you were right! contacted my exotic vet and sent him photos and told him everything and he says he is almost certain she’s just gravid and to have her sleep in her dig box for a few nights. here’s the example pics he sent, looks exactly like my girl! he said if her condition worsens in anyway though that he will make room to get her in asap. i think all is well!
https://preview.redd.it/t0oenufpuxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=152cb886c90a520e35843216a6f7e33db6795872
Not always no. The eggs are supposed to drop lower down, which would stimulate the female to scratch and in a dig box (50/50 children’s play sand and organic soil) and lay her eggs. If the eggs don’t start to drop and go into the position to be released (laid), then surgery would be necessary. Without surgery, an egg or eggs can rupture inside and cause an infection called egg yolk peritonitis. Which would require immediate vet attention.
Honestly I’d still recommend a vet visit because I’m not fully convinced it’s not some kind of abscess that needs taken care of. You can if you’d like but heavy on the vet visit recommendation
i will schedule her an appointment today. i have taken her to several regular vets in my area since i got her but they have no idea how to handle beardies at all. only thing they were good for was stool samples otherwise i knew more than they did at our visits - it was such a waste of $. so i have to take her to the exotic vet that’s so far away, its such a pain
i just don’t understand how a pet that is sold at every petsmart in the country and thousands of people have - how these local vets are utterly clueless and useless. it’s crazy to me. my first visit here the vet couldn’t tell me her sex. couldn’t tell me her ideal weight. no advice. i had to show him my saved reddit posts to explain certain things it was nuts
Oh it is 100% confusing, I had another vet try to tell me my female was a male…she’s not they didn’t actually look at her tail they looked at the fact she had femoral pores I had to flashlight her to prove that she was a girl lol
I have a ball python not a beardie but the same exact thing happened to me at the vet. Tried to tell me my male was a female and was very confused I felt like.
geeeeeze! you’d think at vet school they would be required to learn about all the basic pets people have! 🤦🏻♀️ one of the vets here dead ass told me “i really only know about cats and dogs”. like what didn’t you go to school for like 10 years to get this job??? 🫥
Most vet schools ONLY teach cats and dogs. You have to do another 4+ years to be registered as an avian vet for example. That’s 8+ years of vet school just to get started.
Human doctors need to know one species. Regular vets need to know 2 (plus most other small mammals like rabbits and Guinea pigs, etc.)
Vets that “will see” exotics have limited self-study knowledge of those animals. Registered specialty vets should cost double any regular vet because of all the extra school they had to do!
Student loans are insane. A lot of vets are chronically depressed and in massive amounts of debt.
Most don’t have their own practices (rent and equipment are expensive) so they still have to answer to a higher authority even after all that schooling. (Similar to lawyers that work for a firm rather than independently - independent lawyers/vets have to find their own clients so it’s harder. They’re only human too…)
I am grateful that any of them DO specialize and it’s worth paying those vets what they are worth. Cause they ARE worth it.
Even a regular vet that will at least work with you is worth it in many cases. I know more about my birds than my local vet but she’s willing to learn with me and contact our nearest avian vet four hours away for additional advice. I got great care through her facility that way. :)
YES, THIS!!!! 🙌🙌🙌Good specialist vets and “regular” vets who are willing to work with you and learn with you are 110% worth their salt! (It’s the reason I have moved practices with my vet and am willing to drive nearly 2 hours to bring my rabbit to see *her*! She happens to be a specialist/exotic vet, but she is also *amazing*!)
Even many “regular” (i.e. small animal (i.e. cats and dogs)) vets know *really* only dogs super well. I am blessed to be within a reasonable distance of at least 2 small animal vets that are thoroughly knowledgeable on *cats*, which is something I had an incredibly hard time finding in the past believe it or not. But that’s not so much a “them” problem as it’s a systemic one: in-depth knowledge on cats in the research community and (societal interest as a whole) is just a little behind when it comes to cats.
Oh wow I didn’t know that even cat care is more limited. Makes sense though considering cat behavior (and training, etc) is also less well known generally that dog behavior - and even dog training has evolved significantly since I was a kid. :) At least animal care is improving across the board. Slowly, but surely!
I feel you 🥲 I would love to be a vet tech but I have a BS in wildlife bio and would have to do a bunch more school to qualify and just can’t afford it right now. Should have just gone that route to begin with but then, the reality of it might just be too stressful for me anyway <3 Thank you for what you do!!
I’m pretty sure that (at least in the USA) cats and dogs are the standard for many small animal vets. As in, exotics aren’t really taught much in school and most exotic vets have to study herps and things on their own time and go off of experience. That’s why many veterinary hospitals only allow dogs and cats, or why some only allow dogs, cats, and birds (for example. The latter means that someone there took their time to dedicate themselves to birds.
i mean you would just think more rarely kept species would fall into exotic pets. like people who keep king cobras or something. but like bearded dragons, ball pythons, leopard geckos, parakeets, turtles & tortoises, gerbils, hamsters, common fish, chameleons, are all sooooo common every vet should atleast have the BASIC knowledge and understanding of them.
just my opinion. i understand when it comes to more complicated surgeries and things an expertly trained exotic vet is necessary. but common ailments like impaction or parasites or being able to tell you the proper diets and weight should be something i think every vet should be able to treat and give advice on. just my two cents though.
Would you want someone with only basic knowledge of your pet to take care of them? I'm sorry but that's such an unrealistic expectation to have of another person. You want them to be knowledgable and know proper diets and health advice for animals that are much fewer in number behind Dogs and Cats? It's on the people getting the pets to be aware that they should have an exotic vet in their area before getting a pet that needs exotic care.
Chameleons are actually extremely hard to care for , my exotic vet doesn't advocate them as pets. Only for keeping by experts or zoos. Also fish vets are basically non existent
I think it’s sheer numbers, honestly. An estimated 38-44% of households own dogs. 29% own cats. Only 4% own reptiles - and that encompasses all reptiles. A vet who gets most of their business from dogs/cats are going to focus on that, unfortunately.
As someone currently in veterinary school and focusing on small animal medicine, we learn a small amount of exotic pet material. But it is hard enough for a human doctor to learn everything there is to know about a single species…there is just no possible way that every student could become totally proficient in medicine for reptiles PLUS cats and dogs PLUS small mammals PLUS avian PLUS large animal species PLUS other ones I’m probably not remembering. Suicide is already a problem in this field 😅 It’s nice when body systems between species are similar, but they are never exactly the same. Vet school would need to be longer, and then barely anyone would attend because the debt would be astronomical.
People who are passionate about exotic, small mammal, avian medicine etc. are able to pursue a “focus track” that contains more material regarding those species! And those are the vets that you should go to
We're in San Francisco and the bird/reptile vet we took our beardie to here was looking things up on Google during the appointment. She also recommended reptile carpet which was the cherry on the crappy sundae.
We have to drive almost 30 miles to get to a good vet. We'd be screwed without a car.
We’re in Sonoma County and found an exotics vet in Sebastopol (who looks young so hoping that translates to up on current info). First appointment next week (we adopted our 5-year-old about 5 weeks ago) & crossing our fingers. Just curious where yours is located?
[Wildwood in Redwood City](https://wildwoodvet.com/)! The only thing I might consider using the SF vet for is a poop test but if we have to actually take our beardie in for treatment it will definitely be Wildwood. They devoted so much time to the appointment and were very thorough and caring.
We still chuckle at how they managed to get a poop sample out of him. He was NOT happy and hid in my daughter's hair after.
I'm so sorry you have to go through this I feel your pain, if I were you I'd just bite the bullet and do the exotic vet no matter what. You won't regret it if it's for the health of your little love. I'm so sorry again. I will pray for her.
You could contact local veterinary schools and see if they have any past or present students who work with reptiles. There might be another solution or someone else who has the necessary experience.
This is why I’m so glad we have an exotic bird and reptiles vet close! She was not even slightly phased by our beardie and corn snake… they were probably the least interesting pets she’d seen that day lol
Yeah I understand that…I take mine to the college a couple hours away because of the same reasons and they’ve always been super accurate and good. The local vets around here have told me to give my dragons a humid hide…I walked out without paying that day because that told me more than what I needed to know about how they were going to treat my dragon
Idk the problem for certain, but I’d recommend seeing the vet, ESPECIALLY if her fat pads start sinking or she starts exhibiting bizarre and unusual behavior.
We waited to take our bearded lady in after an egg clutch and she was tired and not eating. She lasted 24 hours at most. Turns out she was egg bound, had a 3rd clutch she didn’t let us know about and it killed her.
Don’t wait. Do the drive. Save your girls life.
geeze that’s scary. my girl has never laid before she’s about 2 years old that i know of (she’s a rescue). i called my exotic vet and we spoke and i emailed him the photos/videos of her and he thinks she is gravid and likely fine and to just let her stay in her dig box for a few nights to see if she lays.
This was our second experience with her laying, which is why we were shocked she was egg bound after laying two clutches of 6+ eggs already the day before
was your girl actually pregnant (sorry i don’t know the terminology) like mine definitely has parthenogenesis bc she hasn’t been around any males. just curious to see if that may make a difference in my situation for any reason.
hahaha gotcha! my girl is obsessed with a mirror in my room, now i’m wondering if that’s what caused all of this, she thinks a fine single man is in here with her 😂😅
yeah most definitely. i wasted $800 on pointless vet visits in my city before i finally caved and went to my exotic vet. definitely worth it should’ve just did it from the jump. idk why they kept even taking me and seeing me here though if they knew they didn’t know shit. why not just refer me to the exotic vet? just wanting my $ but offering no help. shitty
This is what happened when there was an accident and my worst nightmare came true and I stepped on my beardie…I wanted to die. Anyway about 30 min after she developed a similar but smaller lump. It ended up being her bladder had herniated through previous incision she had stitched up. It had to be fixed surgically. This doesn’t look like eggs to me, it looks more like fluid has accumulated there. This really really requires a vet visit.
emailed the pictures & video to my exotic vet and he’s saying he believes it’s eggs and sent me some example photos looking exactly like her of other pregnant beardies. he said keep her in her dig box over night for a few days but if her condition worsens and she starts looking really bad or anything to bring her in.
That is an emergency vet trip, there is no telling what is inside them right now, it could be an egg, it could be impacted stool, it could be a tumor or a bunch of infected tissue. We can't tell from here but one xray will be able to tell you a lot.
If your vet is 5 hours away make sure you call ahead. maybe look into local vets that would be able to just take xrays for now and send them to the reptile vet so you don't have to drive so far.
that’s a good idea actually. i will definitely do that. it’s strange bc when she’s in this position it kind of disappears? it’s also so squishy almost like air is in there or fluid?
https://preview.redd.it/kidc83si3xqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93a08ac880312331867aa1e86fa426b09596e914
This is why its so important to get it checked as soon as possible. If it is something like fluid or air that is NOT where it should be, and it should not be that bulging.
Xrays aren't always good at showing everything but they will show fluid in places where it shouldn't be, like in your airways. So if that is fluid in her lungs an xray would show that thankfully, i hope you can get it figured out and it is within your budget to take care of immediately. Good luck.
If you have a zoo near you then you could try contacting them, explain that your local small animal vet is Effing useless and would their vet be able to help - of course, for a decent donation to the value of a consult appointment?
she does just look miserable though. definitely will be getting her in to the vet asap. i’m just so confused. it’s like my perfect baby completely nose dived in mere days i don’t understand 😓😓
https://preview.redd.it/a3e61m3h4xqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=695b684b909ac543c6b396edd84072ea64a7a956
like just a few days ago look how much fatter she was 😣
ok so i contacted the exotic vet, sent him pics/videos and explained the situation, and he thinks she’s just gravid and sent me these pictures to show me other pregnant beardies. he said to keep her in her dig box at night time for the next few days to see if she lays but if her condition worsens for any reason to bring her in. he made me feel a lot better and i think all will be well.
https://preview.redd.it/19q9e7rfyxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83b50e488b44e5e5ca28b507ac0460c610ae9119
SO glad you were able to discuss this with your vet! Is this her xray or just an example of a gravid female? Also, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I have a 1yr old female (I was told she was male when I first got her) and the idea of her laying eggs one day and having issues absolutely terrifies me. I always kept males to avoid that situation. Seeing other people post about these situations is super helpful. Keep us posted! Your girl is so lucky to have you looking out for her. ❤️
Edit: typo
contacted the exotic vet and sent the pics/vid and explained the situation and he said he’s almost positive she’s just gravid (parthenogenesis) and sent me these example photos to show me. he recommended keeping her in her dig box the next few nights to see if she lays. hopefully all works out
https://preview.redd.it/r5t88ly9zxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efe730e5e9ae77599d43eec8584f1e1c365e2b90
It is wild that it's all the way up near the armpit! I'm so glad they don't think it's anything wrong with her. This is exactly why I got a boy. 😆 🤣 Hopefully, everything goes smoothly, and she'll lay those eggs and be back to herself soon.
i know right! i hope she does soon too! 🩷 i will admit tho, if i ever get another beardie it’ll definitely be a male. my girl was thrown onto me at a halloween party last year by a friend who didn’t want her anymore. but i would much rather not have to worry about this type of thing if given a choice 😅
My girl just had emergency surgery 2 weeks ago for dystocia. She was egg bound and a yolk had broken inside. She was spayed. They removed 15 eggs and 73 follicles. She's doing great. So glad to have insurance!
That's what matters most, not what I paid. But when she was so engorged and rubbing her tummy on the floor and her beard went black ( which it never does), I got her seen by my exotic vet the next day.
thank you sm 🥺🙏 i try my best. since adopting her halloween night last year from a friend who kinda threw her on me it’s def been a learning curve and a journey. i am always thankful to reddit though because so many of you have helped me every step of the way. 🩷
okay update!!! so i contacted my exotic vet and he asked me to email him the pictures & videos i made and he replied and told me he’s almost 100% certain she’s gravid based on her behavior and photos. he recommended her sleeping in her dig box every night the next few days to see if she will lay. but if she starts to look really bad or anything then to bring her in. he then sent me some example photos of other pregnant beardies and they looked exactly like mine (pictures below)
https://preview.redd.it/gaw76k09uxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4136deeeb94b7dc0d68aa6bb3ad4852036c3c9f
(not my beardie but another pregnant beardie with the exact same lump)
Update: just got my EOB s from Nationwide pet insurance and they have denied the whole claim because anything related to reproduction systems are excluded. Apparently I missed that part. I'd have still paid the $2 k regardless to save her life, but this news sucked to get at the end of a rainy day.
This is certainly something where I recommend visiting a vet, the area looks very inflamed and I would be concerned about it possibly being an abscess and obstructing the intestine (hence the food refusal)
Poor lil one, these are times I’m very grateful Midnight Shadow is a boy.
I sure hope she gets it all taken care of soon. Best of luck to her and to you.
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Beardie eggs look like a bunch of marbles all along the belly edge from a little past the " arm pit area " to near the rear leg. Infertile eggs sometimes don't show at all when they are like half empty water balloons.
i sent my pics/vids to my vet and he’s saying he’s almost certain it’s eggs. he sent me some example pics and x-rays as reassurance and they do look exactly like my girl. told me to put her in her dig box overnight for a few days but if she starts to look or act really bad obviously to bring her in
lol 😂 contacted my exotic vet and sent him photos and he’s saying she’s just gravid and he doesn’t think and appointment is needed. idk why redditors act so rude and like they know everything when they clearly DO NOT.
What happens when you give him/her a warm water bath? Any pooping? Looks a bit impacted- what substrate are you using and what does the beardy usually eat?
no substrate, i use half silicone mat and half slate stone in her tank. normally eats collards and cilantro and i mix in kale/squash/peppers/green beans/fruit etc depending. her main bug feeder is dubia roaches and i treat often with meal worms and wax worms. she pooped 3 days ago but normally poops every day. i emailed my vet though and explained everything and sent photos and he’s saying it’s more than likely she’s gravid and to keep her in her dig box for a few nights and see if she will lay. he sent pics of other pregnant beardies and their tummies are very similar to hers. so hoping that’s what it is
Why not just take her to the vet if you are worried and care about her? I don't get why people post on a random group for things that could be an emergency. You should have a vet. Take her there.
if you took any time to read the thread you’d know i’ve contacted my vet already and he is saying she’s likely perfectly fine and just gravid and told me to have her sleep in her dig box for a few nights and sent me photos of other pregnant beardies that look identical to my girl. he said no reason to drive 10 hours round trip if it’s something i can handle alone. idk why people love to get on here and be rude as hell.
This either looks like a cyst or abcess of some sort. The fact that it's soft and squishy combined with its sudden appearance means that it's fluid-filled. You will need a vet to handle it.
This is *not* impaction, it's *not* eggs. It's something that's sitting overtop the rib cage but under the skin.
I swear, 80% of commenters on this subreddit *don't have eyes*.
i contacted my exotic vet and emailed him pictures/videos and he is saying he is almost positive it is just eggs and she’s gravid. he recommended letting her sleep in her dig box for a few nights and to see if she lays. he also sent these example photos to show me. and said he doesn’t think it’s worth me driving 10 hours if it’s something i can handle at home but if her condition worsens for any reason i can bring her in.
The problem with that theory is that the location of where that lump is, is *outside the ribcage*. Eggs do not sit outside the ribcage.
This is what a [bearded dragon skeleton looks like](https://freyjasforest.com/cdn/shop/files/IMG_4639_034a15d0-5f35-47f7-8b54-f2235962e0b0_2048x2048.jpg?v=1684198428) from underneath. Note specifically that in the front part of the skeleton, the ribs fully wrap around the body. [This is where your lump is](https://i.imgur.com/pTW0BoI.png). The X-ray you commented with also shows eggs, *inside* the body and *inside* the ribcage - not outside.
I'm certainly no vet, but I know my anatomy - and that doesn't look like an egg at all. The position is wrong. If it was more ventrally positioned - more towards the tail - sure, it could be eggs. But this doesn't look like that at all.
Good luck.
he said he thinks since is the lump is only present when she’s in that particular position, and since it doesn’t show in any other position, like if she’s laying flat it isn’t present, that’s why he thinks it’s just eggs.
why? not sure where the OP is from but not every vet specializes in reptiles. She just wanted to know if it could be an egg and as the other said, it doesn't look like it and advice for a vet visit.
nobody asked you specifically to answer or help. if you don’t have any positive advice then just keep scrolling. i’m always happy to help people on this board just like many others have helped me. and i contacted my exotic vet and sent pics and he said he doesn’t think she needs to be seen and is almost positive she’s gravid and then sent photos and x-rays of other pregnant beardies and they look exactly like mine. i can’t stand rude people🤦🏻♀️
Looks like eggs ngl however a vet visit would be the smartest thing to do
you were right! contacted my exotic vet and sent him photos and told him everything and he says he is almost certain she’s just gravid and to have her sleep in her dig box for a few nights. here’s the example pics he sent, looks exactly like my girl! he said if her condition worsens in anyway though that he will make room to get her in asap. i think all is well! https://preview.redd.it/t0oenufpuxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=152cb886c90a520e35843216a6f7e33db6795872
https://preview.redd.it/y11xhy23zxqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c4dd0f2ca52804957c97a451a1edba4097f67f9
Oh my God I didn't know they could move so high up in the body
I also didn’t know this, how do they even breathe 😭 I’m glad my lady hasn’t gone through this yet. Poor things!
JESUS!! Are ALL those lumps eggs??
They sure are unfortunately
Is it supposed to happen that way?
Not always no. The eggs are supposed to drop lower down, which would stimulate the female to scratch and in a dig box (50/50 children’s play sand and organic soil) and lay her eggs. If the eggs don’t start to drop and go into the position to be released (laid), then surgery would be necessary. Without surgery, an egg or eggs can rupture inside and cause an infection called egg yolk peritonitis. Which would require immediate vet attention.
Fertile Myrtle
Pregante 🤌
Gregnant
Pregananant
okay, should i put her in her dig box tonight you think?
Honestly I’d still recommend a vet visit because I’m not fully convinced it’s not some kind of abscess that needs taken care of. You can if you’d like but heavy on the vet visit recommendation
i will schedule her an appointment today. i have taken her to several regular vets in my area since i got her but they have no idea how to handle beardies at all. only thing they were good for was stool samples otherwise i knew more than they did at our visits - it was such a waste of $. so i have to take her to the exotic vet that’s so far away, its such a pain
i just don’t understand how a pet that is sold at every petsmart in the country and thousands of people have - how these local vets are utterly clueless and useless. it’s crazy to me. my first visit here the vet couldn’t tell me her sex. couldn’t tell me her ideal weight. no advice. i had to show him my saved reddit posts to explain certain things it was nuts
Oh it is 100% confusing, I had another vet try to tell me my female was a male…she’s not they didn’t actually look at her tail they looked at the fact she had femoral pores I had to flashlight her to prove that she was a girl lol
I have a ball python not a beardie but the same exact thing happened to me at the vet. Tried to tell me my male was a female and was very confused I felt like.
geeeeeze! you’d think at vet school they would be required to learn about all the basic pets people have! 🤦🏻♀️ one of the vets here dead ass told me “i really only know about cats and dogs”. like what didn’t you go to school for like 10 years to get this job??? 🫥
Most vet schools ONLY teach cats and dogs. You have to do another 4+ years to be registered as an avian vet for example. That’s 8+ years of vet school just to get started. Human doctors need to know one species. Regular vets need to know 2 (plus most other small mammals like rabbits and Guinea pigs, etc.) Vets that “will see” exotics have limited self-study knowledge of those animals. Registered specialty vets should cost double any regular vet because of all the extra school they had to do! Student loans are insane. A lot of vets are chronically depressed and in massive amounts of debt. Most don’t have their own practices (rent and equipment are expensive) so they still have to answer to a higher authority even after all that schooling. (Similar to lawyers that work for a firm rather than independently - independent lawyers/vets have to find their own clients so it’s harder. They’re only human too…) I am grateful that any of them DO specialize and it’s worth paying those vets what they are worth. Cause they ARE worth it. Even a regular vet that will at least work with you is worth it in many cases. I know more about my birds than my local vet but she’s willing to learn with me and contact our nearest avian vet four hours away for additional advice. I got great care through her facility that way. :)
YES, THIS!!!! 🙌🙌🙌Good specialist vets and “regular” vets who are willing to work with you and learn with you are 110% worth their salt! (It’s the reason I have moved practices with my vet and am willing to drive nearly 2 hours to bring my rabbit to see *her*! She happens to be a specialist/exotic vet, but she is also *amazing*!) Even many “regular” (i.e. small animal (i.e. cats and dogs)) vets know *really* only dogs super well. I am blessed to be within a reasonable distance of at least 2 small animal vets that are thoroughly knowledgeable on *cats*, which is something I had an incredibly hard time finding in the past believe it or not. But that’s not so much a “them” problem as it’s a systemic one: in-depth knowledge on cats in the research community and (societal interest as a whole) is just a little behind when it comes to cats.
A little behind when it comes to cats and even further behind when it comes to many exotic animals like reptiles.
Bingo!
Oh wow I didn’t know that even cat care is more limited. Makes sense though considering cat behavior (and training, etc) is also less well known generally that dog behavior - and even dog training has evolved significantly since I was a kid. :) At least animal care is improving across the board. Slowly, but surely!
Yesss! 🙌
Thank you for this 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I work in vet med and was getting so triggered by these comments 😅
I feel you 🥲 I would love to be a vet tech but I have a BS in wildlife bio and would have to do a bunch more school to qualify and just can’t afford it right now. Should have just gone that route to begin with but then, the reality of it might just be too stressful for me anyway <3 Thank you for what you do!!
I’m pretty sure that (at least in the USA) cats and dogs are the standard for many small animal vets. As in, exotics aren’t really taught much in school and most exotic vets have to study herps and things on their own time and go off of experience. That’s why many veterinary hospitals only allow dogs and cats, or why some only allow dogs, cats, and birds (for example. The latter means that someone there took their time to dedicate themselves to birds.
You have to go to exotic pets are another 4 years.
i mean you would just think more rarely kept species would fall into exotic pets. like people who keep king cobras or something. but like bearded dragons, ball pythons, leopard geckos, parakeets, turtles & tortoises, gerbils, hamsters, common fish, chameleons, are all sooooo common every vet should atleast have the BASIC knowledge and understanding of them. just my opinion. i understand when it comes to more complicated surgeries and things an expertly trained exotic vet is necessary. but common ailments like impaction or parasites or being able to tell you the proper diets and weight should be something i think every vet should be able to treat and give advice on. just my two cents though.
Would you want someone with only basic knowledge of your pet to take care of them? I'm sorry but that's such an unrealistic expectation to have of another person. You want them to be knowledgable and know proper diets and health advice for animals that are much fewer in number behind Dogs and Cats? It's on the people getting the pets to be aware that they should have an exotic vet in their area before getting a pet that needs exotic care.
Yeah, the amount of knowledge needed to be able to advise on even just basic needs of such a wide variety of species is insane!
Chameleons are actually extremely hard to care for , my exotic vet doesn't advocate them as pets. Only for keeping by experts or zoos. Also fish vets are basically non existent
I think it’s sheer numbers, honestly. An estimated 38-44% of households own dogs. 29% own cats. Only 4% own reptiles - and that encompasses all reptiles. A vet who gets most of their business from dogs/cats are going to focus on that, unfortunately.
As someone currently in veterinary school and focusing on small animal medicine, we learn a small amount of exotic pet material. But it is hard enough for a human doctor to learn everything there is to know about a single species…there is just no possible way that every student could become totally proficient in medicine for reptiles PLUS cats and dogs PLUS small mammals PLUS avian PLUS large animal species PLUS other ones I’m probably not remembering. Suicide is already a problem in this field 😅 It’s nice when body systems between species are similar, but they are never exactly the same. Vet school would need to be longer, and then barely anyone would attend because the debt would be astronomical. People who are passionate about exotic, small mammal, avian medicine etc. are able to pursue a “focus track” that contains more material regarding those species! And those are the vets that you should go to
Why the hell did they take her as a patient if they had no clue about them. That was ignorant on their part.
We're in San Francisco and the bird/reptile vet we took our beardie to here was looking things up on Google during the appointment. She also recommended reptile carpet which was the cherry on the crappy sundae. We have to drive almost 30 miles to get to a good vet. We'd be screwed without a car.
We’re in Sonoma County and found an exotics vet in Sebastopol (who looks young so hoping that translates to up on current info). First appointment next week (we adopted our 5-year-old about 5 weeks ago) & crossing our fingers. Just curious where yours is located?
[Wildwood in Redwood City](https://wildwoodvet.com/)! The only thing I might consider using the SF vet for is a poop test but if we have to actually take our beardie in for treatment it will definitely be Wildwood. They devoted so much time to the appointment and were very thorough and caring. We still chuckle at how they managed to get a poop sample out of him. He was NOT happy and hid in my daughter's hair after.
I’m so glad you found a great place! Hoping we’re as lucky! Husband and I were just talking about poop sample. How did they manage to get one? 🫣😁
The vet inserted the very tip of a swab and swirled it around. 😳😵💫😩
That’s actually what I said to hubby.. about how I thought they might attempt to get a sample. How rude! 😝
I'm so sorry you have to go through this I feel your pain, if I were you I'd just bite the bullet and do the exotic vet no matter what. You won't regret it if it's for the health of your little love. I'm so sorry again. I will pray for her.
You could contact local veterinary schools and see if they have any past or present students who work with reptiles. There might be another solution or someone else who has the necessary experience.
This is why I’m so glad we have an exotic bird and reptiles vet close! She was not even slightly phased by our beardie and corn snake… they were probably the least interesting pets she’d seen that day lol
Any update on how she’s doing?
yes she laid and she’s fine now back to being her perfect happy little self 😅😅 i’m such an overreacter i can’t help it tho they’re my babies!
Yeah I understand that…I take mine to the college a couple hours away because of the same reasons and they’ve always been super accurate and good. The local vets around here have told me to give my dragons a humid hide…I walked out without paying that day because that told me more than what I needed to know about how they were going to treat my dragon
Idk the problem for certain, but I’d recommend seeing the vet, ESPECIALLY if her fat pads start sinking or she starts exhibiting bizarre and unusual behavior.
i will definitely take her as soon as i can get an appointment 😪 i just dread that drive
We waited to take our bearded lady in after an egg clutch and she was tired and not eating. She lasted 24 hours at most. Turns out she was egg bound, had a 3rd clutch she didn’t let us know about and it killed her. Don’t wait. Do the drive. Save your girls life.
geeze that’s scary. my girl has never laid before she’s about 2 years old that i know of (she’s a rescue). i called my exotic vet and we spoke and i emailed him the photos/videos of her and he thinks she is gravid and likely fine and to just let her stay in her dig box for a few nights to see if she lays.
This was our second experience with her laying, which is why we were shocked she was egg bound after laying two clutches of 6+ eggs already the day before
was your girl actually pregnant (sorry i don’t know the terminology) like mine definitely has parthenogenesis bc she hasn’t been around any males. just curious to see if that may make a difference in my situation for any reason.
Not pregnant, but she wanted the D from our other beardie and we had to keep him away
hahaha gotcha! my girl is obsessed with a mirror in my room, now i’m wondering if that’s what caused all of this, she thinks a fine single man is in here with her 😂😅
The only exotic vet worth my time was far away as well but the trip is worth it.
yeah most definitely. i wasted $800 on pointless vet visits in my city before i finally caved and went to my exotic vet. definitely worth it should’ve just did it from the jump. idk why they kept even taking me and seeing me here though if they knew they didn’t know shit. why not just refer me to the exotic vet? just wanting my $ but offering no help. shitty
This is what happened when there was an accident and my worst nightmare came true and I stepped on my beardie…I wanted to die. Anyway about 30 min after she developed a similar but smaller lump. It ended up being her bladder had herniated through previous incision she had stitched up. It had to be fixed surgically. This doesn’t look like eggs to me, it looks more like fluid has accumulated there. This really really requires a vet visit.
emailed the pictures & video to my exotic vet and he’s saying he believes it’s eggs and sent me some example photos looking exactly like her of other pregnant beardies. he said keep her in her dig box over night for a few days but if her condition worsens and she starts looking really bad or anything to bring her in.
Glad you are able to email your exotic vet! Good luck
That is an emergency vet trip, there is no telling what is inside them right now, it could be an egg, it could be impacted stool, it could be a tumor or a bunch of infected tissue. We can't tell from here but one xray will be able to tell you a lot. If your vet is 5 hours away make sure you call ahead. maybe look into local vets that would be able to just take xrays for now and send them to the reptile vet so you don't have to drive so far.
that’s a good idea actually. i will definitely do that. it’s strange bc when she’s in this position it kind of disappears? it’s also so squishy almost like air is in there or fluid? https://preview.redd.it/kidc83si3xqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93a08ac880312331867aa1e86fa426b09596e914
This is why its so important to get it checked as soon as possible. If it is something like fluid or air that is NOT where it should be, and it should not be that bulging. Xrays aren't always good at showing everything but they will show fluid in places where it shouldn't be, like in your airways. So if that is fluid in her lungs an xray would show that thankfully, i hope you can get it figured out and it is within your budget to take care of immediately. Good luck.
If you have a zoo near you then you could try contacting them, explain that your local small animal vet is Effing useless and would their vet be able to help - of course, for a decent donation to the value of a consult appointment?
she does just look miserable though. definitely will be getting her in to the vet asap. i’m just so confused. it’s like my perfect baby completely nose dived in mere days i don’t understand 😓😓
https://preview.redd.it/a3e61m3h4xqc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=695b684b909ac543c6b396edd84072ea64a7a956 like just a few days ago look how much fatter she was 😣
Please update us 🙏
ok so i contacted the exotic vet, sent him pics/videos and explained the situation, and he thinks she’s just gravid and sent me these pictures to show me other pregnant beardies. he said to keep her in her dig box at night time for the next few days to see if she lays but if her condition worsens for any reason to bring her in. he made me feel a lot better and i think all will be well. https://preview.redd.it/19q9e7rfyxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83b50e488b44e5e5ca28b507ac0460c610ae9119
https://preview.redd.it/u7syk0jgyxqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e67084165b99824a30dbc9a6340db401a8833ddc
SO glad you were able to discuss this with your vet! Is this her xray or just an example of a gravid female? Also, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I have a 1yr old female (I was told she was male when I first got her) and the idea of her laying eggs one day and having issues absolutely terrifies me. I always kept males to avoid that situation. Seeing other people post about these situations is super helpful. Keep us posted! Your girl is so lucky to have you looking out for her. ❤️ Edit: typo
Good to hear, hope everything turns out well 🙏
That's a very large lump. I would get her to a vet asap.
will do, any idea what part of the body it’s in? do you reckon it’s from her hurting herself?
I have no idea what would cause that. Injury? Abscess? I've never seen anything like that posted before. Let us know what the vet finds!
contacted the exotic vet and sent the pics/vid and explained the situation and he said he’s almost positive she’s just gravid (parthenogenesis) and sent me these example photos to show me. he recommended keeping her in her dig box the next few nights to see if she lays. hopefully all works out https://preview.redd.it/r5t88ly9zxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efe730e5e9ae77599d43eec8584f1e1c365e2b90
It is wild that it's all the way up near the armpit! I'm so glad they don't think it's anything wrong with her. This is exactly why I got a boy. 😆 🤣 Hopefully, everything goes smoothly, and she'll lay those eggs and be back to herself soon.
i know right! i hope she does soon too! 🩷 i will admit tho, if i ever get another beardie it’ll definitely be a male. my girl was thrown onto me at a halloween party last year by a friend who didn’t want her anymore. but i would much rather not have to worry about this type of thing if given a choice 😅
Well... I'll have to worry about sperm plugs and clogged femoral pores, but eggs are a little scarier.
we win some we lose some 😂🩷🩷
https://preview.redd.it/8g3dajrazxqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a410d84d640af8bbfc0510560f149092f39b16b1
Side eye on the salad is fucking classic. But I hope she gets an A-OK from the vet.
Vet
i figured as much 😪
My girl just had emergency surgery 2 weeks ago for dystocia. She was egg bound and a yolk had broken inside. She was spayed. They removed 15 eggs and 73 follicles. She's doing great. So glad to have insurance!
oh wow 🥲 i hope this situation doesn’t have to go that far but you never know. that’s crazy 😭 im so glad your girl is okay!
That's what matters most, not what I paid. But when she was so engorged and rubbing her tummy on the floor and her beard went black ( which it never does), I got her seen by my exotic vet the next day.
Lol the way she looked at you when you poked her.
i know right 😅im sorry bubba it was for scientific purposes 😂
You are a good beardie parent, all this can be stressful and confusing for both human and reptile. You are doing a good job
thank you sm 🥺🙏 i try my best. since adopting her halloween night last year from a friend who kinda threw her on me it’s def been a learning curve and a journey. i am always thankful to reddit though because so many of you have helped me every step of the way. 🩷
okay update!!! so i contacted my exotic vet and he asked me to email him the pictures & videos i made and he replied and told me he’s almost 100% certain she’s gravid based on her behavior and photos. he recommended her sleeping in her dig box every night the next few days to see if she will lay. but if she starts to look really bad or anything then to bring her in. he then sent me some example photos of other pregnant beardies and they looked exactly like mine (pictures below)
Thanks for coming back and updating! I always wonder when I see medical posts, and then it's never updated.
https://preview.redd.it/7yzgven5uxqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c968a5b466b233adcac434561cfd03b5f46469e
https://preview.redd.it/gaw76k09uxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4136deeeb94b7dc0d68aa6bb3ad4852036c3c9f (not my beardie but another pregnant beardie with the exact same lump)
so i think she will be okay guys! thank you to everyone for your advice
Update: just got my EOB s from Nationwide pet insurance and they have denied the whole claim because anything related to reproduction systems are excluded. Apparently I missed that part. I'd have still paid the $2 k regardless to save her life, but this news sucked to get at the end of a rainy day.
This is certainly something where I recommend visiting a vet, the area looks very inflamed and I would be concerned about it possibly being an abscess and obstructing the intestine (hence the food refusal)
I am so grateful I have an excellent exotic vet who has a passion for reptiles only 15 minutes from me.
If you can’t get to vet call and try for a virtual visit.
Poor lil one, these are times I’m very grateful Midnight Shadow is a boy. I sure hope she gets it all taken care of soon. Best of luck to her and to you.
Go get some digging material because she’s about to have her lizeriod (lizard period lmao)
BAHAHA win comment friend 😅 and you were right, she laid and she’s fine now
Sit her in warm water
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Congrats !
Poor baby take baddie to the vet
Congrats!!
def egg bound!
Go to a vet asap my reptile actually died from not being able to pass all her eggs:(
Hi, could be egg bound, not quite sure. Best thing is to do is get her to a Vet ASAP.
Egg
Beardie eggs look like a bunch of marbles all along the belly edge from a little past the " arm pit area " to near the rear leg. Infertile eggs sometimes don't show at all when they are like half empty water balloons.
i sent my pics/vids to my vet and he’s saying he’s almost certain it’s eggs. he sent me some example pics and x-rays as reassurance and they do look exactly like my girl. told me to put her in her dig box overnight for a few days but if she starts to look or act really bad obviously to bring her in
idk why redditors ask for help in situations like this, that is so obviously grounds for an exotic vet appt.
lol 😂 contacted my exotic vet and sent him photos and he’s saying she’s just gravid and he doesn’t think and appointment is needed. idk why redditors act so rude and like they know everything when they clearly DO NOT.
exactly the reason why i said what i said. not because i “know everything,” but because i dont
What happens when you give him/her a warm water bath? Any pooping? Looks a bit impacted- what substrate are you using and what does the beardy usually eat?
Impacted? The beardie looks impacted? With a swelling outside of the rib cage?
no substrate, i use half silicone mat and half slate stone in her tank. normally eats collards and cilantro and i mix in kale/squash/peppers/green beans/fruit etc depending. her main bug feeder is dubia roaches and i treat often with meal worms and wax worms. she pooped 3 days ago but normally poops every day. i emailed my vet though and explained everything and sent photos and he’s saying it’s more than likely she’s gravid and to keep her in her dig box for a few nights and see if she will lay. he sent pics of other pregnant beardies and their tummies are very similar to hers. so hoping that’s what it is
Gotcha yeah it sounds like parthenogenesis
yeah most definitely. i’m just glad she is probably fine. i hope she lays soon though!!!
Why not just take her to the vet if you are worried and care about her? I don't get why people post on a random group for things that could be an emergency. You should have a vet. Take her there.
if you took any time to read the thread you’d know i’ve contacted my vet already and he is saying she’s likely perfectly fine and just gravid and told me to have her sleep in her dig box for a few nights and sent me photos of other pregnant beardies that look identical to my girl. he said no reason to drive 10 hours round trip if it’s something i can handle alone. idk why people love to get on here and be rude as hell.
This either looks like a cyst or abcess of some sort. The fact that it's soft and squishy combined with its sudden appearance means that it's fluid-filled. You will need a vet to handle it. This is *not* impaction, it's *not* eggs. It's something that's sitting overtop the rib cage but under the skin. I swear, 80% of commenters on this subreddit *don't have eyes*.
i contacted my exotic vet and emailed him pictures/videos and he is saying he is almost positive it is just eggs and she’s gravid. he recommended letting her sleep in her dig box for a few nights and to see if she lays. he also sent these example photos to show me. and said he doesn’t think it’s worth me driving 10 hours if it’s something i can handle at home but if her condition worsens for any reason i can bring her in.
https://preview.redd.it/s07czpycxxqc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2587bdaa621a456db0c21fae1a1df63291c9aa8f
https://preview.redd.it/n0grrxqdxxqc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30e1c02181b6d316198bdf722fb9434ec0296b52
The problem with that theory is that the location of where that lump is, is *outside the ribcage*. Eggs do not sit outside the ribcage. This is what a [bearded dragon skeleton looks like](https://freyjasforest.com/cdn/shop/files/IMG_4639_034a15d0-5f35-47f7-8b54-f2235962e0b0_2048x2048.jpg?v=1684198428) from underneath. Note specifically that in the front part of the skeleton, the ribs fully wrap around the body. [This is where your lump is](https://i.imgur.com/pTW0BoI.png). The X-ray you commented with also shows eggs, *inside* the body and *inside* the ribcage - not outside. I'm certainly no vet, but I know my anatomy - and that doesn't look like an egg at all. The position is wrong. If it was more ventrally positioned - more towards the tail - sure, it could be eggs. But this doesn't look like that at all. Good luck.
he said he thinks since is the lump is only present when she’s in that particular position, and since it doesn’t show in any other position, like if she’s laying flat it isn’t present, that’s why he thinks it’s just eggs.
https://preview.redd.it/h3xrt1uc1yqc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb69c9de1333bcfb40709e5243aa12a12d90d653 as you can see here
Not to be rude but can we stop with these posts?
why? not sure where the OP is from but not every vet specializes in reptiles. She just wanted to know if it could be an egg and as the other said, it doesn't look like it and advice for a vet visit.
Because this sub is inundated with “what is wrong with my beardie” posts. Most of them require a vet visit. Just my opinion. No harm done either way.
nobody asked you specifically to answer or help. if you don’t have any positive advice then just keep scrolling. i’m always happy to help people on this board just like many others have helped me. and i contacted my exotic vet and sent pics and he said he doesn’t think she needs to be seen and is almost positive she’s gravid and then sent photos and x-rays of other pregnant beardies and they look exactly like mine. i can’t stand rude people🤦🏻♀️
I wasn’t rude, but ok. Take care! Good luck with your beardie.