Injured Baby Bearded Dragon?

Question

Hey everyone. I have never had any experience with lizards before, but within the last month or so, I have wanted to own a Bearded Dragon. I did some online research on them and today decided to go to Petco after school and look around to get an idea for price. Well, as I walked in, there was a terrarium in the front of the store with a lizard inside. It was a baby Bearded Dragon. It's back right foot is broken off and hanging onto it's body by it's skin. I adopted it and brought it home. I gave it a bath and made a little home for it. As of now, it is just sitting in it's little plastic container with a little bowl of water. I bought some small mealworms for it but it hasn't eaten any yet. It climbs on my fingers when I hold it but when I put it down, it's just sitting there. Will it's foot grow back? I know lizard tails can grow back...but will it's foot? HELP!!! WE NEED HELP!!

Thanks in advance!!

Answer 1

You need to keep the wound as clean as possible. Until you can get to a vet (which this dragon will probably need to go for antibiotics) you can apply a small amount of neosporin with a q-tip. Soak him in luke warm water for atleast 10 minutes each day to help keep him hydrated. You can also add Pedyalite to the water. If you don't already have a tank for him, you need one. Atleast a 20 gallon for now. If you can afford a tank right now, you can keep him in a suitable sized rubbermaid. Like this: http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-printpage-artid-102.html
You don't necessarily have to drill holes in the sides. Leave the top part open or put a screen on top and he'll be fine.
You also need a UVB light. Alteast 8.0. Basking temperatures for baby should be about 110F. Don't leave water bowls in the cage. When the wound has healed you can start doing soaks once to twice a week for hydration. They usually wont drink from water bowls and sometimes bowls in the cage can rise humidity to dangerous levels which causes respiratory infections. Feed him crickets no larger than the space between his eyes. No mealworms. Stick with crickets for now. For greens, collard greens, mustard greens and turnip greens. Look here for a good food chart: http://beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
Stay away from heating pads, hot rocks, and loose substrates (sand, bark, etc). They can cause impaction, especially in baby beardies. Use paper towels for now. It'll be easier to help keep it clean and too avoid infection. Good luck to you and the little guy (or girl).

Answer 2

I'm happy to see that you took home an injured beardie. Sometimes they get passed over.

As you stated, certain reptiles can regenerate limbs or even organs. Unfortuately, beardies don't grow limbs or tails back. Your little guy/girl will have their disability their whole life, but that is something they can live with.

My main concern is that it sounds like your local pet store/breeder may have been a bit negilgent. Lost limbs and tails on baby beardies are ususally the result of inadequate feeding. If the babies get too little food, or are fed crickets that are too big for them, they will nip at their sibblings extremities. Often, large chain stores (like PetCo) employee many part-time employees who don't know the first thing about proper care for reptiles.

All is not lost! The fact that you cared enough to adopt the wounded dragon means that you care enough to do the right thing by him. Going forward, for a health beardie, do the following:
1. You need to see a vet with reptile experiance and get that leg treated if it doen't fall off on its own.
2. Feed your dragon pinhead crickets for the first few months. Young beardies not interested in much else. Offer him some dark greens (mine liked cilantro, basil and romaine as a baby), but it might not eat it.
3. Make sure you have a good UV lap and heat lap. Plenty about these on the net. Don't put your heat lamp over the water dish, or you may cook your pet.
4. Gut-load your crickets and use a calcium suppliment once and a while. "Gut-loading" just means that you put some veggies in with your crickets before hand to increase their nutrient content. Remember, anything they eat (and don't eliminate) goes in your dragon too. Calicium dust can be purchased at PetCo, one $10 container will last you years. Put a pinch in a bag and shake up the crickets until they are covered. Do this once a week or so.
5. Bathing is ok, but you don't need to do it more than once a week. I put mine on a towel and spray him from the top with a spray bottle I bought from CVS. DON'T use an old chemical bottle. Use a clean bottle that never contained anything else.
6. Take him out once a day so he becomes accustom to you.

Please email me at [e-mail] if you have anymore questions. With the proper care, your little dragon can grow up to lead a long healthy life.

-APMc

Answer 3

A friend of mine breeds Bearded Dragons. He said the best thing to do is go to the VET. Obvious answer but offered some other advice since not everyone can afford the trip. The fact that he is not eating is a bad sign. You need to make sure that you are using an ultra violet light and maintain the tank or habitat and around 85F. The hot spot under the lamp should be at 110F if the thermometer is placed in the air between the hot spot and the bulb. Really just keep him as comfortable as possible and encourage him to feed (hand feed him but don't force him to eat). Remember never to feed him iceberg lettuce because it has no vital nutrients. Stick to romaine lettuce and crickets.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

It depends on how bad the injury is if it's a fragment fracture meaning little tiny broken bones or compound fracture a big broken bone. It could take some time to heal, unless it was severed it won't grow back. B.Ds unfortunetly don't build enough energy to regenerate tails, but I read some where that in two years that they do grow back.Goodluck!

Answer 5

I don't think his foot will grow back. He may always have one broken foot - I hope it's not in any pain. If you want to keep your bearded dragon alive, go purchase a heat lamp. He will probably live, but he will need warmth. Best wishes to you and your bearded dragon (my favorite of all the lizards) - I hope he heals well. Don't forget the heat lamp!

Answer 6

No, a foot will not grow back, but the shock and infection could kill him. You need to take him to a reptile vet asap! Beardies need large tanks (at least 40gal breeder), a reptile UVB bulb, a heat lamp with basking temp at 105F for a baby, frequent bathing and misting, crickets properly fed and dusted and no bigger than the space between his eyes, fresh salads, etc. See these websites for good care, but please get him out of the "little" plastic container with the water bowl now!

http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/BD.html
http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/BD.html
http://www.beardeddragon.org/

Answer 7

ok bud take it from a beardie breeder

get that thing in a good space with air temp about 70-75 air temp with atleast 75 watt light on it for heat it needs heat!!! put the light about a 1ft off the bottom of tank it should be atleast 100 on the bottom where the bottom of tank it


but it can all be in one spot and need to have space where it can get out of the heat

\if it doesnt eat mealwormds get pinhead crickets it should go for it if it doesnt eat withing a couple days u may have to force feed but im sure it will

as for the defect it has a good chance to grow back

nothing to worry about get him some hear and decent size tank it also need a uv light


your welcome

Answer 8

If you want to know more about bearded dragons you can find here a good guide: http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=571

Bearded dragons are easy to house and very friendly animals. You need to be familiar with housing, feeding and maintenance so a good book can really help. This is a nice one I recommend http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=571
Cheers ;)

Answer 9

I have no idea ... but please take care of it the right way either way ... make sure it has the right atmosphere and temp. Google it!

Answer 10

you should have reported them to the aspca.