I have seldom had a patient "tell me where it hurts."

This challenge is one reason veterinary medicine is so fascinating. It is also the main reason diagnostics can be so important in veterinary medicine. This is especially important with some of the less-than-mainstream species that some people choose as pets, including Lou the bearded dragon lizard.

Five-year-old Lou has decided he does not want to eat. Brandon says this is highly unusual because Lou eats every chance he gets. Apparently, for about 10 days, Lou has not touched anything Brandon has offered.

That is all the information I have, so it appears I am going to have to consult my crystal ball. To be fair to Brandon, this is the most common presentation for a reptile patient. When they are having health issues, they generally do not eat.

This could be the result of a simple problem like a sore mouth or something more complex like terminal cancer.

Therefore, we start with the symptom of anorexia and look to a virtually unlimited list of disease possibilities.

Brandon, obviously, will need to bring Lou to his veterinarian for evaluation. I will share with you what I generally do when presented with an anorexic reptile patient, but realize what I offer may or may not apply to Lou.

Physical examination is an important first step, and can lead to the diagnostics necessary to try to uncover Lou's problem. Again, with no clues in this particular case, I will be a bit more generalized.

I recommend Lou have some radiographs taken to "look inside" his little body and a blood panel drawn to check organ system functions. A fecal examination for parasites is also warranted.

These steps will provide a good overview of what might be going on with Lou and help direct us to the next step.

As I mentioned above, Lou's recovery should begin with a trip to his veterinarian.