First Aid Supply List for Bearded Dragon Breeders & Keepers
Whether you have one dragon or fifty, a situation can be super stressful when there's an emergency. We've made a list of items that could potentially save the day if you have them on hand. All the items with ** following should be kept on hand by every dragon, gecko, iguana, parent in the world.
1. Electrolytes or Electrolyte Powder - use to hydrate orally when off food
2. Saline for Injection, Dextrose or Lactated Ringers Solution* - use to hydrate by injection when off food
3. Oral & Injection Syringes - for dosing meds or supplements and hand feeding
4. Baytril Suspension*- for treating bacterial infections, respiratory infections, mouth rot, internal eye infections
5. Metronidazole Suspension* - for treating protozoal infections, babies off food after stress
6. Toltrazuril Suspension - eliminates coccidia gently / Panacur - gentle dewormer for eliminating pinworms (oxyurid)
7. Liquid Calcium Gluconate or Dissolvable Calcium Lactate or Lactate Gluconate with Magnesium - for calcium deficiencies, nervous system **
8. D3 Liquid Drops - severe calcium deficiencies, start with D3 several days before administering calcium!
9. Terramycin - external eye infections from sand or injury **
10. Probiotic Powder, Acidophilus Liquid or Bene Bac Powder - must give with antibiotics to prevent secondary infections, boosts immune **
11. Silymarin Milk Thistle and/or Acetylcysteine - protects the liver, cleanses the system & liver after medicating, AC as a mucolytic treatment
12. Serrapeptase - natural anti-inflammatory, promotes healing & cardiovascular health, helps immune & calcium absorption
13. Black Cherry Concentrate - cleansing properties, antioxidants, effective treatment for gout, prevents uric acid crystals
14. B-Complex or B-12 - promotes energy metabolism, neurological system health, water soluable vitamin
15. Metacam / Meloxicam* - NSAIDS, anti-inflammatory pain releiver, do not use with renal insufficiency
16. Fortaz / Cetazidime* - antibiotic injection for treatment of severe upper and lower respiratory tract infections, other bacterial infections
17. Sorbitol / Lactulose - gentle laxitives for impaction or to break up compacted feces
18. Psyllium Powder - bulk forming fiber for cleansing bowels, good to use after anti-parasitic treatments or with animals who won't eat greens **
19. Fecal Float Kit w/ Microscope & Slides - for doing your own fecal float exams **
20. Chlorhexidine Gluconate or Povidone Iodine - antiseptic, anti-bacterial for topical treatment of wounds **
21. Silver Antibacterial Cream - the only antibacterial ointment that should be used on reptiles
* Rx only
You can buy almost everything on this list for less than a visit to the vet, so it will pay for itself if you only have to use one thing once. Most of the time you can't even get your animal to a vet fast enough and you discover the problem in the evening or on a weekend, so by the time you get to a vet it can be too late. Being prepared and able to treat your animal in a timely manner can make all the difference in the world, finding the info and how to treat is easy, but finding the right stuff to treat it with is another story. Stay tuned for a list of symptoms and signs to tell when your animal may be sick!