If your bearded dragon threw up, this is most probably not normal. Any healthy bearded dragon should not be vomiting, and you should be worried. In this post, we will discuss 7 reasons why your bearded dragon might be throwing up. Your bearded dragon could throw up crickets, worms, superworms, clear fluid (water). Each of these might have its own reasons.
Please note that this post is for guidance only, bearded dragon throwing up can be very serious, so please see your vet as soon as possible.
Reason number 1: The temperature inside the tank is too low
One of the common mistakes that owners make is setting up optimal temperatures for a bearded dragon. If the temperature in the bearded dragon’s vivarium is too low, it won’t be able to digest the food. This can cause digestive issues and throwing up big pieces of undigested food.
What is more, you must make sure that there is a temperature gradient in the habitat – which means that there should a hot and cool spot. When your bearded dragon gets hot, it will go to the cool spot or hide in a hideout (you need at least 1 hideout per bearded dragon).
Hot spot temperatures under the basking and UVB light should range between 92-110 degrees Fahrenheit (33-43 Celsius). The cool side of the habitat should have the temperature of 75-85 F (23.8-29), so that your dragon can cool down.
The best way to check the temperatures in the tank is to have two digital thermometers (this one also comes with a hygrometer) – one in a hot side, and one in a cool side. You can also use an infrared gun thermometer to check temperatures quickly and easily.
Reason number 2: The humidity in the tank is too high
Bearded dragons inhabit sandy deserts and rocky hills, which means that they need hot and dry conditions. If the humidity in the tank gets too high, your bearded dragon will develop respiratory issues.
High humidity will also cause fungus, mold and bacteria growth and generally weaken your bearded dragon’s immune system. Make sure to have a hygrometer like this that will have humidity readings inside the tank.
Attach it to the back wall of the vivarium. Optimal humidity levels for a bearded dragon are between 30 to 40%. Anything above 50% is too high.
If you are having issues with lowering the humidity, try placing plants that reduce humidity levels indoors (in your house or tank), such as Boston Fern. Make sure there is a proper airflow – only use screen lid made of wire mesh.
What is more, you can start putting the water dish only for few hours a day instead of leaving it in the tank during the day. Optimal high temperatures in the basking spot (95-110 F) will help drying up the habitat. If nothing helps to reduce humidity, you can a dehumidifier for your house.
Reason number 3: Your bearded dragon overate
Your bearded dragon is likely to throw up if you feed it too much food at once. Some bearded dragons, especially babies, are prone to eating more than they need to in one go.
Adult bearded dragons that were fine before and have a healthy weight often have their eating habits formed by adulthood. Bearded dragon babies up to 4 months old need to eat 2-3 times a day.
Juveniles (4-7 months old) need to eat twice a day. Adults (18 months+) need to eat once a day and insects only 2 times a week. Make sure to have a salad bowl in the tank at all times so that your dragon can familiarize with greens, too.
Generally, you need to give your bearded dragon as many insects as it can eat in a 10-15 minute period. If you suspect your bearded dragon overeating few times already, reduce a feeding session to 10 minutes.
Depending on the age and size of crickets, your baby dragon can eat 50+ crickets a day if you feed it 2-3 times daily. If you feed much less and it doesn’t eat more, but still looks full, then maybe it can’t digest the crickets due to lack of heat and light.
Don’t decrease the number of crickets unless your baby or juvenile dragon is eating too many – more than 110-120 small ones per day. The number for larger insects should be much lower. But this only an estimate, and there are many factors that will affect this number.
The big factor here is also the size of the crickets – make sure they are the right size. If you feed your baby or juvenile dragon large insects, it might vomit these crickets, superworms or other worms. This can even happen to adult dragons, if you feed it too many worms at once.
Don’t feed your baby or juvenile bearded dragon under 7 months old (or even better 12 months) any superworms or mealworms. This is because they are fatty, large and have high chitin content making them hard to pass through the digestive tract and digest.
Adult bearded dragons need to eat only around 30-40 feeder insects per week (if they are crickets or roaches). Phoenix worms and silkworms are also good staple worms.
If you are feeding some fatty treats, such as superworms or waxworms, the number should be twice less. Roughly, an adult bearded dragon should eat around 7-10 superworms per feeding (and nothing on top of that).
While babies can eat 3-4 times a day and mainly insects, adult bearded dragons (18 months+) need to have insects only 2 times a week, and obesity is a big problem at this stage. Generally, adult bearded dragons should not eat more than 50 insects per week.
Read more on eating schedules and salad training in this post.
Reason number 4: The crickets and other insects are too big for your bearded dragon
When feeding your bearded dragon, you must make sure that the crickets and other insects are of appropriate size. This is especially true for baby and juvenile bearded dragons, as they are still small.
If you give crickets or other insects that are too big, your bearded dragon won’t be able to digest them. It can also cause paralysis and death!
Make sure that the crickets or other insects are not bigger than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes. Hatchling bearded dragons can eat pinhead sized crickets until up 1 month of age.
After that, you can move to 1/8, 1/4 sized insects for few months and so on. Measure the space between bearded dragon’s eyes every 2 weeks as they grow, and change the feeder insect sizes carefully. Below you can find a chart of insect sizes with their length.
Reason number 5: Your bearded dragon is impacted
If you are using loose substrate in your bearded dragon’s tank, it can swallow it and become impacted. Loose substrates include sand, small gravel, alfalfa, cork and coco coir (which you must not use for bearded dragons).
Your bearded dragon might also become impacted if you let it roam the house and have small objects on the floor. Another possible cause of impaction is feeding insects that are too large for your dragon. Measure the width between the eyes and don’t feed baby dragons any superworms or mealworms.
Bearded dragons are very curious, and can lick and then swallow the objects they find. Substrate ingestion happens when you don’t place bearded dragon’s food in bowls.
Baby bearded dragons under 6 months are very likely to ingest the substrate because they are very curious. That’s why you need to keep babies on paper towels.
Symptoms of impaction in bearded dragons include constipation and full belly. Your bearded dragon won’t be able to pass the mass, and will have trouble pooping. Its belly will look very full and round. Your dragon might vomit and its back legs might become paralyzed. It will be lethargic.
If you suspect the impaction in your dragon, give it a bath and massage its belly with your fingers sliding towards its vent. Massaging and warm bath can help with impaction. You can also give your bearded dragon few drops of vegetable oil. Switch to paper towels until everything is clear.
Your bearded dragon should normally poop at least once a week. Some bearded dragons defecate every day, others – once in every few days.
It will greatly depend on a diet (how many vegetables it eats and how hard are feeder insects). Some bearded dragons poop only once a week, but given a bath they poop easily in there too. So if your bearded dragon doesn’t poop at least once a week, there is something wrong.
If vegetable oil and baths don’t help, take your bearded dragon to a vet for an X-Ray and possibly an operation. Impacted bearded dragon can die if untreated.
Reason number 6: You don’t clean bearded dragon’s cage enough
An immaculate hygiene in a bearded dragon’s tank is crucial. You must change the water in the tank daily, or as soon as you see it’s dirty. Remove any feces as soon as you see them (scoop or change towels, wash the carpet).
Every week, you need to clean the glass, wash food and water bowls with soap and clean under the substrate. For cleaning the tank, use a spray that is safe your bearded dragon, such as this Fluker’s Organic Reptile Cleaner with a brush.
If you don’t clean the cage regularly, your bearded dragon might become sick and develop internal parasites. This will affect the appetite, digestion and overall health.
If you suspect parasitic infection in your bearded dragon, take its poop to the vet. With some parasites, you might be able to see them in the poop. Keep your dragon on paper towels until everything is clear.
Make sure you also practice good sanitation- wash your hands after touching your dragon or its cage and don’t eat or drink around the tank. Don’t wash your dragon’s accessories in the kitchen sink and don’t use personal towels for bathing a dragon.
Reason number 7: Your bearded dragon drank too much water
Most bearded dragons don’t drink much water, but get it from baths and from the food. But you still need to have some water in tank for at least few hours a day. But sometimes, after drinking water, your bearded dragon might vomit some of it. A clear slimy vomit with mucous might be a regurgitated water from your dragon’s stomach.
This often happens if your bearded dragon tilts or rocks too much after drinking water. What is more, some bearded dragons might drink too much water when they are very thirsty.
Baths and dripping water on your dragon’s nose will make your bearded dragon less thirsty. Help your bearded dragon lay flat and warm up after vomiting water, and it should be alright.
Summary:
Make sure you read all the tips above and make any necessary changes. But even better is to take your bearded dragon’s vomitus (vomit matter) and feces, and take them to a vet. Refrigerate the samples in a resealable Ziploc bag, but don’t freeze them. Your vet might also ask to bring the bearded dragon for blood tests.