Bearded Dragon Pustule/Sore on Back

Question

DJ Sore   QUESTION: So, the smaller of our two bearded dragons, DJ, has a something on her back. It is a collection of yellowish scales, and has recently (we would not have noticed it otherwise; she is naturally yellowish in color) started to secrete a clear yellow liquid.

I'm kind of freaking out right now because all of our pets have decided to have medical emergencies at the same time; our smaller ball python died for no apparent reason the other day, Liz (you probably remember her as the dragon who tore shed off her face; that is almost invisible now) has recently got another shed-stuck-in-nose problem (which I can thankfully now fix on my own) and now DJ has the sore on her back. The only thing I can think of is perhaps she cut herself or scraped the scales on her back against the underside of her basking log, which she likes to wiggle under and sleep there. Here is a picture or two, depending on how many it lets me upload...

ANSWER: Hello Mikaela,

I am sorry to hear about your ball python!
That is a bad looking sore on her back.  How close is the basking light to her, could she have gotten burned?
Are you keeping that area clean, daily?  Use a cotton ball & dab it with diluted betadine carefully, to clean the area.  Then, use some antibiotic ointment such as neosporin or polysporin & put it on the area 1-2 times per day since it is infected right now.  
It looks like she tore a scale off though, is what it appears to be.  
Is the rock/log sharp?  How tight is the area in which she wiggles into?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


DJ Cage Views (Side, S   QUESTION: She herself doesn't get terribly close on her basking log...I'm sure if she bothered tackling it she could reach it easily, but she's the lizard in the family content to bask rather than tackle. However, I'm now thinking...me and my mom, who are her main handlers, know how to get her out; you have to be careful or you'll burn either yourself or the dragon on the heat lamp, if you're lifting her off her log.

It was an old fish tank setup, but it was better than her old cage, which kept being neglected for upgrade because my sister ('owner' of DJ) got a snake and would take them for him instead. e.e Snake got a 40gal breeder when it was a foot long, and DJ's now sitting in her cage scared of a snake and a bit too cramped...So I jumped at the chance to claim the fish tank for her when we got rid of the last fish, downstairs and well away from other stresses like Liz and the snake.

Ahh, back on topic...So the heat lamp (I should say, heat emitter) is in the upper back corner of her cage, her log in the upper right, not reaching the top. It's simple enough to get both DJ and our hands out of the cage in perfect condition (because DJ has never been burned by me, so I know it's possible - human hands are harder to keep safe because I sometimes forget to be wary of the lamp when reaching in to drop a grape in front of her) but it would also be simple enough to stop paying attention and brush her along the lamp. I'm not sure how hot the actual lamp surface gets, and it doesn't do any lasting damage (not even red marks) to humans, but I suppose it might hurt her more?

I have to go find the betadine! I cleaned it with Q-tips yesterday (she seems in no pain and is totally unstressed, so that was easy enough) and then put Neosporin on it. Should I clean it again?

There are no sharp rocks in her cage - the only possibility is a smooth-faced (polished) half-geode in her cage, used as a sort of paperweight to keep her log from shifting. It has 'corners' from where the rock is cut in half, but they are not precisely sharp, and she couldn't get to them without knocking her log over anyhow. Her log is light enough to be tossed around the cage if she chose to reorganize, and the space is plenty big for her to get through, though she prefers to stay under it. I would make sure to block the under-space if the log were heavy enough to hurt her by falling... The log is textured, with holes in it - meant to be for hermit crabs - and the only 'edges' are the ends, which are still rounded points, rather than jagged splinters.

So I think it's more possible to be a burn? Unless she was exploring the house and went under something sharp...but... Couches, desks, tables...I can think of nothing that would cut her, unless she got into the laundry room, which she's not allowed in. She can't fit her head under the fridge or we wouldn't let her in the kitchen...      

Thank you for your help, it would be a week before we could see the local herp vet and it would be a good deal more unnerving figuring out lizard-safe 'peroxides' without you. I knew Neosporin was good for protection, but I wasn't willing to risk half-memories on what was safe for cleansing. That is actually quite a terrifying thought...

ANSWER: Hello Mikaela,

I would clean it twice a day if possible or at least apply the ointment to it twice a day.
It just looks like a scale was torn off or maybe burned.  It is just a small area around though.  
Were you able to find the betadine at the store?  
Unless you accidentally brushed her back up against the light, or she gets too close to her basking light I am not sure how she would have gotten burned.  
It is possible that she ran into something sharp in the house though.  
The logs in your tank don't look sharp enough to have done something like that.

How is she doing today?
Let me know how she is doing.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Water Love   QUESTION: I was sitting home alone tending to DJ while everyone else was out, so I called and asked for someone to pick up Betadine....Got me a nice bottle of Iodine I did. :P Now, I know Betadine is a less toxic version of Iodine - and for that reason alone I would prefer Betadine - and we're probably going to go out and find Betadine today instead, regardless, but would Iodine be alright to treat them with?

She hasn't changed in attitude between today and yesterday and had a nice heaping of squash, to boot. The sore/missing scale still looks like a nicely gooey mess under a generous layer of Neosporin. I feel like that would be counterproductive, putting protective ointment on a wound that's already infected...

And...While we're on the topic, I run a bearded dragon forum Beerdies.webs.com and, while I believe I do decently enough on handling tips, DIY cages, and feeding and day to day things like that, I have nothing on injuries. I know, for instance, that you could press a too-closely-clipped toenail into a bar of soap to stop the bleeding, or that too much humidity can cause respiratory problems, but I don't have an actual caresheet on any of it. Would you mind making a quick list of "Safe to Use" materials - like Betadine and Neosporin - to help with cuts or infections, and "NOT Safe" materials - I believe hydrogen peroxide is one of them? Of course it would be impossible to cover the whole list of things not safe to use on dragons... Also, if your dragon is really bleeding (I hope this never happens o.o) what would you do to help staunch it while you're running to the vet? Presumably the same general concept will apply to smaller cuts?

Of course, you will be credited and thanked for the list, which will also provide me a decent way to link back to your page here. :) I've been wanting to toss up your link for a while - helpful in areas where I can do nothing but advise calling the vet - but couldn't figure out where to put it. Picture attached just for the sake of showing off Liz...

Answer
Hello Mikaela,

You can use Iodine, but it has to be diluted down until there is hardly any color.  It would be used just for cleaning the skin area.
Does the area look like it is clearing up any yet?  They are slow healers so it will take some time for the scale to grow back.    
I can write something up for you if you would like.  My email is:  Drache_613@hotmail.com
You can write me there so I know where to send the information.  
No problem, anything to help!  :-))

Let me know how her scale is doing.

Tracie