Calcium deficiency, D3 deficiency, or imbalanced Ca:P ratio from insufficient supplementation.

• —Rubbery or soft limbs
• —Tremors and twitching
• —Difficulty walking or lifting head
• —Jaw deformity or swelling
• —Loss of appetite

Vet visit is essential. MBD is reversible in early stages with calcium supplementation and UVB correction. Advanced MBD with skeletal deformity cannot be fully reversed.

Dust every feeding with calcium for juveniles, every other feeding for adults. Keep a plain calcium dish in the enclosure always.

Cryptosporidium varanii — a microscopic gut parasite. Spread via faecal-oral route. Can survive on surfaces for months.

• —Progressive weight loss despite eating
• —Regurgitation of food
• —Tail wasting — dragon appears 'pinched' behind the ribs
• —Lethargy
• —Worsening over weeks

There is no cure. Supportive care can slow progression. Strict isolation from all other reptiles immediately. Equipment must be bleached or destroyed — crypto resists most disinfectants.

Quarantine all new dragons for a minimum of 90 days. Never share equipment between animals without sterilisation. Source dragons from reputable breeders who health-test their stock.

Dehydration, incorrect basking temperature, inadequate rough surfaces to rub against, or an underlying health issue preventing a complete shed.

• —Dull, stuck patches of skin left after a shed cycle
• —Retained skin rings on toes or the tail tip
• —Toe swelling
• —Flaky retained skin around the eyelids

Warm soak for 10–15 minutes, then gentle removal with a damp cotton pad. Retained rings on toes: treat the same day — do not wait, as they can cut off circulation.

Offer a light misting or soak during shed cycles rather than raising ambient humidity long-term. Provide rough surfaces (textured basking rock, cork bark). Check after every shed cycle.

Internal parasites are common in wild-caught dragons and possible in any captive dragon. Usually manageable rather than fatal.

• —Loose or unusual stools
• —Mucus in faeces
• —Unexplained weight loss
• —Lethargy
• —Bloating

Faecal test from a reptile vet — do not treat without a diagnosis. Antiparasitic medications are prescription-only and differ depending on the parasite.

Annual faecal testing recommended. Quarantine new animals. Never introduce wild-caught insects to the enclosure.

Usually caused by incorrect temperatures (too cold) or too-high humidity. Bacteria or viral secondary infection follows.

• —Mucus around nostrils or mouth
• —Wheezing or clicking sounds when breathing
• —Open-mouth breathing
• —Lethargy
• —Reduced appetite

Vet visit. Antibiotics for bacterial RI. Correct the husbandry simultaneously — if the environment that caused it remains unchanged, the infection will return.

Maintain correct temperatures at all times. Do not let ambient humidity exceed 50%. Ensure ventilation is adequate.

Ingestion of substrate (sand, gravel, walnut shell, calcium sand) that cannot pass through the digestive tract.

• —Straining to defecate
• —Bloating
• —Loss of appetite
• —Lethargy
• —No faeces for more than 2 weeks

Warm soaks, gentle belly massage along the direction of the gut. Vet visit if no improvement within 48 hours — impaction can be fatal if left untreated.

Use safe substrate. Juveniles especially should never be on loose substrate. Feed in a separate enclosure if your dragon consistently swallows substrate when hunting.

Unlike leopard geckos and some other lizards, bearded dragons do NOT have a fracture plane and cannot regrow a lost tail — a tail injury here is permanent, not a defence mechanism.

• —Visible wound, kink, or discolouration on the tail
• —Swelling or a dry, blackened tip (possible tissue death)
• —Dragon avoiding use of the tail or reacting to touch

Any open wound needs a vet assessment — infection risk is real and the tissue will not regenerate. Keep the area clean and dry in the meantime. Do not attempt to treat a blackened or dying tip yourself.

Never grab, restrain, or lift a dragon by the tail. Handle by supporting the body. Watch for shed constriction rings on the tail tip, which can also cause permanent tissue loss if missed.

Female dragons produce eggs even without a male. Egg binding occurs when eggs cannot be passed — due to size, poor condition, or lack of a laying site.

• —Visible bulges in the lower abdomen
• —Straining without producing eggs
• —Lethargy, loss of appetite
• —Swollen, firm belly that doesn't resolve

Vet visit urgently. Oxytocin injection may be sufficient; in severe cases surgical removal is required. Do not wait — egg binding is fatal without intervention.

Provide a laying box (moist sand or coco coir, deep enough to dig) for all female dragons, even if no male is present.