The Tales of Salazzle; a beardie with Muscular Dystrophy

Salazzle (or Salsa), is a very special beardie to me. A friend that works at a petstore as an animal manager was sending me pictures and videos of a bearded dragon they got in that walked weird. It reminded her of my MBD rescue and she wanted to share.

After attempts of treating her for congenital calcium deficiency, and several other things that did not work, she was tested for Muscular Dystrophy. She tested positive.

Then the hunt for someone that can take care of such a special beardie. She would need water therapy, vet care, special housing, and quality of life checks her entire life.

I ended up taking her home. I already have a special needs beardie and most of a set up for another one.


She adjusted to her new big tank quickly. I was worried she wouldn't be able to get around very well because of how poor control of her limbs she had. I was very surprised with how quickly she ran around the tank and how accurate she was when catching insects.


This is her today, almost two months since having her. She has gotten so big and is still as active and spunky as ever! She loves to go out for car rides and doesn't let her disability get in the way of eating all the crickets, worms, and dubia she could ever want.

Aww poor thing! Bless you for taking her in. Looks like she has made some great progress with you!

Curiously, did the vet test for ADV?

Anyways, Salazzle is awesome! I hope we get to see lots more pictures of her as she continues to thrive with you!

-Brandon

I'm glad to see she is having a good life with you. Thank you for caring for her so well. Have you been trying water therapy? If so, has it been helping?

One thing I love about Salazzle is her quirky positions she ends up in. She is hugging her rock!!


But here is a shot of her today! She is so bright and vibrant right after chasing mealworms in her tank. Her arms are so bulky because she uses them primarily to move.


She was not tested for ADV because she doesn't display any other symptoms of ADV and none of her tankmates showed any symptoms.

Water therapy only does well if she is willing to move in the water ??
She was getting it a lot at first, but we weren't seeing much improvement, so we have tapered it to when she gets her weekly baths.

Sometimes, you don't realize how big your beardie is getting despite measuring and weighing them weekly. Sometimes, it takes a photo to truly see how much they've grown.
She is nearly 200g now and I'm so excited for her! She is as spunky and energetic as she was the day we got her.

I hope you guys are enjoying her little updates!

I’m glad to hear she is still doing so well! Thanks for the updates =)

Got ahold of some Serrapeptase by recommendation. Not only does she love it, she is showing signs of symptom improvement! This is by no means a cure for MD, but its been shown to alleviate some symptoms. She is starting to use her back legs more willingly! Best of all, it has no side effects!

Salazzle is more spunky than before and extremely curious. We swapped locations in the house with our other bearded dragon and now that she can see the TV, she is watching it all the time!