Bearded Dragon Disease and Illness (Pogona vitticeps)

Author: Rachel Hitch

Some of the more common health problems experienced by bearded dragons are:

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)

This is the weakening of the bone caused by an imbalance in vitamin D3, calcium and phosphorus. Foods that are high in oxalates and phosphorus, too much or too little vitamin D3, and too little access to UVB light are all causes of this disease. Signs include hard lumps in the long bones of the legs, bumps along the vertebral column of the back and tail, and softening or hard swelling of the lower jaw.

Mouth Rot (Stomatitis)

This is a systematic infection that often shows up as a whitish or yellow-grey cheesy substance in the soft tissues of the mouth. In advanced cases, the head may be quite swollen, teeth may be loose, and bleeding from the gums may occur. Dragons suffering from Stomatitis often cease or greatly reduce voluntary intake of food and water.

Respiratory Infections

Prolonged exposure to low temperatures, improper humidity and poor cage conditions can result in respiratory infections. Symptoms include gaping, forced exhalation of air, puffing of the throat, a puffed up appearance of the body, and lack of appetite. In some cases, mucus may accumulate in the mouth and/or emerge from the nostrils.

Mites

Like ticks, mites are members of the arachnid family, and survive by sucking the blood of their hosts. They carry and transmit diseases from one reptile to another, and can severely weaken the immune system of their hosts, which can eventually be fatal to the reptile. There are several commercial and veterinary treatments designed for eradicating mites, which can easily be imported into your collection via other reptiles, lack of proper quarantine and certain substrates.

Parasites

Bearded dragons bodies, as with humans, are teeming with microscopic organisms, particularly within the digestive track, which are kept in check by a healthy immune system and beneficial gut flora (good bacteria). A bearded dragon subjected to stress, improper temperatures, starvation, or prolonged dehydration may be at risk of a weakened immune system, and non-beneficial organisms (bad bacteria) will have the chance to flourish and cause problems. The most common signs of gut bacteria problems are changes in the colour and consistency of faeces.

Other health problems and diseases are inclusive, but are not exclusive, of hypervitaminosis A (too much vitamin A), hypothiaminosis (lack of vitamin B), constipation or diarrhoea, dystocia (egg-binding), dehydration, paralysis, and the more recently discovered adenovirus and yellow fungus : a disease still being researched, believed to be linked to a yeast infection in the digestive system that bearded dragons have developed after treatment from antibiotics.

If you experience any unusual symptoms exhibited by your bearded dragon, you must seek expert veterinary advice immediately.