Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Normally my bearded dragon is quite calm and I have been walking around with her on my shoulder for years and I have never had a problem with her on my shoulder. Today I was walking outside like I have done many other times, and she jumped. Luckily(but not very lucky) she grabbed onto my pants but she slipped and continued to fall. She then landed on the sidewalk, 5.5 feet lower then my shoulder. I am afraid she broke some of her ribs. What do I do?

I'm sure I'm not the most qualified to answer this question but in my opinion I would watch him carefully for the next few days. Broken bones almost always cause swelling which may be visable. With broken ribs they may have breathing problems. As with most animals, beardies frequently jump from trees and bushes in the wild. Hopefully yours didn't have a hard impact because he hit your leg first. Be extra observant and take him to a vet if you see him gasping, refusing food or becoming lethargic. If your sure he hit hard I'd take him in anyway. On a personal note I have never been a big fan of having any lizard or bird just sitting on my shoulder for this very reason. Yeah you look cool but the safety of your critter should be first and formost. Hope your dragon is fine and just making you worry. Good luck and Happy 2006.

She seems fine right now. She's walking around and I'm tryin to keep her on soft soil, so that if indeed something has happened it won't be as painful. I would take her to the vet but many are closing soon and the weekend is almost here. What would the vet do. Could they fix the broken bone? I don't want to spend my money just to have the vet tell me that she has a broken bone. But right now I think that the important thing is that she's walking and and eating fine. Thanks for the help.

Just a note to say i'm happy to hear shes acting fine. They are tough little critters. They are also so charming that we fall in love soo easy. Best wishes for her continued good health.