Although bearded dragons have been the most commonly kept pet reptiles in the world for a number of years now, the popularity of keeping a pet bearded dragon just keeps on increasing with each year that goes by.
More and more people are adding a pet bearded dragon to their tank and this has a correlating increase in the number of people who are reaching out and asking questions about caring for a bearded dragon.
One of the more serious questions that we have noticed people asking recently is about why their bearded dragon is bleeding.
There are a large number of potential problems that can cause your bearded dragon to bleed with some potential causes being more common than others.
Due to a bleeding bearded dragon being such a serious issue, we wanted to publish this article focusing on some of the more common reasons that your pet bearded dragon may be bleeding to help as many of our readers as possible.
That said though, this article is not a replacement for a proper inspection from a qualified veterinarian!
This is general advice that we hope helps you but a bleeding bearded dragon is a serious issue and you really should be getting professional help from a vet.
Why Your Bearded Dragon Is Bleeding!
We have a list of the most common causes of bleeding in bearded dragons below:-
- Cuts!
- Parasites!
- Internal Bleeding!
- Bites!
- A Bad Molt!
- Heat Burns!
As we mentioned earlier in the article, there are a number of different potential causes of bleeding in bearded dragons but our list above covers the most common problems that we see causing issues time and time again.
If you want to know the exact problems causing your pet bearded dragon to bleed then you really do need to take your pet for an inspection at the local veterinarians.
Cuts!
Cuts are more common than the majority of people initially realize with a bearded dragon but thankfully, the majority of these cuts are not serious and usually won’t cause your pet to bleed.
Here are some of the more common problems that can cause your bearded dragon to get a cut:-
- Sharp Rocks.
- Sharp Substrate.
- Sharp Branches!
- Falling.
The vast majority of bearded dragons that have a cut are very easy to see as the blood will usually be coming directly out of the cut.
In many cases, all you will have to do is to try and apply an anti-septic to the cut to reduce the chances of it getting infected.
Other than that, given time, your bearded dragon should make a full recovery without any further problems.
If your bearded dragon’s cut does not naturally stop bleeding then you should take your pet to a vet as soon as possible.
Parasites!
Parasites are a very real problem for bearded dragons with a large number of parasites being able to cause your pet to bleed.
The most common parasites that you will find in bearded dragons are:-
- Ticks.
- Mites.
- Worms.
There are other parasites that can infest your bearded dragon but the three listed above are by far the most common.
Ticks
Out of all of the parasites that your pet bearded dragon can get, ticks are usually the easiest to spot as they are generally quite large and easy to see with the naked eye.
If you think your bearded dragon has a tick then you should remove it immediately!
Mites
Mites are generally much smaller than ticks and can be very difficult to spot if you don’t know what you are looking for.
As a general rule of thumb, if your bearded dragon has been scratching itself excessively then there is a very real chance that it has mites.
Worms
Worms are another common parasite in bearded dragons but these are usually found in the feces rather than on the pet itself.
As with mites, if you think your bearded dragon may have worms then you should take a sample of its feces to the vet for testing.
Internal Bleeding!
Internal bleeding is not as common as cuts, bites, or burns but it is still something that does happen from time to time.
The most common cause of internal bleeding in bearded dragons is usually due to a tumor or cyst rupturing.
We actually have a dedicated article going over the more common causes of a bearded dragon throwing up blood.
Although internal bleeding and throwing up blood are slightly different, if the blood on your bearded dragon is coming out of its mouth then it’s well worth checking that article out.
Unfortunately, internal bleeding can be very tricky to treat, even by an experienced veterinarian.
If your pet bearded dragon does have internal bleeding and it is due to one of the more serious issues then there is a high chance of your bearded dragon not making a recovery.
Bites!
Bites are another common cause of bleeding in bearded dragons and everyone instantly thinks that their bearded dragon can’t be bitten as it lives in its vivarium alone.
The thing is, many of the insects you try feeding to your bearded dragon can and will bite, especially if our bearded dragon is trying to eat them.
The number of bearded dragons that have problems due to being bitten by insects such as crickets is so high that we actually have an article on treating cricket bites on bearded dragons.
These bites are usually tiny and hard to see and in most cases, they will stop bleeding within an hour but they may get infected if you are not careful.
A Bad Molt!
Bearded dragons will regularly shed their skin as they grow and this process is known as molting.
Molting is a very natural process and one that your bearded dragon will go through multiple times throughout its life but, in some cases, the molting process can go wrong.
If your bearded dragon’s molting process does go wrong then it can lead to your pet losing a lot of blood.
This usually happens when the molting process gets stuck and your bearded dragon starts to rip its skin off rather than shed it.
If you think your bearded dragon is starting to rip its skin then you should take it to a vet immediately!
Heat Burns!
Heat burns due to the settings of your heat lamp being too high can be common, especially for beginners or if you use a cheap heating lamp.
Heat burns can be difficult to confirm as the cause of the bleeding on your pet bearded dragon but they will usually cover an area of your pet rather than a small space like a cut or a bite.
You should check the settings on your heating lamp if you suspect you are having problems with heat burns on your bearded dragon.
On top of that, you should also read some reviews of the specific heating lamp you use if possible as you will commonly find that many of the cheaper lighting units will common cause burns on reptiles.
If you do have one of these problematic heating lamps then upgrading to a better lamp for your bearded dragon is highly recommended.
