Red rash and bumps on my beardie please help

My bearded dragon here has some form of red rash with little red bumps on the back of his neck, it has been like this for a while. He is showing most signs of stress, and no signs he is hurting. I am very concerned for him, please help

Can you please post some photos of him? You can upload photos here https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ and post them to your thread using the XIMG button when you reply.

Hi, it could be mites. Has he been outside lately? When did you notice it?

Here is the picture of him. I noticed it a couple weeks ago afterm I came home from away, I had a family member watching him. I'm not sure but I think they may be burn marks from too much heat. I know it's not mites, they aren't little red dots.

Hi there, how close is the heat lamp to him ? Can you post a pic showing the distance ? And is the beardie housed alone ?

Possibly a burn. Are there any other animals around? The shape and size of the red area make me think of a bite wound.

Yes he is alone, he has 40 gal. tank. Here is his setup: We do have a cat in the house but she doesn't bother him, there's also no way for her to reach him. I had recently moved the heat light, it was much closer. I think the heat light loosened and moved downward while I was gone, he could pretty much stand up and put his head inside of it.

Hello,

Based on your information it is most likely thermal burns if he could get that close to the light.
Is he on sand? For now, I would remove the sand & put him on a solid substrate so you can treat his burns without them getting dirty.
I would recommend getting some aloe vera gel, silver gel or cream or manuka or raw honey to treat the burns with. It will take a bit of time to heal & will go through a shed also.
How is his appetite?

Tracie

I agree with Tracie's recommendations. To help prevent this issue going forward, I suggest picking up an adjustable lamp stand to hang your light fixture from. They are much sturdier than the clamp lamps and will allow you to easily change the height of your basking bulb to get the appropriate heat gradient across the tank. It's also a good idea to upgrade to a T5 UVB light. You can hang a 22'' right across the top width wise and it should be able to sit on the edges of the tank.

red flags
>>>> cat in house
>>>> no proper cat proof lid on tank
>>>> dome fittings with spring style clamps
>>>> inappropriate UV lighting
>>>> sand

Pyro643":l1z6lhjj said:

Yes he is alone, he has 40 gal. tank. Here is his setup:

We do have a cat in the house but she doesn't bother him, there's also no way for her to reach him.<<<< looking at his tank, it is definitely NOT CAT PROOFED and cats can often get to places you never thought they would , expecially if it's determined to get there.... I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you take URGENT steps to make the tank TOTALLY CAT PROOF
(not a mesh top , I recommend a heavy timber top made from either solid timber (plywood) or from MDF that's got beading around the edge to stop puss from pushing it off , your local hardware shop's trade desk can arrange to have the lid cut to size and holes cut to allow the lights to shine through)
i'd securely fasten the domes to the new lid as well as a cat will move them to gain access to your beardie ---- this is only a matter of time. I had recently moved the heat light, it was much closer. I think the heat light loosened and moved downward while I was gone,<<<< the odds are the cat has been at it while you were out.
he could pretty much stand up and put his head inside of it.

Click to expand...

I've noticed there is a purple glow in there, this doesn't look right to me - do you have a black light compact in that dome ? These are not appropriate for beardies .
I recommend replacing the fitting and UV source with a reflector hood (mounted under the "new lid" I hope you will make or have made , and install a T8 10%uvb or T5 10%uvb tube (Arcadia , Exo Terra , or Zoo Med) , or if this is too pricey ATM , install a 26W UVB200 compact in the uvb dome and locate the basking light and uvb light domes as close to each other a possible so there is some overlap in the beams thrown by the two globes.

I also recommend removing the sand and perhaps using heavy duty kitchen grade absorbant paper toweling as the substrate.

Hello,

Any updates on your dragon today?
I agree, making the lights more sturdy would be much safer so he wont sustain anymore burns from the clamp lights slipping down, etc.
Are you able to get a screen top to place a new UVB tube bulb on for him?

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

He is doing quite well the burns are slowly going away, I will be getting new stuff for him as soon as I can. He hasn't been eating much, I'm not sure why, I feed him romaine lettuce, super worms, crickets and give him all of his supplements that he needs, I also give him a lot of attention, and give him treats occasionally like small apple slices and and various other fruit that don't harm him.

Hello,

The burns are most likely causing some discomfort for him which will affect his appetite.
He does need a brighter environment to stimulate his behavior, appetite & to improve his overall health. Do you have a bright white light you could use for his basking instead of a colored one?

Tracie

I dont at the moment, but will be getting one soon. Also that purple light is his night light. He has been eating just not as much as I would like him to.

Pyro643":q89x3wxr said:

I dont at the moment, but will be getting one soon. Also that purple light is his night light. He has been eating just not as much as I would like him to.

Click to expand...

OK .... I highly recommend you throw away the purple night light, it is not appropriate for a bearded dragon , if you need to heat the viv overnight your best option is a ceramic heat emitter controlled by a switching thermostat (AT LEAST) or if your budget is large enough a dimming style thermostat will be better.

I can see only two reflector domes , so am I correct in thinking the viv has no separate UV source at all ?

Really important he has for daytime
>> a good quality UVB (rated at least 10% UVB) , best choices are a T8 or a T5 tube in a reflector hood + a good basking globe (that's NOT COLOURED)
Adequate UVA will boost his activity and appetite levels.
Adequate UVB is MANDATORY for a healthy bearded dragon as is proper viv temperatures and a nice long day cycle.

And for at night
>> if it is cold in the room overnight (under 21oCelsius) a ceramic heat emitter and no other lights in the viv.