All about bearded dragon fat pads-impact on health

Do you want to know the exact place of fat pads in bearded dragon? How do fat pads tell us about the health of bearded dragons?

You are at the right place. With this article’s help, you can quickly identify the fat pads in them and their purpose. Further, how they impact health is everything you need to know is available here.

Bearded dragon fat pads

The owner of bearded dragons believes that fat pads can describe their health condition. No doubt we can examine their health by checking fat pads.
But there are so many other signs that tell us about bearded dragon health.

The fat pad is also one of them, but you cannot rely only on it.

First of all, you should know what fat pads are.
Fat pads in bearded dragons are small and soft pockets filled with fats. It’s a misconception that fat pads are located between the eyes only.

They have many fat pockets in other body parts. You will find fat in their tail, between their eyes, and under the chin and abdomen.

We can check the amount of fad by pressing or running a finger over the pads. Be careful while assessing because they are sensitive to touch.

Role of fat pads

As we know, fat pads work as storage for fat. These fats are a food source used by a bearded dragon in brumation.
Just like hibernation, Experts called brumation in reptiles.

Signs of brumation:

lethargic
frequent hiding
sleeping all the time
not interested in eating food
changes in bowel movement

In brumation, they stop eating and finding food. In this situation, they will survive by using the fat stored in fat pads.
So, fat pads are nothing but a food source for them.

What Should Bearded Dragon Fat Pads Look Like

Fat pads in bearded dragon visible upward side of the eyes. Because it looks like a hump, it is apparent to see between the eyes compared to in the tail areas or abdomen. Depending on the bearded dragon’s health, you can identify fat pads in the tail and stomach.

Every bearded dragon has a space to store fats. The size can vary. Not all bearded dragons have the same diet and same health conditions.

Secondly, not all bearded dragon store equal amounts of fat. Each beardie is different from the others.

They will store fat according to their environment, need, age, diet, and many other factors
that’s why we can’t tell what the exact size of fat pads should be.

How to determine health by fat pads?

As we know, by observing fat pads, we can check the health condition of a bearded dragon. A sudden change in the size of fat pads indicates an alarming situation.

For example, If your bearded dragon is active, eating correctly, looking healthy, and having small fluffy fat pads. After some time,

you notice a sudden change in them, like sunken fat pads or extra bulge. it leads to an overweight and an underweight bearded dragon.
If you have seen this, you have to consult a vet immediately.

bearded dragon overweight

Obesity in pets is normal as compared to wild reptiles. Because they get enough amount of food and very relaxing environment to live. Sometimes they consume a large amount of food and not using energy; just lay down and gain weight.
Weight gain due to any disease is something different scenario.

Signs of being overweight:

A distended abdomen is a sign of being overweight. In this situation, the belly looks swollen outward. You can easily see the difference even ribs and spine become invisible.

Fat tail means bearded dragon tail looks thick and healthy. As we know, fat is also stored in the bottom.

Distended jowl is also an indication of being overweight. In Distended jowl, a saggy skin appears below the cheek.

Bulging fat pads describe an extra fatty bearded dragon. Fat pads look prominent, like a hump on a body.

These are the primary sign of being overweight in them.

How to control an overweight bearded dragon?

A proper examination by a vet is necessary so they can find out the exact reason for gaining weight. Maybe a female dragon is pregnant. That’s why it looks obese. Maybe they are suffering from severe disease.

Changing the diet helps to reduce weight. Give them fresh juice of watermelon, cucumber strawberries. Reduce the amount of hard food.

Physical activity is most important. If they move around and do physical activities, then they become healthy. so try to open the cage and let them play with things.

bearded dragon underweight

Now we know all symptoms of being overweight in a bearded dragon. Further, we will discuss skinny bearded dragons and how to treat them.

Signs of being underweight:

Thin legs and tail indicate that the bearded dragon is weak and undernourished.

A flat belly is another symptom of weakness. As we know that they have fat pads in the abdomen. But you didn’t find them by running your finger;
your bearded dragon is skinny. Ribs can also be visible to the human eye when a beardie is skinny.

Sunken fat pads clearly describe something wrong with them. They should have small size of fat pads. You can check them by putting pressure.
But if they have sunken fat pads, then beardie is losing weight and causing sunken eyes.

How to deal with a skinny bearded dragon?

First of all, we should know the exact reason for losing weight. There is something wrong with the food of beardie and living conditions and might be some disease.
A bearded dragon should have an average weight, not too healthy or too skinny. but the owner always wants to see them extra fit. but you have
to maintain a weight that is good for their life.

Changing their diet helps them to get rid of a skinny body. Please provide them with a fixed amount of earthworms, spiders, moths, mealworms, and crickets
these things have a sufficient amount of protein and are suitable for them. Keep in mind that you should give them little food in their cage.

A checkup by a vet is necessary to find out the reason for weakness and provide us with a complete chart of diet.

Changing living conditions helps them to live the good life. So the temperature and size of the cage should be according to the need of their
body requirements. Do not overheat or overlight the living area.

Conclusion:

In bearded dragons, fat pads can describe the condition of the body. We can also determine the weak and healthy bearded dragon with the help of fat pads.
But it’s only one factor. There are so many things we should keep in mind when we observe our pet.
I hope you understand what this is and how it works if you have any queries feel free to ask.

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