Hi all,

I purchased 2 young bearded dragons about a month ago, took a gamble on one of them as he was cheap due to a birth defect or injury he has sustained.

the start of his tail near his back legs is flat as if something has crushed it and he has limited use/strength in the back legs. He seems happy enough and eats his veg and anything slow moving, but he tends to get bullied by the other much healthier beardie who often knocks him of his purch and he ends up stuck on his back trembling.

I can't bear to see him like this, i'm sure someone with enough time and experience will be able to nurture him and give him a good home.

I am willing to give him up for free - but would be nice if someone has got a fish they would like to swap him for :-)

If you cant bear to see it like that,, Take it to a bloody vet, and dont try and flog to someone for a free fish!!!!

yeah...seems to me like you should be getting him healthy before giving him to someone else...if thats really happening to him then its not fair that you are letting him suffer.

should have had a vet look at the fella before buying it!

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I think people are a little confused as to my intentions;
i am not trying to profit from him - or to get a free fish

The reason i put him on here is for someone with more experience/time to take him and giv him a better life. I went to the local vet and they said it was something that they wouldnt look at (?!).

I took him in as he didnt look as bad as he does now so obviously his condition isnt getting better despite my efforts - hence the reason for giving him to someone with more knowledge etc.

I would take him, but I'm unable to travel far, so would depend what area you are in.


Whilst I agree with most of the comments on here about the vet etc, I don't think asking for a fish in return is asking too much, much better than letting him go free to a good home to some inexperienced idiot..which are usually who apply for free reptiles. If you know the beardie is being bullied like you so clearly do, then you should have seperated them. I suspect the problem with the tail is from having its tail nipped by siblings when it was a baby - as long as it is healed he will be fine in that respect. I do have a sneaky suspicion he MIGHT be suffering from MBD, especially if he is A) bullied and therefore stressed and, B) Obviously not being able to bask (for vitamin D3) or take it in via food because the dominant beardie will be stopping him somewhat, so the best thing is find a reptile vet, there are plenty around.

This should help a bit more than the ranting anyway..

well im only in manchester - but i dnt have a car :-(
he isnt bein beaten up by the other one, just merely out competed for food - not that he is interested in crickets.

and yes- thats exactly the reason i didnt put him up on any website for free or give him to a shop, i wanted someone to really look after him

Well if you could get him to Jess,you can be asured he would be well looked after. she is a Pro when it comes to reptiles,spiders.and scorpions

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Neither do I. See I would offer to meet using the train for him but tbh the money I would spend on that would be better spent on getting him the equipment and vet care he may need (UV lights or D3 supplements, possible booster injections of calcium in the mean time etc) my local reptile specialist vets are good but as any specialist vet they are expensive. The treatments are all very cheap but the tests are what can cost £100+.

If you get him to a specialist reptile vet (I can locate one in your area for you - there are loads) and have the tests done I will come get him myself and carry on with his treatment. Otherwise I'm sorry but I won't pay to travel because you would be looking at a minimum of £50-£100 for a consulation, check over, and then tests and/or treatments on top. I think its fair to say I would get him the care and vetinary assistance he may possibly need which could cost me hundreds and all you have to do is travel 2 hrs on the train. I soppose the best thing about that is you could see the setup he was going into and how all my other reps are doing for yourself.. but I am not in a position to give you anything for him given the costs of just a vet check up and extra supplement he obviously needs, nevermind any possible health issues he may have. Not only that, but without trying to be nasty (because I'm really not) but judging by how the beardie has not been seperated/to a specialist vet or anything I would not be comfortable giving my beloved pets into a position like that, I'm sure you understand.


Well, this is a little different from the previous post where you said he was being bullied. Either way, it's obvious to me that the other beardie is the dominant one, and is bullying the other. Usually a healthy bearded with enough space and multiple different basking spots would be able to cope with this, but it's definately not the situation a beardie with a birth defect should be in, as he is at a serious disadvantage compared to the other dragon. The bullied dragon is experiencing severe (I mean very severe) stress because of this, and stress eventually leads to a weakened immune system - which eventually kills them. Coupled with the fact you said he's not interested in feeding, this makes him even weaker and unable to fend off illnesses or stress. And lastly, because the other beardie will not allow him to perch and bask under the UV lamp (I'm assuming you have) then your little beardie is lacking in vitamin D3, which is essential for them to make calcium in their bodies (this will eventually cause MBD - Metabolic Bone Disease) which given his other deformities, will leave him in a state that will most likely need him to be put to sleep, or it may just kill him outright.

The reason your dragon is not eating is because of stress, and also UV lights acts as a stimulation for appetite for beardeds, which he obviously has no access to due to the other dragon.

I'm going to be very honest and talk from experience here, if your dragon is not removed from this situation, and housed alone with a high UV access, vitamin supplements matched exactly to his needs (not too high nor low) and so his appetite returns and fed well, I estimate him to be dead within 3-9 months. I am by no means a vet or anything of the sort, BUT I have seen first hand how quicky stress can kill a reptile, coupled with the bullying etc it will act very quickly.

That's fair enough, I'm guessing when you said a fish in return you didn't mean any expensive. I would rather pay a small donation then hand my animals over into a situation like this though. I won't (and can't) offer anything for him though, because I know firsthand the costs of recovery of such an animal, even if it turns out to be nothing serious. The main thing is your pet gets the care, love and attention he so desperately needs.

Haha thanks popey
He would have the best life he could, and be very much loved along with a home for life. I do my best to help animals, unfortunately this is just one of many in this situation, and no doubt there is another right around the corner needing my help, so it's very much up to the owner whether they think the journey is worth it..

if it were me i would name and shame whoever you got it from.

any breeder of any animal is responsible for what they breed and if anything is born with a defect to the point it will suffer most of its life it should be culled.

i know a lot of people might say thats harsh, but im sorry this is how it has to be. the keeping of defect animals and the possibility of them breeding someday is a very bad thing that wouldn't ever happen in their natural habitat so shouldn't on the same token be allowed to happen within an artificial environment.

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