| Bearded dragons usually remain healthy if you give | | | | soft tissues in their mouth. If the condition is allowed |
| them proper temperature, housing, and light. But | | | | to progress, the teeth will become loose and the |
| even with the best care, they may experience | | | | gums may start to bleed. The underlying infection |
| various bearded dragon diseases. Some of these | | | | needs to be treated, or this condition will keep giving |
| conditions include metabolic bone disease, egg binding, | | | | your beardie problems. |
| and stomatitis. This article will discuss some of the | | | | Egg Binding |
| most common bearded dragon diseases. | | | | Male dragon owners can relax, as egg binding only |
| Metabolic Bone Disease | | | | affects female. This condition occurs whenever she is |
| Lizards in the wild don't suffer from metabolic bone | | | | unable to pass one or more eggs through the |
| disease. This problem is caused by improper care by | | | | reproductive tract. Various illnesses, improper diet, |
| the owner. An imbalance of vitamin D3, phosphorus, | | | | obesity, and malformed eggs can all cause egg |
| and calcium from the diet is one of the main causes. | | | | binding in bearded dragons. Since it can be fatal within |
| Too little UVB light can also be to blame. | | | | days, a veterinarian needs to be consulted |
| The most prominent sign of this disorder is softening | | | | immediately. If drugs to induce egg laying don't |
| and swelling of the lower jaw. Your dragon may also | | | | correct the problem, your dragon will need to |
| develop lumps and bumps along his legs, back, and | | | | undergo surgery. |
| tail. If left untreated, your lizard will die. To treat the | | | | Adenovirus |
| condition, the underlying cause needs to be fixed. | | | | An infection by an adenovirus is relatively rare in |
| Calcium supplements may also need to be prescribed. | | | | bearded dragons. This is a very good thing as most |
| Stomatitis | | | | don't survive. Young dragons or those with |
| One of the next common bearded dragon diseases is | | | | weakened immune systems are particularly |
| stomatitis, commonly referred to as mouth rot. | | | | susceptible. This disease is made more troublesome |
| Although it isn't really a disease, it is a sign of an | | | | because it doesn't produce many noticeable |
| underlying infection. Bearded dragons with mouth rot | | | | symptoms. Fluids, forced feeding, and antibiotics are |
| will develop a grayish or whitish substance on the | | | | used to try to treat an adenovirus infection. |