Bearded dragons have been the most commonly kept pet reptile in the world for a couple of years now but their popularity just keeps on increasing so we are constantly seeing more and more questions being asked from the bearded dragon keeping community.
Some of the questions that we see are pretty basic based around what to feed a bearded dragon or the type of substrate that you should use but every now and then, we see a question that is related to a potentially serious health problem with your pet bearded dragon.
Today’s article is going to be based around one of these questions and that question is why your bearded dragon is throwing up blood!
Before we go any further, we just want to say that without being able to see your bearded dragon there is no way that we are able to offer specific advice to its situation so we would always recommend you get your beardie to a vet as soon as possible if you think it is vomiting blood!
Why Your Bearded Dragon Is Throwing Up Blood!
Here is our list of the six most common reasons that a bearded dragon may be throwing up blood:-
- Liver Issues!
- Internal Parasites!
- Internal Bleeding!
- Intestinal Blockages!
- Injury To The Jaw!
- Cancer!
Although rare, there is a small chance that your pet bearded dragon may have more than one of these issues wrong with it at any given time.
It is very difficult for you to be able to correctly diagnose the problem too, this is why we really would recommend that you try to get your bearded dragon to a vet as soon as possible so they can scan your pet and offer a much more accurate diagnosis.
Liver Issues!
One of the most common reasons that a bearded dragon will start to throw up blood is due to liver issues.
There are generally two types of liver issue that can occur in bearded dragons and they are known as fatty liver disease and hepatic lipidosis.
Both of these health problems are caused by a poor diet and if your pet isn’t being fed the right food or enough food then this can lead to these problems developing.
If your bearded dragon is suffering from either of these issues then they will generally stop eating altogether and will start to lose weight quite rapidly.
Other common symptoms that are associated with liver issues include a loss of appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, and yellowing of the skin.
Internal Parasites!
Another common reason that your bearded dragon may be throwing up blood is due to internal parasites.
Internal parasites are tiny creatures that live inside your bearded dragon’s intestines and feed off of their food.
These parasites can cause a whole host of health problems for your pet including weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, and a loss of appetite.
In some cases, you may be able to see some of the parasites in your bearded dragon’s vomit or poop to help you confirm that this is the problem but some types of parasites are tiny and a vet may have to examine your bearded dragon’s poop with a high powered microscope to confirm the problem.
Thankfully, once confirmed, internal parasites are usually very easy to treat in bearded dragons and in many cases, your pet will be able to make a full recovery.
Internal Bleeding!
Internal bleeding is surprisingly common in bearded dragons due to how often they can fall off branches in their vivarium and hurt themselves.
Thankfully, the majority of the internal bleeding is not serious and at most, the worse you will see is a little bruise on your beardie.
In some cases though, your pet bearded dragon can actually hurt itself when it falls and cause some potentially serious issues with internal bleeding that can cause your beardie to start vomiting blood.
You really do need to get help from a vet if you suspect that your bearded dragon has internal bleeding but even then, in many cases, the vet won’t be able to help your beardie, especially if it has had the issue for a while due to internal bleeding being so difficult to treat.
Intestinal Blockages!
Some bearded dragons will accidentally eat their substrate when they eat and this can cause an intestinal blockage.
Intestinal blockages are very serious health problems and can actually be fatal if not treated quickly enough.
The most common symptom of an intestinal blockage is vomiting, bloating, and a loss of appetite in your bearded dragon and they will also feel solid if you touch them and lose their flexibility.
In some cases, a bearded dragon with a blockage may actually vomit blood up too but this is rarer than the other causes on the list.
Depending on the severity of the blockage, a vet may be able to do a relatively simple operation to remove the blockage and prevent the issue from getting any worse in your beardie.
Injury To The Jaw!
In some cases, your bearded dragon may actually be vomiting for another reason and the blood that you can see in the vomit is coming from an injury to the jaw of your bearded dragon rather than anything in the stomach of your bearded dragon.
Thankfully, this is usually very easy to confirm and treat as you can often see any bleeding wounds in the mouth of your bearded dragon with a quick visual inspection.
In many cases, you will also be able to leave the wound on the mouth of your bearded dragon to heal with time but a quick check up with a vet is always recommended.
Cancer!
Cancer is actually quite common in bearded dragons and can cause a whole host of health problems including vomiting blood.
Sadly, there is no real cure for cancer and the best that you can hope for is to prolong the life of your bearded dragon as much as possible with treatment.
The most common symptom of cancer in bearded dragons is weight loss but vomiting blood can also be a sign of the disease, especially in the later stages.
If you think that your bearded dragon may have cancer, it is important to take them to see a vet as soon as possible for a diagnosis but in most cases, theres not much that you are able to do.
Could It Be Poop?
A very common mistake that people make with their bearded dragon is to see something in the vivarium on a morning and presume that it is vomit with blood in it.
In some cases, this could actually be poop with a different consistency than you are used to with your bearded dragon with this actually be a common mistake that even experienced bearded dragon keepers can make.
If you are sure that there is blood in whatever it is you can see in your bearded dragon’s vivarium then you still need to get them to a vet as soon as possible but just keep this in mind that is may actually be poop rather than vomit.
