Help! My bearded dragon ate a weird bug and now has a spot? Vet time?

Hey everyone, kinda freaking out here. My bearded dragon, Spike, managed to snatch a weird beetle-looking thing from my backyard yesterday when I had him out for some sun. I didn't even see it happen until he was chewing. Now today, I noticed a small, kinda dark, raised spot on his side near his back leg. It doesn't seem to bother him when I gently touch it, and he's eating his normal greens and crickets fine. But... should I be rushing to the vet? I'm so worried it's something from that bug. Anyone dealt with this?

Oh no! First, I'm not a vet, just a cat lady who lurks here for general pet advice, but that sounds sketchy. With my cats, if they eat something weird and then get a new spot, I'm on the phone with the vet ASAP. Reptiles can be so sensitive to toxins or parasites from wild insects. That spot could be a reaction or something worse. I'd definitely call your vet and describe the bug and the spot. Better safe than sorry! Keep us posted!

Ugh, I feel you. My fussiness extends to all pets—once my cat ate a housefly and I panicked for days (she was fine, lol). Standard disclaimer: I'm not a vet. But with reptiles, weird spots plus unknown insect ingestion = vet visit, full stop. It might be nothing, but it could be an infection or allergic reaction. Don't wait for it to get worse. Schedule an appointment, and maybe take a pic of the spot to show them. Hope Spike is okay!