What's wrong with this beardie?

[Heyimbrit]

I found this beardie at a local pet store and I knew immediately that something was wrong. It's lips are dirty and swollen and it had discharge coming out of it's nostrils. I tried getting pictures of he inside of the mouth but they didn't come out to good. But from what I saw there is a lot of sticky saliva inside.

 

[CooperDragon]

Looks like an infection and some level of mouth rot. Did it look like he lost his teeth? He needs medical attention as soon as possible. Poor little guy =(

 

[Heyimbrit]

He didn't keep his mouth open long enough for me to see his teeth. I was thinking it's mouth rot too. I might see if I can take him home and give him medical attention then give him back.

 

[CooperDragon]

The store should be providing proper medical attention for him. He is their responsibility. If they refuse to provide proper medical attention I'd try to do it myself but I'd also check into the state laws regarding health care for pet store animals. Do the pet store owners seem aware that he is seriously ill?

 

[Heyimbrit]

I didn't ask. This is the same store I bought Prince from (he's the one I had to put down last December) and he had a lot of medical issues that I didn't know about prior to buying him. They don't seem to give their animals very good care and if you look them up, they have really bad reviews about selling sick reptiles. I only go there because the feeders are cheap and it's the closest store to my house.

 

[CooperDragon]

Now that you have evidence of them housing sick dragons without apparent medical care it may be worth contacting the organization who governs pet store animals in Arizona. I *think* at the federal level it's the Dept of Agriculture but I'm not sure if this stuff is handled at a local or federal level. You'll likely get quicker action at a local level. You may want to contact the local humane society for more info as I'm sure they've dealt with this sort of thing before. That's kind of bigger picture though. As far as this little guy goes, he's going to need some medical attention soon either way. He will likely need to have a culture taken so the cause of his infection can be determined and treated. Topical antiseptic may also be needed. Dundee needed a combination of surgery, antibiotics, and topical treatment to address his stomatitis. This looks similar but I can't say it's the same thing without results from a veterinary exam.

 

[Heyimbrit]

I wish I would've hit the lottery. I would've taken in all of the sick animals and made them better. I'll look into what kind of action I can take.

 

[CooperDragon]

I think we all wish that. Just need to take things a step at a time though. I'd think of this as two pieces. The more immediate piece is to get this guy some care one way or another. The second piece is to report what you've found and try to ensure it doesn't happen to other animals at this store going forward. There is a herp society in your area that may be able to help as well http://www.phoenixherp.com