Investigator: Isobel Day (Veterinary medicine with an intercalated BSc in Conservation Medicine)
Supervisor: Dr Melanie Chapman, Lecturer
A 2023 survey estimated that there are 800,000 lizards kept as pets in the UK (UK Pet Food, 2023). These animals have seen increasing popularity as pets over the past decade, and numbers are steadily increasing, but they have specialised needs in terms of care and husbandry, and what suits one species may be wholly inappropriate for another. This specialised care requirement, coupled with the fact that reptiles are generally slower to develop clinical signs associated to illness, and signs of pain or discomfort can be very subtle, means that unless their caregivers are extremely knowledgeable and observant, signs of illness are likely missed by many well-meaning owners, and disease can become serious before veterinary help is sought.
This retrospective study will be focusing on bearded dragons (Popogonas spp.), using data already collected by the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET). By reviewing electronic health records from veterinary practices at the point of care, we will be able to code the free text that the vet scribes and analyse the data to identify trends or patterns of disease over time. We can identify for the first time what the geographic location is of bearded dragon owners and use the data to categorise the main presenting complaints of bearded dragons visiting the vets. We can also look at the advice and common treatments given to this species, plus the number of bearded dragons put to sleep within different age categories.
The results of this study can then be used as a reference to inform targeted efforts to improve reptile owner husbandry knowledge, find potential gaps in vet-client communication; form an evidence base to help reduce incidence of these diseases and therefore improve welfare of captive reptiles.
As a student who is keen to pursue a career in exotics focused veterinary medicine, this project will help me to widen my knowledge and appreciation of the current state of bearded dragon general medicine in the UK and therefore prepare me for future encounters with these patients. I’m looking to apply for a post-graduate internship or residency in zoological or exotics medicine, both known to be highly competitive so experience conducting research in this field is incredibly valuable to me.
Funding for the 2025 student grants was made possible thanks to a large grant from the Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards.