We have a cool dragon, Marc Anthony. Yesturday my wife noticed that a small section on Marc's lower lip seemed slightly sollen. Not a lot but just enough that it wasn't even with his upper lip. <---I know they don't have lips...but it's along the jaw line. I was able to gently pry his "lip" downward and saw a light redish "crust".
I don't think it's serious as his behavior and appetite have not changed but when I touch it with my fingertip and push on it slightly, he closes his eye on that side for a few moments which would indicate that area of his lip is bothering him. His beard has been a little dark down around his throat, not much but still a little dark.
My question is: I was wondering if anyone else has had this with their dragon? and: Could it be something as simple as bumping his lip on a rock while going after a cricket or maybe a slight cut from a cricket shell?
I took a cotton swab with some hydrogen peroxide and dabbed a little on the area. Figured a little dab couldn't hurt. Don't know if it helped, it didn't "fizz" like it would with say bacteria and germs. But still I'd like to know if anyone else has seen this in their dragon.
We'll watch it closely and if it get worse, we'll get him to the herp vet. In the meantime...anyone?...anyone?
Thanks, Robert & Jackie, Las Vegas, NV.
Can you get a picture? It could be that a little piece of something he ate is sticking in there and bothering him, or it could be mouth rot, or it could be something else. It's hard to say without having a look. Oh and one other thing - if I were you, I wouldn't use hydrogen peroxide on him for any reason. The people who owned my baby before me used it on a wound on his tail, and he ended up losing his entire tail because the peroxide ate away the healthy flesh.
The swelling has gone away. I think maybe he just bumped his lip going after crickets. It looks pretty normal now and I will keep an eye on it. No peroxide, I'll remember that...thanks.
Being new to this, going on 4 months now, I worry about everything with our dragons but I'm happy to say that both Marc-Anthony and Apollo are happy and healthy. They're not just my pets but my new hobby as well. I'll research mouth rot and find out what to watch for. But still, any tips anyone can give me as to keeping them healthy is greatly welcomed. Thanks, Robert
For future wound cleaning, you can use betadine, which our vet recommended and I have used on more than a few occasions. It's safe and won't hurt your beardie's scales.