My bearded dragon had some impacted pores. I tried bathing and brushing but it wasn’t working. He has been not feeling well and we went to the vet today. We weren’t focusing on his pores as he hasn’t been eating and is acting weird. He is on antibiotics but when I got home I took the moment sense he was a bit out of it to manually unclog the pores. He is now not using his back legs and beard is black. Did I squeeze something I wasn’t supposed to or is this normal? I put some antiseptic and antibiotics on the pores but what should I do?
You should never squeeze the pores, it's very painful for them and leaves open holes that can become infected easily. Can you share a few pics of the way the pores look now as well as of the way he's holding his legs?
Rubbing them is a natural behavior, the pore are used for communication purposes. Please NEVER squeeze them, it's much better to offer him a piece of course stone and he will maintenance them himself.
Now that they are opened up keep a close eye on them. Maybe use some unpasteurized honey on them.
Use some coconut oil on them to soften them up - blaze has some hard pores and the coconut oil works good that a gentle squeeze on them and they come right out-
The lack of using the rear legs (especially both rear legs) is typically going to be caused by partial paralysis related either to a blockage in the intestines or an injury to the spine. MBD can also sometimes cause the back legs to no longer work.
When is the last time your dragon pood? Were you overly aggressive with the femoral pores? Like pointed out already, you shouldn't attempt to squeeze them out, and those pores did not look too bad to begin with.
You said he hasn't been feeling well. Can you elaborate on what his symptoms were that brought you to the vet? What antibiotic did your vet prescribe, and why?
Can you go over a few details on your setup. Mainly your basking surface temperature, the UVB bulb that you use, and what his daily diet looks like.
Vets can numb them before unclogging them. I have used this product on my males' pores and my vet has also recommended it. It softens them up then when they rub on a log, etc they loosen right up.
Thanks Diamc, that is a great suggestion.
Please review your tank setup such as the type/brand of UVB lighting, supplementation, etc.
You may have caused some soreness by trying to squeeze the pores. The pores are supposed
to be darker in color, depending on hormone levels & time of year. It is best to let them rub off
naturally.
Is his beard still black now?