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[Raejae22]

My bearded dragon is about a year old in a 40 gallon tank.
Today i fed freckles his crickets but he didn't move, he blinked and looked at me but didn't move his entire body from neck down. After looking at him more closely i realized his back was arched like a parenthesis, not up as cats arch thier backs but off to one side. I moved the rock he was laying next to just to see if he was just being lazy, but still he just watched me, moving only at the neck. He didnt go after the crickets at all, where as usually he chases after them happily. I called a vet but it was almost six so he was about to close so we set up an appointment for tomorrow morning at 9 AM. My dad told me supportively that if Freckles was still alive tomorrow he would gladly take us to the vet. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to pick him up tomorrow so that i don't end up hurting his back even worse? Has anyone ever heard of a bearded dragon breaking his back ?

 

[306Beardie]

My suggestion for picking him up is support as much as possible moving him as less as possible and traveling with him in a box/carrier lined with soft linen. Yes it has been heard of beardies breaking there back. Did he do something out of the normal? like take a fall? or jump off something to high?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

They normally do not break their backs. They do have a vulnerable spine due to the length of it. So, they can sublux their spines as their vertebraes do not have discs in between them making them more prone to back injury when an accident does happen.
Do you use a UVB light? If so, what type & brand do you use & is it a fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light? How old is the light?
How often do you give calcium supplementation?
He could have fallen & injured himself if he has a really high basking spot in his tank, or if he was out of his tank & fell off of something.
Do you have any pictures of him?
Let us know how the vet visit goes tomorrow.

Tracie