Where Can I Take My Bearded Dragon To The Vet? [US Vet List]

Seeing your lizard sick is probably the worst view for you as a pet owner. Clearly, it’s the vet you’d like to meet at that moment, thinking, where can I take my bearded dragon to the vet?

You can take your pet to any close by vet clinic if it’s an emergency. But when you have time, try to research and compile a list of vets from which you can choose the best one. To be a bit more sure about the right one, you can also seek recommendations from experienced pet owners and breeders.

But what if you would’ve got it all in one place? Well, we’ve compiled the name of clinics that got the best vets from all 50 states. The list will be at the end of the article!

But what else we’ve got for you? For that, you need to scroll down a bit.

Key Takeaways

• The easiest way find out a good herp vet is checking the reviews
• It’s better to trust the recommendations, mostly the ones from the breed and experienced pet owners
• Keeping the clinic list of all states can be useful, especially when you travel with your bearded dragon

How To Find The Best Vet In Your Area?

Well, it’s pretty much the same way you would’ve found a doctor for yourself. So, you better start with:

1. Researching And Compiling A List

First of all, you need to research your local veterinarians that are specialists in reptile treatment with enough experience. With online resources like search engines and veterinary directories, this shouldn’t be a problem. When you find a few, make sure you’re checking out reviews of them in the first place.

2. Seeking Recommendations

One of the easiest ways of finding a good vet is by reaching out to fellow reptile owners. As they’re already dealing with vets, their recommendations or referrals should be reliable enough to take your one there as well. Also, you can contact the pet shop or breeder from where you’ve got your beardie – if they’re from your locality, of course.

3. Checking Credentials And Specialization

Once you’re done with listing out the reptile vets, don’t forget to check out their credentials and specialization. Also, make sure that they’ve got the license and got the expertise to handle health issues in reptiles. To be sure about this information, you can go through their websites and online profiles. Or you can simply give their clinic a call for more information.

4. Considering Experience And Reputation

Experienced people are the best when it comes to providing treatment. So, before you take your lizard to any of the vets, check out which one of them got enough experience in treating reptiles.

In this case, what can help you the most is the online reviews and testimonials of their former or present clients. It’s their positive feedback that indicates the vet’s expertise and quality of care. 

5. Evaluating The Clinic And Facilities

If you’ve got the chance, try visiting the clinics of the vets you’ve just shortlisted. Doing that is essential as you need to assess the cleanliness along with the overall suitability for your lizard’s care.

After all, the treatment of reptiles like bearded dragons involves specialized equipment and environments. So, before you take your pet there, you need to be sure that they’re good enough to provide all the care it requires.

6. Consulting And Communicating

The next thing you can do is schedule a consultation with some of the vets from your list. Not only this will help you understand their approach of reptile care but will also let you share your concerns along with asking relevant questions.

7. Seeking Specialized Services

In case your reptile requires specialist care, find out whether the vets are providing that service or not. Yes, we’re talking about things like imaging tests, operations, urgent care, and in-house lab analysis.

8. Considering Location And Availability

Don’t forget to think about if the reptile vet facility is convenient in terms of location and accessibility. It’s essential to have easier access in case of any unexpected medical needs or for periodic checkups.

9. Cost Considerations

Though it shouldn’t be the only criterion, it’s better to check around and see what other reptile vets are charging for similar services. Yes, it’s true that reptile specialists would likely charge you extra, but that doesn’t mean you should let that deter you from seeking out their services.

When Should You Take Your Bearded Dragon To the Vet?

Before taking your dragon to your vet, the first thing you need to know is do you even need to take it there. Finding that out is not rocket science, as all you have to do is keep your eyes open for –

1. Signs Of Illness

Like lots of pet lizards, beardies too are susceptible to tons of health issues. Yes, we’re talking about Metabolic Bone Disease, parasites, digestive problems, and of course, respiratory infections. So, if you’re seeing the signs of these illnesses, you better make an appointment with your vet.

But exactly which symptoms should you take seriously? Well, you better mostly look for loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, lethargy, and abnormal stool. To be on the safe side, try to do some research about the symptoms in detail, at least enough to understand them on your own.

And if you’re seeing any of those signs popping up in your beardies, get it examined by a vet. Not only will doing this ease up the treatment process but will also help you in avoiding future complications.

2. Injury Or Trauma

When you own an active reptile like the bearded dragon, seeing it falling into accidents is quite normal. By the way, we’re talking about minor accidents here. But when there can be accidents like falling from a height and going through major physical trauma.

In such cases, you better not delay reaching the vet. You might be able to see the external injuries. But with the proper assessment, it’s only the vet who can find out the internal injuries.

3. Abnormal Behavior

How to find out if your lizard is roaming with an underlying health issue? Well, the easiest way to do that is to see if it’s showcasing any kind of unusual or abnormal behavior. For instance, if the dragon shows aggression or tries to stay hidden too often, there’s a chance that it’s probably dealing with some sort of pain.

They can do that due to stress and discomfort as well. Not only that, but they give a hint of their neurological issues through unusual posture as well. You might even see unresponsiveness in them too. Now these issues are something that you can’t fix with home remedies and need the vet.

4. Eye Or Mouth Issues

Infections don’t only call in internal injuries but also show their signs through the eyes and mouth as well. There can be swelling, discharge, redness, and difficulty in opening the eyes, which are mostly signs of health issues like corneal ulcers, conjunctivitis, and other eye infections.

Similarly, when it comes to the mouth, there are mouth ulcers, abnormal tissue growth, and swelling, which indicate oral infections. They can be signs of dental problems as well. Now these are the problems that only a vet can take care of.

5. Reproductive Issues

The reproductive health of a beardie matters a lot, especially to a breeder. But females can go through a ton of reproductive issues, such as egg binding. In case you don’t know what egg binding is, it’s basically the state where beardies struggle while passing eggs.

This issue can take a so bad turn that it might even kill the lizard. And when it comes to male beardies, they might also have to deal with testicular issues, which can later lead to mating issues. Under these kinds of situations, the best option you can go for is taking the lizard to the vet.

6. Parasite Infestations

If you’re asking for the most common health issues lizards have to deal with, we bet this one will be among the top three. And guess what? We’re talking about the external parasites here. There are internal parasites too, that can make a beardies life a living hell, such as worms.

So, when you see the sign of parasite infestations, make no delay in reaching the vet. It’s they who can perform a proper fecal examination in order to identify the kind of parasites or suggest the appropriate treatment plan.

7. Routine Check-Ups

Who said you’ll have to make an appointment with the vet only when your lizard is battling health issues? You should also put the regular veterinary check-ups into account to maintain your beardie’s overall health.

A good vet will always guide you with a proper plan about your reptile’s diet, husbandry, and of course, environmental conditions. Another good part of regular check-ups is it’ll make it easier for you to detect if there are any underlying health issues in your beardie. So, taking the proper initiative regarding the treatment will become easier for you.

Before We Go…

By the way, how healthy your reptile is going to stay depends a lot on the type of bearded dragon you’re picking. So, you better grab the best one that you can deliver proper health care to. But how are you going to find that out? Well, our blogpost Bearded Dragon Selection Guide can surely be a good help.