Baby bearded dragon got bit on the head. Please help

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Okay so I have a baby bearded dragon that I just got about 3 weeks ago. I have him in a 20 gallon tank with 2 other bearded dragons. One of them is is about the same size, maybe a little bit bigger and the other one is a little bigger than both of them. They all seem to get along, at least I thought . When I got home from work yesterday I noticed immediately that my baby bearded dragon had blood on his head. There's 2 tiny holes that I see on the top of his head. What really alarmed me was his actual eyes arent swollen but like his eye pockets are so swollen that he can't even open his eyes.. I put some antibacterial soap on the wound and & then put him in a tank by himself. I left the heat light on all night so he would stay warm . I really don't have the money to take him to a vet right now. Actually the same thing happened to my last baby beardie.. he got bit on the head by my boyfriends beardie and about 3 weeks later he died :( I don't want the same thing to happen to my new one. Please someone help !
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I'm sorry to hear he got bitten =(. It's best to keep them all separate to prevent this going forward. A vet visit is probably the best bet but if that's out of the question the key will be to let him rest and try to keep the wound as clean as possible. If you use particle substrate like sand I would remove it and replace it with something solid, even newspaper will do for now. If you can get some manuka or raw/unpasteurized honey you can try putting some of that on the wound to help protect it and it will act as an antimicrobial agent. If you can't find that, then some plain neosporin (without pain reliever) will help. Other than that, just keep him warm and let him rest. Perhaps drip some water on his nose and see if he'll lick it up. Extra hydration should be helpful. I hope he is able to bounce back from his injury.
 

Stitch4012

Member
Original Poster
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I don't know if you can really see but where he got bit his head is a darker color, also I took a picture of his eye. It's very swollen & he can't open it I'm extremely worried
 

kornel351

Hatchling Member
He needs to see a vet it could be a infected eye.Bearded dragons are solitaire animals which means they should be kept we alone
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
If this happened before, I'm not suprized it happened again. The dragons should be seperated so it doesn't continue to happen. You should probably take the baby to the vet to get checked out. Bearded dragons have strong jaws and your baby could have a fractured skull.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

As suggested, try to keep the wound area as clean as possible. You can use raw, unpasteurized honey or manuka honey to put on his wound. It is very good for helping with infection.
Though if there is internal damage, there isn't much you can do. I hope he pulls through.
A vet visit would be a good idea, if at all possible. Be sure to keep him around 80 overnight in his tank to boost his immune system.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Yes, definitely let us know how your baby is doing! I hope he was able to pull through.

Tracie
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
I'm really concerned also Tracie...
I have a feeling this didn't turn out very good.
All we can do is try our best to educate. It all depends on what is done with the information that is important. I sure hope things went better than I think it did.
 

Stitch4012

Member
Original Poster
He's still alive but I'm not sure if he's healthy .. he sleeps A LOT . I'm talking like 90% of the day .. he also hasn't peeled since he got bitten. I'm worried that he's sick. When he's awake he will run around his tank , he eats everyday & goes to the bathroom normally. I just don't understand why he sleeps so much? Is it bc he's a baby? Or could it be something else ?
 

traildrifterphalanx

Sub-Adult Member
Hey Stitch,
A baby that young should be active and awake for at least 12-16 hours of the day and should not be sleeping when lights are on, etc.

This may be a matter of husbandry/lighting if you are able to give us a run down of your current set-up. Low UVB/heat output will cause them to be very lethargic.

I am hoping you have since separated the three and that his head/eye have since healed. Pictures of both the baby now and his enclosure would be very helpful.
 

Stitch4012

Member
Original Poster
This is him now & his tank . The black on his head is from the soil, the soil sticks to his medicine that I put on his head . I'm thinking it could be the heat , the highest I've ever seen his tank is 90-95 . When I get paid I'm getting one with a higher wattage . He also is always very thirsty, I spray him one or twice a day I'm thinking maybe he could be dehydrated
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traildrifterphalanx

Sub-Adult Member
Thanks for the update!

With him having medicine applied to his head, and just in general, I would recommend changing his substrate to something that is not loose particles like repticarpet, non-adhesive shelf liner, or tile. Loose substrate could get into the wound or just increase chance of infection, not to mention that he could potentially eat the dirt or get it in his eyes, leading to other complications.

As far as the heat, instead of increasing the wattage you could get a large stick from a pet store or outside (clean it and bake it in the oven to disinfect) and get him closer to the bulb. It's best to provide gradients, so a leaning stick or one with multiple branches work well.

Has his eye cleared up?
 
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