Baby Beardie with a cut on his elbow

[TakenByStorm]

Hi there, totally new to the forum and to Bearded Dragon ownership.

Our baby Beardie (Captain Fred Sparklepants, thank you 10 year old son for the name), was purchased today. We noticed when we got home that he has a swollen arm and an injury at his elbow. I am planning on calling the pet store tomorrow to see what they have to say, but I'd love some crowdsourcing on whether we are in for a world of pain or whether this is a bump in the road. We love him so much already.

I am attaching an image so you can see, his left arm has a cut at the elbow and his forearm is significantly swollen. He can move it, move his fingers, and walk on it.

Image below, thanks!

Maggie, Jack, and Captain Fred Sparklepants

 

[Esther19]

Welcome to the forum, and to the wonderful world of being slave to a small reptile. I think his name is wonderful! It would be important to know whether the arm was swollen before the cut, which might indicate gout, though he is very young for that.

For the meantime, I would suggest diluting a bit of betadine and cleaning the area. Hydrogen peroxide is bad for their scales. After drying, apply a bit of antibiotic cream to the cut. There are also many folks here who are proponents of using raw, unpastuerized honey on wounds, since it is a natural antibiotic.

I can sense that you are already committed to Capt. Fred. The pet store will probably offer you the opportunity to exchange him, so be thinking about what you'd want to do. You might ask the pet store to pay for a vet visit, though I'm not sure how successful you would be. But nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Is there any sign of infection? If Capt. Fred has already become a permanent member of the family, you might want to take him to are reputable reptile vet yourself. It is easier to take care of small problems that it is big ones.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[TakenByStorm]

Your response is so sweet, thank you.

We only had him home for an hour before we noticed the swelling/cut. So I am not sure which came first. We gave him a little soak in warm water with a cotton ball and put neosporin on it. And you are right, we would never want to exchange him. So calling the pet store doesn't sound like the right choice.

I'll be researching vets tomorrow, in the meantime it turns out my friend is a huge lizard nerd and has a wealth of knowledge on how to take care of this. So between her and you guys, I think and hope we'll be okay.

 

[Esther19]

That's wonderful that you have a friend with experience! You might still call the pet store to see if they have (and will give you) any information regarding the injury. It would be helpful to know whether the swelling was a result of the cut, or independent of it. And just for kicks and giggles you could ask about submitting a potential vet bill for reimbursement. :lol: Congratulation on the Captain's adoption. I know how easy it is to bond with them. :love5: Please keep us informed of his progress.

 

[AHBD]

Hi there.....Mr. Sparklepants is a really cute, and the name adds to his distinguished and debonair appearance. Poor lil' guy, what probably happened is that he was bitten by a sibling and the cut may not be too severe but has resulted in the swelling/infection. There may even be a slight break, but I doubt it since he is walking on it. I agree with Esther about the treatment, and hopefully it will heal on it's own. Seek out ONLY a vet experienced with reptiles, and sometimes even then it's a hard call on treatment ... some vets will put him on pain meds and antibiotics.....which could then make him queasy and weak and the meds. themselves could take a toll on him. If you DO go to a vet, you might go with antibiotics if prescribed, but skip the pain meds. if those are offered. Hopefully he will get through this just fine. Keep him hydrated well [ use a dropper to drip water on his snout for a drink] and if he eats for you then that's a good sign, although since he's new he may go through a period of stress being in a new home, and may not eat too much at first. Don't handle him too much at all for now.