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- blinded bearded dragon
Reptiles/blinded bearded dragon
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Question
QUESTION: Hi,tomorrow i'am going to pick up a bearded dragon and the guy says she is blind and i just want to know if they do good being blind. I have 2 dragons of my own and just adore them and when i seen her i knew i had to have her. I will take her to the vet asap so if you dont have time to answer this it's ok, i was just wondering what you thought. Thanks Debbie
ANSWER: In what manner do you mean "do good"? For specifics I'd have to know more, like what caused the blindness and how long ago it happened? Is the animal eating for example. Surely the current keeper knows this?
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I mean live a healthy normal life. I picked her up today and the guy had a tank FULL of dragons and eggs ready to hatch, none of them looked good, some even had sand in their eyes.He told me her dad tried eating her as he did some of them. I was so mad when i left i didn't even think to ask when it happened.She is eating well and i also have her on supplements, she was also extremely dehydrated. I seen her brothers and sisters and they looked to be about 6 mons but she looks like she is about a month, if that helps with the age. Thanks for responding, Debbie
ANSWER: She could live a healthy life. Not normal though. She is blinded. Being able to find food will be a big issue. If she's already learning or can fed herself that's good. I recommend a trip to the vet. First, to be responsible, unlike the person you bought her from and should not have given money to, you need to call him back and find out why she is blind. Was it trauma or was she born that way. It could be reversible, but you won't know that unless you ask the questions you are supposed to.
I would also suggest calling your local humane society, ASPCA, or reptile rescue and reporting the conditions of this bearded dragon mill. This guy may have to have a permit to sell exotics where ever you are, and he doesn't sound like the upstanding type to have his paperwork in order.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: HI again,I took her to the vet the next day and she can see out of her left eye. I was real excited when he told me that.Right now i have to hand feed her. The vet says she'll be fine and i can already tell a difference, she is up and walking around, and holding her head up more, she still sleeps more than she should but i'm sure it will pass.the way it happened with her sight is he put all the babies in the same area as the parents and they ate most of them and tried to eat her. Thanks for taking the time to write me back. Debbie
So did the vet find any obvious trauma to the globe? What is his prognosis and what is he prescribing?
Sounds like a real idiot there who is breeding those dragons. Only a complete moron who didn't know what he was doing would keep adults and babies together.
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Answers by Expert:
Mick
Expertise
NO PRIVATE QUESTIONS! YOUR QUESTION WILL BE REJECTED IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE THE INFO REQUESTED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS!. I can answer questions related reptile husbandry, field ID (esp. in Texas and the SW), legal aspects, and intermediate-advanced level medical care. I am the director of Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue (TX), a founding member of The Society for Horned Lizard Preservation, a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Assoc, and a subscriber to the International Veterinary Information Service. I do most of my own veterinary care in-house, including minor surgery and necropsy. I am most experienced in Chelonia with box turtles and common smaller tortoises; and in Squamata with everything from Anoles, Geckos, Beardies, and Monitors, to venomous snakes. I am most known for my expertise with horned lizards (Phrynosoma). With snakes, my primary expertise is in Crotalids (rattlesnakes), but I can answer a broad range of questions about various species. I am not aware of any reptile related question that I would not be able to provide some reasonable answer for. I have a direct style and may tell you something you did not want to hear; but the welfare of the animal comes FIRST with me, and I will always reflect that position in my answer, despite how it might make you feel.
Experience
I am a non-academic herpetologist with 25 years experience with reptiles. I am a reptile rescuer, rehabilitator, and subscriber to the International Veterinary Information Service. I have medical and scientific resources available, and I perform in house reptile veterinary care for my rescues. I am not a vet, but I read from the same materials and have had to correct a few in the past. The average vet is not well versed with reptile physiology and medical treatments.
I am currently the caretaker of 11 Horned Lizards, 22 Box Turtles, 30 aquatic turtles, 7 fire Bellied Toads, 3 Green Iguanas, 1 Spiny Lizard, 1 Bullsnake, 20 Eastern Ratsnakes, 1 Albino Great Plains Ratsnake, 1 Massasauga Rattlesnake, 1 Leopard Gecko, 8 Fox Squirrels, 7 Deer Mice, 2 Hispid Pocket Mice, 4 Merriam's Pocket Mice, 1 Cotton-Tail, 1 Former racing pigeon, and 1 Budgie. Previously: Leopard Geckos, Golden Gecko, African White-Spotted Wall Gecko, Mediterranean Geckos, Bahama Anoles, Ca. Kingsnake, Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Gartersnakes, Long-Nosed Snakes, Russian Tortoise, Savannah Monitor, Chinese Water Dragons, Bearded Dragons, Jeweled Curly-Tailed Lizards, Long-Tailed Grass Lizards, Asian Forest Scorpions, and Eastern Cotton-tail rabbits.
Organizations
Co-Founder: Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue
Founder: Horned Lizards YahooGroup
Member: National Wildlife Rehabilitators Assoc.
Founding Member: The Society for Horned Lizard Preservation
Publications
The Horned Lizard Husbandry Manual - self published 60+ pages of care information on genus Phrynosoma.
Wikipedia entry "Horned Lizards" - contributed to a majority of the content.
allexperts.com, and various reptile related forums and email lists under the handles "fireside3" and PhrynosomaTexas".
Education/Credentials
My hands-on field and husbandry experience beats a PhD any day of the week.
Past/Present Clients
I was requested to provide my care manual on the Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos), for the Montreal zoo. My manual is also used by several other zoological institutions in N. America.
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