Bearded Dragon Scab on Lower Lip

by Sheridan
(Texas)

Reader Question: My bearded dragon has a huge scab on her lower lip and I don't know what caused it. it is scaring me because it looks as if she is loosing a lot of weight what should I do???

Vet Suggestion For treating a Bearded Dragon Scab

Hi Sheridan,

Many wounds to pet lizards develop as a result of trauma, for instance repeately running into the glass sides of terrariums or scraping the face on hard substrates lining the bottom of cages. If you don’t prevent the behavior that is causing these lesions (e.g., by providing more hiding places in the terrarium and covering the outside of glass terrariums to reduce stress) they will not heal. Infections and parasites are other common causes of skin problems in bearded dragons. Your lizard’s weight loss likely indicates that you are dealing with a chronic problem that is having a significant adverse effect on her health and well being.

Many health concerns in reptiles develop because we fail to meet all of of the animal’s environmental (temperature, humidity levels, etc.) and/or husbandry (dietary, habitat, etc.) needs. Briefly, bearded dragons need a desert-type terrarium, an ominorous diet, vitamin and calcium supplements, full spectrum UV lighting, humidity levels around 40%, and temperatures of 76°-86°F in the daytime with access to a basking site at 90°-100°F and nighttime temperatures that don’t fall below 75° F.

If you don’t have a relationship with an experienced reptile veterinarian, the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarian’s website is a good place to find one.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Like this page? Please share it with your friends: