Is My Bearded Dragon In Pain?

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.