Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had a bearded dragon. I bought him two years ago as a baby. He grew like a weed!!! He was healthy and he was eating and drinking well. He had regular bowel movements. I went out of town for about four or five days and the day before I came home, my animal sitter called me and told me that my bearded dragon had died. She said he had water and she had fed him, but she just found him dead. When I came home, it was the strangest thing. I found him in his cage, smashed up against the glass with blood coming out of his eyes and mouth. He also had a big welt on his back that I think was filled with blood. i have no idea what could have caused this. Does anybody have any ideas? Thanks.

Natalia

you might contact the zoo in your area and ask them. or if you have an amazing vet (that's why i recommend the zoo whoever handles their animals would be the best person in town to handle yours and sometimes they have a private practice outside th zoo.) either way contact the zoo or local college with a zoology program and ask them. i'm assuming that there was some sort of trama. something in the cage possible fell over on it or something was dropped on it. that would be my guess.

Well it sure does not sound like natural causes...
Nancy
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Some of my best friends are Snakes and Dragons
Reptiles Rule

Hi There!

Sorry about your dragon. To me what you describe sounds more like trauma than an illness. Sounds like that welt on his back is hemorraged (sp?) from something either falling on him or hitting him explaining the blood from his mouth and eyes. How well do you trust your pet sitter?.. I really don't believe the "found him dead" theory. Just my 2cents.
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AYJE
SelectDragons

Yeah, you are probably right. It most likely was trauma. I mean, what else could it have been? I know that nothing in the cage fell on him...or at least nothing in the cage could fall on him and kill him. I had some really light drift wood in there, but when I came home it was all still in place, but I guess it could have been put back into place. I thought I trusted my pet sitter at that point, but I've come to see she was kind of shady. I guess I just didn't think she was THAT shady. I shudder now, because I trusted her to care for not only my dragon, but three dogs, six horses, three cats, and some others. She only watched my animals that one time and now she's moved back to her hometown, but I think you guys are right about it being trauma. I just didn't want to think that it could be that. Looking back, I guess I shouldn't have trusted her. Hind sight really is 20/20. Thanks for the thoughts.

Natalia

I am sooo Sorry to hear about your dragon!!!!! I totally agree with the other posts....there is more to the story....
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~*~.. Nikki ..~*~

Huntington (Long Island), New York

I have to agree. Your dragon died from either being struck by something, stepped on or having the heat light or something fall on it. Whether it was intentional or accidental, that I can't say. However I would get your pet sitter to compensate you for the loss. A vet trip could determine if the injury was caused by something falling on it or some rare unknown ailment.

very sorry to hear about your loss.
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PHLdyPayne

Did the sitter maybe have the beardie out around the dogs or other animals and maybe one of them got a hold of it??? It just seems like something woulf have to hit it realitively hard for blood to come out of the eyes, maybe the mark on the back is a tooth mark from another animal??? Just a thought. But am sooo sorry about your loss, I am so attached to all of my 'kids' that I couldn't imagine loosing one.