Urgent Gout help!!

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I have a bearded dragon who came to me as a rescue, he's been with us for a year now. 6 months after getting him and rehabbing him he began to get swollen limbs. So I took him to a vet the minute their exotic vet was in(a day later). She examined him, we went over husbandry, diet, etc. She immediately recommended X-rays($95) and blood work($134) however she felt X-ray was more important and refused to dx with gout even tho my father and several bearded dragon breeders I spoke to were certain it was indeed gout. I am of course not made of money so I could only do one at a time, then the vet left that office so they no longer had an exotics vet. It has been a struggle to get this guy to eat anything, to drink anything but we have been force feeding slurries with veggie critical care mix(has alfalfa in it) and giving him water, black cherry, probiotics, an all in one calcium/vitamin mix from scales exotics. He had perked up after my stays in the hospital for some serious issues(late October 2016)and I felt like maybe we would beat this after all. The vet refused to recommend or start him on ANYTHING for possible gout. I took him in a day after the swelling started! I feel this vet has greatly robbed both him and I of a good outcome. From beginning of November until just last week he was doing great, eating, moving about, still very swollen however he was still able to move. My husband and I are really in a bad spot financially, I absolutely cannot bring him to another vet. I can afford a couple of smaller things like the allopurinol I was reading about on here. But I have no idea how to give it. I am running to see if I can find this locally at a Whole Foods store but I am afraid he is beyond my help. I don't want to lose him, but I don't want to force him to suffer. He was starved almost to death, literally, when he came to me. He has become my therapy animal to help me in dealing with my disabilities. My heart is truly broken and I want to try whatever I can afford to try. Once my husband and I are financially back on our feet we will be taking him to a vet for the blood work if he makes it that far. My poor sweet Toothless is absolutely miserable.
I just joined this forum so excuse my slight ignorance of how to use it! But please...I need help ASAP! Thank you!!!
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, sorry to hear about your situation ! Sounds like you've done everything right as far as trying to help Toothless. One of the modes. here named Tracie [ username is Drache613 ] will be the go to person for advice on the Allopurinol. She usually logs on in the evening but you can also send her a p.m. Otherwise she'll probably see this some time later + offer some help. In the mean time can you post a few pics of Toothless and of his set up including lights ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then hit XIMG

Best wishes for a good outcome. :)
 

Mamawheeler09

Member
Original Poster
Thank you! I am on my cell phone and having trouble with the pictures not allowing me to upload. Unfortunately I don't have a computer at the moment either. I saw that Tracie was definitely extremely knowledgeable on gout and what to do. I am going to get some more cherry extract to try and bump him up a bit. I'll keep trying to see if it will allow me to upload my pictures I have of him and I will definitely be shooting her a message. He will no longer use his left hind leg and the knee joint greatly hurts him, I have brushed it a couple of times while getting him out to bathe him and get food/water and every time I just barely touched that knee he flinched away ? I know he is in a lot of pain and I tried finding the allopurinol online with no luck. He is a fighter but I wonder if this may be too much for him. Thank you so much for the help!
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
Allopurinol is a prescription medication.
But alfalfa is a natural treatment for gout. You can also reduce protien intake. Gout is uric acid crystals that precipitate out in organs and joints. The uric acid is the byproduct of metabolized insect protiens.
 

Mamawheeler09

Member
Original Poster
Yes I realized that after further digging. I am so upset that this vet basically wrote him a death sentence for refusing to treat him as gout. I have the black cherry extract and got pure cranberry juice to dilute and give to him. He is already on protein once a month or twice of 5 super worms each of the 2 days. I feel like I've failed him by not advocating my higher concerns towards gout. But we just gave him the black cherry, he's had 2 baths and drank some of the diluted cranberry. I will get him back out and give him the alfalfa in a few, he's in a lot of pain so trying to allow him rest in between. I have also moved his basking bulb higher to lower the temp slightly. Thank you!! I'm trying but I have no idea where I can get these medications without a vet unfortunately. I sent Tracie a message just waiting for reply. And I still couldn't get my pictures to upload. But his poor legs are so swollen and oddly the one that hurts is less swollen. ?
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
I have never had gout, but have treated (I'm a nurse) many, many patients with it. They all have said it is pretty painful. So I'm sorry your dragon is dealing with it. I have been sprinkling alfalfa meal on the rankins greens daily for the last year or so. I actually stumbled upon the alfalfa treatment on accident. I was researching food to feed my roaches and found the data on alfalfa. It's a good source of protien that doesn't convert to uric acid and helps clear it. I get 50lb bags of it at a farm and feed store. It's pretty cheap....
 

Mamawheeler09

Member
Original Poster
Yeah a friend of mines husband has gout so I know it is very painful. How do you feed them the alfalfa? I read quite a few people saying how helpful it was and it makes sense because he was doing better with the critical care powder but I had stopped using it because he was eating on his own again. And he flicks it off when I try to feed him it by syringe, but I couldn't find other ways of feeding it once he started eating on his own and wouldn't let me near him with the syringe lol.
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
I just sprinkle it on damp greens. But I have another idea...I'll do a bit of research and let you know what I find out.
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
[ximg]85426 8748336187[/ximg]
Easier research than I thought. Main thing I was worried about was to make sure it could be found in a nonalcoholic extraction. I'm not sure on what dosage to give though.
 

Mamawheeler09

Member
Original Poster
That's not a bad idea! I'm a pretty crunchy/homeopathic person so I may even be able to find a DYI if I could find what dosage. He is incredibly skinny still. I have fought to get weight on him and it seems like no matter what I do he doesn't gain. And I'm sure that alone hurts his body because I know in humans less fat content hurts your joints too. I'm hoping Tracie is able to help with the alfalfa too.
 

Rankins

Gray-bearded Member
Tracie may have done more research on it since I last mentioned it. She's good with homeopathic stuff...
I'll try to do more research on it tonight. I usually don't have much time until after 1am...
 

Mamawheeler09

Member
Original Poster
I totally feel you there! I have 2 youngens so it's go go go until they are asleep lol. I really appreciate your help!!!
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

I noticed you mentioned you sent me a message, but I didn't have one come through from you. :D
I am sorry your dragon is having trouble & has gout.
Do you happen to have a copy of the blood test, just so I can see the results?
That's great you were proactive & started him on Black Cherry juice. I have not done a lot of research on the Alfalfa but I have read some. It is used widely for help with bladder & kidney stones. The root of alfalfa is used to increase urine flow. It's rich in minerals & essential amino acids which help reduce fluid accumulations in muscle tissue & joints. It helps to neutralize & reduce high uric acid levels. As far as I have seen, there are not any dosage recommendations. I have personally never used it & only have experience with Allopurinol.
Do you have any pictures of him we could see?
Allopurinol is very effective when given on a regular basis. Do you have it available?
It's ok to give him protein weekly, as you don't want to completely deprive him of it. I would say
10-20 insects weekly, but focusing on greens/vegetation & oral fluids. The cranberry mixture with the black cherry juice will be fine. I think it's worth trying the liquid alfalfa tincture too.
If you want to use & try the Allopurinol, I can get a link for you as to where to purchase it.

Tracie
 

Mamawheeler09

Member
Original Poster
Hm...maybe I accidentally saved it as a draft rather than sending it. I also couldn't get the pictures to upload so I can't get them to post but I think it's because I'm on an iPhone.
So the vet that we saw said she thought X-rays were more important and I told her I have to pick one or the other so I trusted her, did the X-rays when deep down I knew he needed the blood work. And she really brushed off the gout idea, said he needs both plus some super hydration. Then after she disappeared from the clinic I ended up with severe health problems so I have not had the money to take him somewhere else. So unfortunately no blood work.
I don't have the allopurinol so I would need to order that somewhere and how to give. I have pictures of him but like I said I couldn't get this to upload them, could definitely send via email. I do think that the allopurinol is likely his best bet as far as beating this.
I will see if I can get him to eat the alfalfa too, and I have heard very mixed things on the protein which is why I had cut back so much. I think with all the supplements and adding the allopurinol he won't flare after having the bugs. I really appreciate your help! Would it be easier for us to message? I can see if I can get one sent lol. I've never used a forum so total newbie here! Thanks!!

Amber
 
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