself as well. Believe it or not many of these questions can tell a person a lot of information. For example If your
dragons eyes appear sunken and the skin is wrinkled that tells me your dragon is very dehydrated and possibly has lost allot of weight recently. If your
dragon appears to be failing to thrive, lethargic and you possibly view twitching... The questions I would hone in on first are questions about the UV light and
vitamins. Allot of diagnosis is a process of elimination. Remember there can be "things" causing problems that can only be determined by a microscope.
A quick way to rule out or rule in something is a simple stool sample to the vet. At least then you know or not whether your dragon is suffering with a
parasite, worms or flagellates. Most vets charge anywhere from $35 - $50 for a fecal examination. You can collect a stool sample in a clean 35mm film
canister or an empty pill bottle. Sanitize these containers as best as you can and dry it thoroughly. After you have collected your stool sample put a label on
it with your reptile's name, approximate date of birth, date of collection, species, sex of your reptile and your name and contact information. Analyzation
usually takes about 2-3 days. Ask your vet if they only call you with results if something is found or if they call you regardless.
If your dragon is required to take medication it is VERY important that you follow the directions and complete the treatment duration that your vet has outlined
for you! Bearded Dragons, actually reptiles in general have a small selection of medications that they can take effectively and if you fail to complete a
treatment of Baytril for example... You can pretty much rule that medication off your list of options for future treatments because you have now built up a
resistance to it by failing to complete it. Much like antibiotics in humans.
Please copy and paste the above questions into an email and answer each one to the best of your ability and honestly. I cannot give you sound advice if
you don't give me all the facts. Please remember I am NOT a vet. I can only tell you my suspicions and advise you to go to the vets for a firm diagnosis.
Written by: Robin Moniz 2007
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