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Why Your Bearded Dragon Is Drooling And How To Stop It!

The popularity of keeping bearded dragons just keeps on growing year in year out and beardies are now the most commonly kept type of pet reptile in the world.

Due to a number of viral videos recently about bearded dragons acting all cute, there has been another surge in their popularity resulting in even more people reaching out and asking different questions about keeping a pet bearded dragon.

As with all pets, if you see any potential problems with your pet bearded dragon, people worry and decide to reach out to try and get help for their pet.

A number of people have been reaching out to ask about various problems with their bearded dragon drooling so we wanted to publish this article to try and help as many of our readers as possible.

One thing that we would say before we go any further is that there are a number of relatively common causes of a bearded dragon drooling with some of them being very serious issues.

It is impossible for us to offer specific advice to your bearded dragon without seeing it so everything below is generic advice to try and help you.

You are able to book a video call with a veterinarian to have them assess your bearded dragon via the camera on your smartphone to offer specific advice to your bearded dragon’s exact symptoms.

Is It Normal For A Bearded Dragon To Drool?

The quick answer to this is no, it’s not normal for a bearded dragon to drool.

Bearded dragons are from the desert and as such, they are very good at conserving water which means that they do not tend to produce excess saliva like we do.

If your bearded dragon is producing any saliva/drool at all, then this is cause for concern and you should seek professional advice as soon as possible.

What Are The Possible Causes Of A Bearded Dragon Drooling?

There are many possible causes of a bearded dragon drooling and some of them are very serious so it’s important to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible if you see any drool.

Some of the potential causes of a bearded dragon drooling are listed below:

  1. Infection
  2. Impacted/blocked digestive system
  3. Mouth rot
  4. Respiratory infection
  5. Oral parasites
  6. Kidney disease
  7. Salmonella
  8. Allergies
  9. Stress
  10. Foreign body
  11. Trauma

While some of the causes listed above (stress, allergies) are not necessarily serious, the other causes can be very serious and even life-threatening so it’s important to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible.

If you are not able to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian immediately, then you should try and keep your bearded dragon calm and warm while you wait for the appointment.

How To Stop A Bearded Dragon From Drooling?

The best way to stop a bearded dragon from drooling is to find the underlying cause of the drooling and treat that.

As we mentioned above, there are many possible causes of a bearded dragon drooling and some of them are very serious so it’s important to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible if you see any drool.

Once the underlying cause has been found and treated, the drooling should stop.

In the meantime, you can try and keep your bearded dragon calm and warm while you wait for the appointment.

How Long Will Treatment Take To Stop My Bearded Dragon Drooling?

The time it will take for the treatment to stop your bearded dragon drooling will depend on the underlying cause of the drooling.

Some of the causes of a bearded dragon drooling (stress, allergies) are not necessarily serious and as such, the drooling should stop relatively quickly once the underlying cause has been found and treated.

However, some of the other causes of a bearded dragon drooling (infection, mouth rot, respiratory infection, impacted/blocked digestive system) can be very serious and as such, the treatment may take longer.

It’s important to follow the advice of your reptile veterinarian and not to try and self-medicate as this could make the condition worse.

What Are The Complications Of A Bearded Dragon Drooling?

Some of the potential complications of a bearded dragon drooling are listed below:

  • Dehydration
  • Weight loss
  • Lethargy
  • Anorexia
  • Inappetence

Some of the complications listed above can be very serious and even life-threatening so it’s important to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible if you see any drool.

Should I Be Worried If My Bearded Dragon Is Drooling?

If your bearded dragon is producing any saliva/drool at all, then this is cause for concern and you should seek professional advice as soon as possible.

Bearded dragons are from the desert and as such, they are very good at conserving water which means that they do not tend to produce excess saliva like we do.

The quick answer to this question is yes, you should be worried if your bearded dragon is drooling as it could be a sign of a serious underlying condition.

As we mentioned above, there are many possible causes of a bearded dragon drooling and some of them are very serious so it’s important to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible if you see any drool.

In the meantime, you can try and keep your bearded dragon calm and warm while you wait for the appointment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s not normal for a bearded dragon to drool and if your bearded dragon is drooling, then this is cause for concern.

There are many possible causes of a bearded dragon drooling and some of them are very serious so it’s important to get your bearded dragon seen by a reptile veterinarian as soon as possible if you see any drool.

In the meantime, you can try and keep your bearded dragon calm and warm while you wait for the appointment.