Bearded dragon swollen ankle: How to make her comfortable until vet?

Hello, Gout is an exceptionally painful condition and Ricky needs to be on medication for pain and to help slow progression of disease. There is no treatment to reverse or cure gout, and it generally has a guarded to poor prognosis. Our goals in treatment are to minimize pain and slow the disease. The medications needed must come from a veterinarian and Ricky’s condition needs to be closely monitored. A veterinarian will do an exam, blood work, and maybe X-rays to thoroughly assess Ricky and be sure the diagnosis is correct. Unfortunately, there is nothing effective that can be done at home without a veterinarian’s guidance aside from ensuring Ricky has appropriate nutrition, temperature and humidity. Refer to anapsid.org for guidelines on bearded dragon care and check arav.con to find a reptile vet near you. Good luck!

The swollen leg may be due to injury, infection or nutritional deficiency. Ideally, Rainn should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat the underlying cause. This may require x-rays and lab work. Review his diet and environment with your veterinarian. The basics required include a 10 gallon tank (at minimum), UVB lighting, a heat lamp focused on a basking spot, 2 hides (one on the coolside, one on the warm side and a shallow water bowl. The heat lamp should provide a temperature gradient across the enclosure. Substrate can be reptile carpet, slate, paper towels or wood chips. A balanced diet of appropriately sized prey (crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms, Phoenix worms, etc) and fresh greens and vegetables should be offered daily. Vitamin supplements and calcium supplementation should also be provided. You can review dragon care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

Thanks for reaching out about Toothless and including photos. Swollen toes can be gout, but also trauma (dislocations), infections of the nail beds, calcium re-absorption from metabolic bone disease, and other problems. Gout is serious and reflects kidney concerns. If possible, work out a payment plan with a local veterinarian. Also, try researching Care Credit on-line. Good luck.

A big concern regarding the swelling and lameness would be metabolic bone disease (MBD). Ideally, Beans should be examined by your herp veterinarian to diagnose injury or illness. In the meantime, review the diet, vitamin/mineral supplementation and UVB lighting. Confirm the bulb is not obstructed by glass or plexiglass and replace if older than 6 months old. Gut load all prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize3 nutritional value. Use quality supplements such as Rep-Cal HerptiVite and Calcium w/Vit D3.

It could be a fracture complicated by MBD but an exam and xrays is what Reptar needs to get a definitive diagnosis. It shouldn't cost "thousands". With proper care and some environmental and diet changes, he can recover from MBD. Left untreated, he may suffer permanent damage or even loss of the limb. An experienced herp vet will have the knowledge and experience to give Reptar the best chance at a full recovery. Follow the links to search for a local herp vet. http://www.herpvetconnection.com/calif.shtml http://www.anapsid.org/vets/findingvet.html

Hello, sorry to hear about Spice. It sounds like she may be having metabolic bine disease from some dietary deficiencies. Other causes may be due to rough flooring or substrate in its cage. Your veterinarian may have recommended some changes in her diet, however metabolic bone disease may carry a poor prognosis as it is challenging to correct this disease if it is too advanced. It will take quite some time also, to see improvement. Best of luck!

An exam with an experienced herp veterinarian would be strongly recommended. You can find one here: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661 In the meantime, keep the affected area clean and dry. Keep Lenny warm and as stress free as possible. Consider increasing tank temps by 5-10 degrees F to aid in recovery. make sure he continues to eat and soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to maintain hydration. The veterinarian listed below is about 30 minutes from your location. Dr. Alistair Ker Active Veterinarian Thorold Vet Hospital Practise owner 2-B Sullivan Ave Thorold Ontario L2V 2X9 Canada (905)227-7644 (Phone) (905)227-8820 (Fax)