Reptile & Amphibian Forums

There is a pair of beardies at our local pet store i am thinking about buying...but...I noticed tht the male has a yellow crusty material in the corners of his mouth...I have been looking online to see what it may possibly be...i know it isn't normal...the female's mouth looks fine...I just want some input before i go and invest almost 250 dollars in sick reptiles...

If I were you, regardless the aparent health of pet store reptiles. Find an online breeder, easy to do, probably be able to find one near you. You will get superior specimens, aswell as hand rasied, and much healthier.
Pet stores, do not specialize in bearded dragons or herps, normally... They are often not cared for properly, and a first time BD owner, should not need to worry about nursing a dragon.
A new owener should be focussed on keeping it happy, and useing handling techniques to ensure a super friendly adult.
Can the pet store garentee different family lines? Breeders WILL NOT give you 2 family members, you will get a better selection (look for nice fire, citrus, orange) any thing out of the ordinary, as they are much more interesting if you ask me.
Just my 2 cents, but I have done the pet shop and the private breeder, breeder all the way, I have 2 beautiful BDs both spectacular in its colorings in their own way.
Good luck!

I don't believe the majority of pet stores should sell reptiles. Very few have any idea how to care for them properly. The yellow crusty material on the ones mouth could be a symptom of a respiratory infection.

The other poster mentioned that a breeder would not sell you siblings. I'd like to qualify that with "a large reputable breeder will most likely not sell you siblings". There are many, many, BD breeders out there now and many are small and do not offer multiple dragons of the same size from multiple lines. They like the pet stores are more interested in selling a "product" rather than do what is best for the purchaser.

The yellow crusted material on the dragons mouth can be anything..from a sign of a respiratory infection or the food it was feed. Pureed squash will look yellow and crusty if it dried on the side of the dragon's mouth.

However, closer examination of the dragon will be needed to learn if it is healthy. How does it behave? Is it alert, watching everything that happens around it, responsive if you move around before it's cage? Is it out basking or hiding? Are its eyes clear and open and actively looking around? What about its general appearance? Are the limbs filled out or skinny looking? What about the tail base? It should be thick and no sign of any hip bones. There are two fat deposits on a dragon's head, just behind the eyes. Are these sunken? Or level with the rest of the head or actually have little mounds?

THe one with the crusty stuff on its mouth, do you notice any fresh mucus around its mouth or nostrils? If you held it does it seem to wheeze or whistle? (it may hiss, if its nervous but typically a nervous dragon will open its mouth and hiss. If it does hiss open mouthed, check the color of the mouth. It should be a healthy pinkish color, with clear saliva but no redness, yellowish or milky mucus or cheesy like substances anywhere.

Check the vent area, it should be clean and free of any swelling, fecal matter or sores. If there is other yellow crusty matter on its body, it may have yellow fungus disease too. Now that is not something you want to worry about...

Ask questions of the store employees.. ask what they feed it, if they do feed yellow vegetables, that may explain the crustiness on the face. But if no squash, sweet potatoes or even shredded carrots, then I will be weary about getting either dragon.

It is also better to wait a few days, or look around for other sources, before buying the first pair of dragons you find as well. I also suggest if you do want to get a breeding pair, or just two dragons who you may want to breed in the future, is to say you want unrelated dragons. Even large reputable breeders may sell siblings if they don't realize the intention is to breed them.

Even small time breeders may have more than one bloodline to offer, but always good to just ask for non related dragons, to make it clear that is what you want.
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PHLdyPayne

There is also a yellow fungal infection which plagues dragons!

I have been admiring these beardies for several months now...I am in this pet store about twice a week...and have even handled these dragons several times...BOTH are very alert and calm...LOVE being held...her feeding schedule alternates...some days crickets sprinkled with a calcium powder some days shredded veggies...including carrots lettuce...and zuccini...she even has one dragon a customer gave her that she keeps to show the results of a poorly cared for dragon who lacked calcium...she calls him "R.K."...short for Road Kill...because his body is flat from the poor bone structure...but he also is very alert and seems content with handling and climbs to the top of his little log when you come into the reptile room...I'm gonna go back there prolly wednesday and look at them again to see if there are any more signs of possible illness...but if there is...that might make me want to get them even more because I don't know that the person who does aquire them would take the time...or even care enough to nurse them back to health...and it would kill me to think someone else bought them just to let them suffer