First Aid

For sick or injured lizards

First aid supplies that you will need:
Money for a vet.
Betadine (povodine-iodine)
Triple antibiotic creme (any brand)
Bandages: (which can include gauze, band aids, and sports tape)
Scissors
A place to soak lizards (bath tub, large rubber maid container, etc...)
Calcium supplements (liquids are preferred)
Needless syringes for administering calcium, water, or food

Please make sure to gather the above supplies before your lizard has an injured or sick.

Injuries

The first thing to remember when you have a injured lizard, is not to panic. One very small cut on a small toe can result in a very large puddle of blood. Therefore if you have a lizard that is bleeding, the first step would be to find where the blood is coming from. Once you find the area of injury, then that area will need to be cleaned.

Instructions for cleaning:
1. soak the lizard in warm water for 20 minutes.
2. change water if dirty.
3. add benadine to the water, until the water becomes a tea color.
4. soak the lizard for 10 minutes in the benadine water.
5. rinse the lizard thoroughly

Next you will need to apply triple antibiotic creme to the injured area. It does not matter what brand of triple antibiotic creme that you use. If the injured area is on the face, repeat this process once a day. If the injured area is on an other part of the body other than the face, you will need to bandage the injured area. Be careful not to wrap the bandage too tightly. The process for an injury not on the face needs to be repeated every 2 days for 2 weeks, or until healed. Do not leave the bandage on for more than 2 weeks. After that the injured area will need to be left alone to scab and heal.

Illnesses

The most common problem for lizards would be parasites. It is important to have a fecal exam done at least once a year, or whenever your lizard changes its eating habits for unknown reasons. The lizard will need to be taken to the vet for parasite treatment.

Many lizards can develop Metabolic Bone Disease - Calcium Deficiency (MBD). Once a lizard has MBD there is not much that a vet can do except diagnose the lizard and prescribe calcium supplements. Providing the proper diet, lighting, and temperatures for your lizard is the best way to prevent MBD before it happens, and to treat for MBD after it occurs.

If you see a lump inside your lizard's skin, that would probably be a cysts or abscess. If you feel like your lizard has one of these, please take it to the vet. The vet would then remove or drain the cysts or abscess, and then prescribe antibiotics for the lizard.

These are just a few of the many illnesses that lizards may suffer. Please be prepared to take your lizard to the vet any time it is injured or sick.

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