Rescued beardie...

Picked up a baby bearded today. He/she seems very active and perky, but it does have some injuries, but they don't really look infected. A nipped tail, some missing toes, which seem a bit swollen, but I don't see any pus or anything. They don't appear to affect him/her in the least. Its been a couple years since we had a beardie, but I just wanted to get your opinions on his injuries. Should these heal ok on their own or are these worthy of a vet check up?

Also, I know nothing of beardie morphs (I'm a ball guy) and have no breeding plans so it doesn't really matter, I'm just curious. As far as I know you have tan ones, orange ones, red ones, yellow ones, silkies, leatherbacks, etc. That is the extent of my morph knowledge. Colors. Haha. He/she has a lot of orange compared to most normal tan ones I've seen, but isn't nearly as vibrant as some I've seen online and at shows, either. Any ideas? Just a pretty normal?

Thanks!

Sorry about the crappy photos. I couldn't be asked to set up a decent light tent tonight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t/SANY0579.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t/SANY0584.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t/SANY0585.jpg

If his wounds are healed no reason for a vet visit.
Not sure what else, but he definitely has leatherback. I like the red on him

I would have a vet check him out. Missing toes can be common but swollen toes are not and it looks like the back left foot might be infected. The tail may fall off on its own, cleanly without infection, but it may not at that size. That's a really bad tail nip on top of what looks like a bad previous nip. Infection is a concern with all of those injuries and the dead tissue on the tail may have to be surgically removed.

Your bearded dragon is a pretty normal with lots of nice orange. If you are interested, here's more information about how genetics and morphs work in bearded dragons.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ragon-Genetics

Cant Swollen toes be a sign of MBD?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rperry03

If his wounds are healed no reason for a vet visit.
Not sure what else, but he definitely has leatherback. I like the red on him

---

Thanks. He/she is such a cool little bugger. Gunna offer him some vittles here in a few.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky Dragons

I would have a vet check him out. Missing toes can be common but swollen toes are not and it looks like the back left foot might be infected. The tail may fall off on its own, cleanly without infection, but it may not at that size. That's a really bad tail nip on top of what looks like a bad previous nip. Infection is a concern with all of those injuries and the dead tissue on the tail may have to be surgically removed.

Your bearded dragon is a pretty normal with lots of nice orange. If you are interested, here's more information about how genetics and morphs work in bearded dragons.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ragon-Genetics

---

Thanks. I'll get an appointment set up asap just in case. Until then got him in a clean tub on paper towels. We'll try to make him as comfortable as possible. He definitely seems to be in good spirits and is very curious about us, much like our tortoises. The exact opposite of our balls.

I wish I could have gotten pictures of the conditions he was living in. Soaking wet, moldy tank with leftover sheds and fecal matter from whatever the last 10 animals that inhabited were. No heat or UVB to speak of. His tub may not be fancy, but he'll at least get the basic necessities he needs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Cant Swollen toes be a sign of MBD?

---

Hmm, never thought of that. I'll definitely consider that and keep an eye on it. We rescued a veiled chameleon a few years back that had the beginning stages of it and with proper lighting she turned out just fine. I have a brand new 10.0 on him for now and after he settles in and it warms up a bit he'll likely get some natural sunlight as well (not through a window either, REAL sunlight). We have outdoor enclosures for our tortoises, so fabricating an outdoor enclosure for him will not be an issue so he can enjoy some natural sunlight on nice days. I assume that will be beneficial for him, am I correct?

Quick update. Just checked on him and that little black piece on his tail has already fallen off on its own and I don't see any infection. He already pooped too and it looks normal. I swear they poop as soon as we clean their tubs just to smite us. :D

So that makes me feel a little better, but we're still gunna set up a vet appointment tomorrow just in case. Have him checked for parasites too.

Just keep him extra clean. The swolleness may be a sign of beginning infection. That poor baby.
I would still have him checked.
I don't think he's a leatherback though. He has nodules on his back and when my little leather were that little they were very smooth. While you can have varying degrees of lb, His back is just too bumpy.
For an example heres one of my normal backs at that size compared to an lb.
Normal back
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4e385-3bb2-b20c.jpg
Lb
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4e385-3c2b-f1ed.jpg
You can see on especially the sides where the stripes are that lbs are quite smooth.

He's very pretty either way and I wish you the best with him.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AK907

Quick update. Just checked on him and that little black piece on his tail has already fallen off on its own and I don't see any infection. He already pooped too and it looks normal. I swear they poop as soon as we clean their tubs just to smite us. :D

So that makes me feel a little better, but we're still gunna set up a vet appointment tomorrow just in case. Have him checked for parasites too.

---

That's great that it fell off cleanly. A vet check is still a good idea but it should be much easier now.

Quote:

---

I have a brand new 10.0 on him for now and after he settles in and it warms up a bit he'll likely get some natural sunlight as well (not through a window either, REAL sunlight). We have outdoor enclosures for our tortoises, so fabricating an outdoor enclosure for him will not be an issue so he can enjoy some natural sunlight on nice days. I assume that will be beneficial for him, am I correct?

---

The natural sunlight will be perfect for him. That's really awesome that you have the option for an outdoor enclosure.

Also, I agree with Homegrown Scales that he's not a leatherback but he's still a great looking dragon!