Found a beardie with big open wound on hind leg! 411

[Tiffsbeardie]

Hi , well I got home and found a bearded dragon in my yard with an open wound not bleeding just showing little bit of Flesh on his hind leg, what should I do? just want to know if it'll heal on its own? or if I need to seek medical attention for him or her considering it's not bleeding... what should I do? first time dealing with a beardie!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Poor thing! Are you located in Australia or the US?
I would think he needs some type of medical help. Can you get pictures? It sounds like he
was attacked by something. Can he walk properly?
Do you have any type of large plastic tote/bin you could get a basking light setup in, for a
temporary housing until you can figure out what to do?

Tracie

 

[Tiffsbeardie]

Yes I've already put beardie in a big plastic container suitable for its size, I put grass in and spread some lettuce in there. compared to other pictures I've seen this one looks pretty thin and it has had an attack before because the end of its tail looks like it's been growing out .. not sure if it really is wild or just escapeD from its owners but right now its moving pretty slow so I'm going to put the container in front of a heater try to warm him up hopefully he starts eating and then maybe I can address the wound tomorrow morning I'm in Texas and its 1:20 a.m. and outside it's about 60 degrees so I'm pretty sure the poor thing is a little cold...

 

[AHBD]

Can you post pics of it ? Here's how :

https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them
Put some raw honey on it and wrap with gauze. Raw, unpasteurized honey is a natural antimicrobial. Then an experienced vet can help determine if there's any need for stitches. In most cases the raw honey will heal up most wounds nicely but it might need to be closed with stitches.

If you use honey be extra careful that no bugs can get at it. You can also get a cheap clamp lamp from Lowe;s or Walmart and put a halogen or other bulb that will provide some heat. Like this :

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj0hriIybbXAhWZtcAKHTK2AK0YABAIGgJpbQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD2q4NPiCFuMbLMZvT4fqzp&sig=AOD64_2GOX_wtNl_g3EzmrpvwudW0k70jA&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjf3LGIybbXAhWi5oMKHf5aCyoQ9aACCDI&adurl=

 

[kingofnobbys]

Yes I've already put beardie in a big plastic container suitable for its size, I put grass in and spread some lettuce in there. compared to other pictures I've seen this one looks pretty thin and it has had an attack before because the end of its tail looks like it's been growing out .. not sure if it really is wild or just escapeD from its owners but right now its moving pretty slow so I'm going to put the container in front of a heater try to warm him up hopefully he starts eating and then maybe I can address the wound tomorrow morning I'm in Texas and its 1:20 a.m. and outside it's about 60 degrees so I'm pretty sure the poor thing is a little cold...

Wont likely be wild , wouldn't survive Tx winters.
It's been abandoned (a death sentence) , or lost (a death sentence) or been attacked and run away and ended up where your found it.

If it's got a open wound it needs to be taken to a vet ( reptile vet will be best ) or a reptile rescuer called in to take it and arrange vet treatment and care while being treated by the vet and then recovery and rehabilitation , before being rehomed with someone who will provide a good home to it and provide it's needs for the rest of it's life.

Of cause if lost , the owner will be worried sick and will take care of it if they find where it is , if not , and you have means and necessary skills and time then you may have scored a pet , but be aware , caring for an injured traumatized sick lizard is very time consuming and demanding while also being very rewarding .

 

[kingofnobbys]

Yes I've already put beardie in a big plastic container suitable for its size, I put grass in and spread some lettuce in there. compared to other pictures I've seen this one looks pretty thin and it has had an attack before because the end of its tail looks like it's been growing out .. not sure if it really is wild or just escapeD from its owners but right now its moving pretty slow so I'm going to put the container in front of a heater try to warm him up hopefully he starts eating and then maybe I can address the wound tomorrow morning I'm in Texas and its 1:20 a.m. and outside it's about 60 degrees so I'm pretty sure the poor thing is a little cold...

That's a good start , remove the grass , place a bath towel in the tub , and make sure it's in a warm and dark place so it can settle down , and warm up . Needs to be warmer than 26 degC in this situation overnight so it's immune system has a good chance of kicking in.
If it's been attacked by a cat , this is VERY DANGEROUS as there are very nasty bacteria and viruses on cat's fangs and claws . Sooner a vet can get it started on antibiotics , the better it's prognosis , I believe from experience with a wild skink who was attacked by a cat , the golden window is only 24 hours after the attack , after that infection sets in rapidly and it's much more difficult to control and beat.

BTW , unlike skinks ,anoles , and geckos, dragons DON"T regenerate tails.

Very common in the hobby to see adult pet beardies who have stumpy and cropped tails tails from attacks by siblings as hatchlings . My Rex who lived to 5yrs old had a tail that had the last inch accidentially bitten off by one of her siblings as a very young hatchling and before we brought her home , had healed when we got her at 6 weeks old.

 

[Tiffsbeardie]

Well thanks for the info , then i dnt know what this little guy is lol , he has a generated tail ... Hmmmm ? Hes moving and warmed and ate all the lettuce ive given him so ill put a home remedy on his wound so i can collect the funds fr a vet visit ...

 

[kingofnobbys]

Well thanks for the info , then i dnt know what this little guy is lol , he has a generated tail ... Hmmmm ? Hes moving and warmed and ate all the lettuce ive given him so ill put a home remedy on his wound so i can collect the funds fr a vet visit ...

"Autotomy" is not a survival strategy of bearded dragons (ie they don't have special tissues that allow them to drop their tails and then regenerate it from the stump remaining) , so they lack the specialized tissue needed to regenerate their tail.

Photo of him from side and above will help confirm he is a bearded dragon.

If he's an indigenous species of lizard and actually wild and native to your area, a reptile vet will take him in and treat him free of charge and then arrange release of him back to the wild when he's recovered if he is capable to fending for himself.

 

[karlys]

My initial thought is that maybe he's a wild Texas horned lizard. They kinda look like beardies who are "regrowing" a tail lol. This is what they look like:

 

[Tiffsbeardie]

How do i post a pic on here for further identification?

 

[AHBD]

Here's how to post pics:
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then ue the XIMG to upload them

It may be a beardie with tail in shed that looks differently colored. I thought maybe a Texas spiny lizard as well but I don't think they eat lettuce.

 

[CooperDragon]

It's possible he is wild as mentioned. Especially if he looks like the photos. Otherwise I would bring him to a vet to have the wound addressed.

 

[kingofnobbys]

It's possible he is wild as mentioned. Especially if he looks like the photos. Otherwise I would bring him to a vet to have the wound addressed.

Very unlikely he's a wild bearded dragon , very unlikely any who are dumped or lost would survive their first winter in any mainland states of USA other than coastal fringes of the southern states and FL.
Highly unlikely to avoid for very long being killed by cats ,dogs, and native predators.
Chance of one beardie in the wild encountering another of the opposite sex is remote in the extreme ( virtually zero ).

Still waiting for the OP to put up a photo.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Definitely try to post some pictures so we can be sure of what type of lizard you have found.
As stated, bearded dragons unfortunately don't regenerate their tails at all.
How is he doing this evening?
The raw, unpasteurized honey is very good to help with open wounds so try to get some of
that to help with healing. If you have grass in the plastic bin, you will want to wrap up the
injured areas so that the grass doesn't stick to the honey. You can also use just some paper
towels, too.
What kind of basking light do you have over him now & are you able to measure temperatures
with a digital probe or temp gun?
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie