Your pet dragon is very good at hiding when it’s hurt; this is an instinct left over from being in the wild when being hurt was seen to make it weak and a target for predators. If your dragon is showing signs of being in pain, then you need to address this as soon as possible, as it means your dragon is no longer able to hide the fact it’s hurting.
Your dragon does have a few ways to let you know that it’s in pain. One of the primary ways to tell is from its beard: as with when it’s angry, your dragon can also blacken its beard when it’s hurt. The way to tell the difference between when your pet is upset/angry/excited, and when it’s in pain is mainly the length of time it maintains the dark color of its beard. If it seems to have a constant dark beard but isn’t displaying other behaviors such as head bobbing or flaring up, it’s probably hurt.
Another way to tell is how it moves and how its body looks. If it seems to be favoring a particular limb by not using it, or by limping or making jerky unsteady movements, or you notice any unusual swelling, then that limb or another part of its body may be hurt. Also, your pet may act differently: if you see abnormal amounts of lethargy, aggressiveness, or a decrease or absence of appetite, then it may be suffering.
Some or all of these symptoms can indicate that something may be seriously wrong and could have been for some time. It is essential that you not attempt to address these yourself at home but seek the help of a licensed reptile veterinarian to identify and treat the source of discomfort to your beardie.
12 comments
Reptile Supply
Hi Bp — Full body tremors are a very serious symptom! Our best advice is to get your bearded dragon to an experienced reptile veterinarian ASAP for examination and diagnosis. You can find a vet near you with ARAV Find a Vet tool.
Bp
My bearded dragon is showing signs of fatigue not wanting to eat and she’s having full body shakes. It’s very weird though because she was just eating two days prior. Any advice ??
Reptile Supply
Hi Ashley — Without seeing a picture, it sounds like your beardie’s ear is just in the process of shedding, so it shouldn’t be anything to be too worried about. However, since you’re new to bearded dragons, we strongly recommend checking out our thorough bearded dragon care sheet (https://reptilesupply.com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-bearded-dragon) and locating the closest vet to you for emergencies via ARAV’s Find a Vet tool. It is also helpful to connect with a quality online community of other bearded dragon owners — “How Not to Slay the Dragon – Pogona vitticeps” on Facebook is excellent.
Ashley
Hi my bearded dragon I just got him a few days ago he is 5 years old and wasn’t in very good condition and the skin in his ear in halfway gone will it come back? And how can I help because I can’t get him to a vet around here I don’t have any
Reptile Supply
Hi Renee — Brumation is a possible cause at this time of year. Alternatively, you may be offering too much food for your dragon’s stage of life — please take a few minutes to double-check your feeding schedule with our bearded dragon care sheet. But if that doesn’t seem to be the case and the symptoms continue, schedule an appointment for your beardie with an experienced reptile veterinarian. Loss of appetite is a common early symptom of illness.
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