Bearded dragon care

10/09/2012 16:17

Bearded dragons are great pet lizards, both for lizard beginners as well as seasoned reptile enthusiasts. This is due to their gentle nature and minimal maintenance requirements, which has made them popular family pets. In most cases, they are healthy, hardy animals, which normally have a lifespan of ten years or more. Nevertheless, they do get ill from time to time, thus you should regularly check your bearded dragon for illness symptoms. In order to do this, you need to know what to look for so as to determine whether your pet is sick. This article will discuss bearded dragon illnesses as well as their symptoms, so that you can deal with them in a timely manner.One of the most common bearded dragon illnesses is Metabolic Bone Disease, which results from insufficient intake of calcium or inadequate lighting. In this case, the lighting does not have sufficient UVB rays, which enable calcium to be utilized by the body. This tends to stunt your pet's growth, cause poor bone growth and deformities in spine or tail. The deficiency can be avoided by ensuring that your pet receives sufficient light, in addition to foods which are rich in calcium. With regard to lighting, you need to acquire a proper UVB bulb, to provide UVB rays to your pet. You could also try to ensure that your pet gets some sunlight from time to time.The other illness which is common in these pets is impaction, whereby indigestible food particles cause a blockage in your pet's digestive tract. If untreated, this can have deadly consequences for your pet. Much more to check out on Bearded dragon care.  Some of the symptoms of impaction are lethargy, absence of bowel movements and dragging of the back legs. You can rectify this condition by giving your pet natural laxatives such as olive oil. However, if symptoms persist even after trying different remedies, be sure to take the pet to a veterinarian.Bearded dragons are also prone to respiratory infections, which can either be caused by high humidity or low temperatures. Some of the symptoms of respiratory infection in your pet are noisy breathing as well as mucus discharge from the nostrils or mouth. It is possible to prevent this illness by properly regulating your pet's temperature and humidity. You will need to take your pet to a veterinarian, who will treat it based on the severity of its condition.Bearded dragons may also fall ill as a result of being infested with internal parasites. Some of the internal parasites that are common among these pets are pin worms. The pets get these parasites as a result of eating infected insects such as crickets. Some of the symptoms of internal parasites are loss of appetite, weight loss and foul smelling faeces. You need to take your pet to the veterinarian if you notice these symptoms, so that he or she can determine the parasites afflicting your pet. Only then can these parasites be sufficiently eliminated. Most of the bearded dragon illnesses can be sufficiently treated if discovered on time. In view of this, be on the look out for any of the above-mentioned symptoms, in order to prevent future health problems for your pet. There is much more you should know! so visit my page!

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