loljelloclowdz
Juvie Member
If your pet is having an emergency, GO TO AN EMERGENCY VET THAT SEES THAT SPECIES OF ANIMAL. It breaks my heart that not enough vet clinics exist to help our birds and reptiles, but it is the only thing you can really do for them to avoid complications.
I recently lost my cockatiel Kiwi because she had a necrotic prolapse caused by egg binding and dystocia and it happened on a weekend so the avian vet team wasn’t available until Monday and when they assessed her they determined the kindest option would’ve been to end her suffering. It BROKE my soul to not be able to save her life because she was my best friend, you know? Thinking about all of that made me realize that this forum is full of people who are desperate just as I was for Kiwi and my best advice is to call around your state for emergency vets who can see your lizard if something is wrong as they almost always have a list of places to suggest. Get phone numbers, store them in a list, and have them on speed dial.
What’s more is you should have a regular reptile specialist to take your bearded dragon to about every year or so to check up on their health. For people who are considering getting a bearded dragon, factor the cost of medical bills in PLEASE! It’s wrong to take on ownership of an animal if you aren’t going to ensure they have a fair quality of life. Do not treat them like fish, they depend on you to help them stay healthy.
Finally, you should do your research and constantly evaluate your husbandry. Check your bulbs, make sure they aren’t hanging too low (my heat lamp sometimes hangs a bit low and I have to adjust it), inspect your bearded dragon’s poop (warning: super stinky, may cause you to vomit. I suggest humming a tune to suppress your gag reflex.), and see if any new care guidelines have been discovered. This website is an excellent source of information and tops all other resources because this website literally has licensed veterinarians specializing in bearded dragon care who contribute in their spare time. There are also zoologists, owners with experience, and breeders on this website who are excellent resources for finding out additional information. Using this forum as a replacement for veterinary care is not sufficient, but it can be used in conjunction with veterinary care to have second opinions and stuff. However, I strongly advise against switching medications your bearded dragon may be on without contacting your veterinarian. As much as the licensed vet mods on here are qualified, I feel like you should speak to the person who is physically able to prescribe your pet a different medication if their current one is causing complications. You should be able to call and ask “hey, my pet has been having diarrhea ever since starting this antibiotic, should I bring them in for a new medication?” And the vet will tell you if you need to stop that drug immediately and bring them in, continue but replenish fluids, or if you need to bring them in for in-house monitoring.
I recently lost my cockatiel Kiwi because she had a necrotic prolapse caused by egg binding and dystocia and it happened on a weekend so the avian vet team wasn’t available until Monday and when they assessed her they determined the kindest option would’ve been to end her suffering. It BROKE my soul to not be able to save her life because she was my best friend, you know? Thinking about all of that made me realize that this forum is full of people who are desperate just as I was for Kiwi and my best advice is to call around your state for emergency vets who can see your lizard if something is wrong as they almost always have a list of places to suggest. Get phone numbers, store them in a list, and have them on speed dial.
What’s more is you should have a regular reptile specialist to take your bearded dragon to about every year or so to check up on their health. For people who are considering getting a bearded dragon, factor the cost of medical bills in PLEASE! It’s wrong to take on ownership of an animal if you aren’t going to ensure they have a fair quality of life. Do not treat them like fish, they depend on you to help them stay healthy.
Finally, you should do your research and constantly evaluate your husbandry. Check your bulbs, make sure they aren’t hanging too low (my heat lamp sometimes hangs a bit low and I have to adjust it), inspect your bearded dragon’s poop (warning: super stinky, may cause you to vomit. I suggest humming a tune to suppress your gag reflex.), and see if any new care guidelines have been discovered. This website is an excellent source of information and tops all other resources because this website literally has licensed veterinarians specializing in bearded dragon care who contribute in their spare time. There are also zoologists, owners with experience, and breeders on this website who are excellent resources for finding out additional information. Using this forum as a replacement for veterinary care is not sufficient, but it can be used in conjunction with veterinary care to have second opinions and stuff. However, I strongly advise against switching medications your bearded dragon may be on without contacting your veterinarian. As much as the licensed vet mods on here are qualified, I feel like you should speak to the person who is physically able to prescribe your pet a different medication if their current one is causing complications. You should be able to call and ask “hey, my pet has been having diarrhea ever since starting this antibiotic, should I bring them in for a new medication?” And the vet will tell you if you need to stop that drug immediately and bring them in, continue but replenish fluids, or if you need to bring them in for in-house monitoring.
