Help! My baby might be hurt :(

I’ve had my baby since December and I noticed her legs look discolored and swollen, it’s been discolored for a good 2 days but the swelling just happened today, her lights are good, temps stay normal and she usually eats collard greens (I haven’t given her crickets lately) I just let her soak in warm water for 10 minutes hoping she just needs to shed ? what should I do?!

Hello,

It is probably just from shedding. Can you show more up close pictures of the swelling?
The swelling just showed up today? Prior to shedding, their scales do trap a layer of water
beneath the surface which can make it appear that the area is swollen.
The scales will look grayish in appearance, to whitish.
Is she eating properly?

Tracie

She’s eating collard greens twice a day with crickets a few times a week her eating habits are normal and she’s pooping everyday, I have a better picture but it won’t let me post ?

Yeah, I can't tell exactly what you're talking about either from the photos...

I will say that a young baby needs a ton of live insect protein every single day until they are at least a year old, in fact most dragons from the time they hatch until they are around a year old don't eat much, if any greens/veggies, and if they do it's simply a bonus. If Bearded Dragons don't get a large amount of live insects every single day up until they are at least a year old, they will end up stunted in growth and develop all kinds of nutritional deficiencies and illnesses. The reason for this is because they do almost ALL of their growth and development during their first year of life.

You need to start ordering live insects in bulk online, it's very cheap and it's really the only way to feed a young dragon affordably during their first year of life. He needs at least 2 live insect feeding sessions every single day until he's around a year old, 3 feeding sessions a day is better. Each feeding session should last between 10-15 minutes and he should be allowed to eat as many live insects as he wants during each feeding session, and this results in dragons the age of yours typically eating between 40-60 live insects every single day, so you see the problem. (All live insects he eats need to be smaller than the space between his eyes).

I'm only pointing this out so you avoid the serious malnutrition and growth problems you're going to have soon. I don't know how old your dragon is exactly, from the photo he looks around 2-3 months old, so he really, really needs a ton of live insects every single day. The greens and veggies aren't doing him much good at all nutritionally right now, he needs lots and lots and lots of live insect protein in order to grow properly every day. Only at a year or so old can you cut back on their daily live insect protein, and even then they need more than you are feeding your baby right now.

You can order online in bulk cheaply, and if you don't like feeding crickets, I suggest ordering Phoenix Worms/Black Soldier Fly Larva (BSFL) online from a place such as www.dubiaroaches.com
I buy 1,000 size Large BSFL worms every month for around $25 shipped from this site, they are clean, don't stink, can't run away, and you can keep them in a small, plastic tub and Gut=Load them with the greens/veggies that you are feeding him, that way he'll get the live insect protein and get the hydration from the greens/veggies.

Also, I hope you are giving him calcium powder 5 days a week and a Reptile Multivitamin 3 days a week, he needs this for the rest of his life. Once you start feeding him live insects every day, you should just dust all of the insects from one feeding session in calcium powder 5 days a week and then all the insects from one feeding session in a Multivitamin 3 days a week.

Thank you for all of that info! I do dust the crickets with calcium and have a multivitamin I am also giving, I will definitely order the crickets online!

Hello,

That's good you are dusting with calcium regularly. If you have a good dusting, then just
once daily, 4-5 times weekly for calcium is good & once weekly for the multivitamins.
Are you using a good UVB source as well?
Let us know how she is. Hopefully, it is just shedding coming on.

Tracie

UPDATE! So I took her to the vet, they did some X-rays that came back unremarkable, radiologist said her bones look healthy and there’s no breaks of any kind so they said they think she must of hurt herself somehow and are sending me home with anti inflammatory medication to help with the swelling she’s also now on antibiotics just in case too, she’s my tough little girl but I’m just thankful it’s not gout or anything else! Thanks again for all your help you guys!!!

Hello,

That is good to hear her bones from the x-rays look good so you aren't dealing with any
metabolic bone disease, or hopefully gout either. She must have hurt herself somehow
in the tank. Do you have a mesh hammock that she could have caught her claw in?
Which anti-inflammatory medication did they give, metacam? Be careful with that one,
because it is harsh & not intended for long term usage. Which antibiotic was given? I
hesitate to say that it should be given, just based on the fact no infection was seen. They
tend to usually not do too well on medications, especially if there isn't any firm diagnosis.
Is she eating well right now & basking?
Which UVB light do you use?
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

Hi! No mesh netting but she does have 2 branches so it is possible that she jumped down just right, I’ve taken them out for now in the meantime, she is getting Baytril right now but today she doesnt want to hunt down her crickets.. she’s letting them come to her and even then doesn’t seem very interested she has a 13W UV light with 100 watt basking in a 20 gallon tank, Im having so much anxiety over her right now :/ her feet still look the same as well I called and left a message for the vet so hopefully I’ll get more answers, I just want her ok again

I actually just thought of mixing her probiotics in warm water and syringing her some, I did and it went well, I got a good 4-5 mls of it in her and I hope it helps, I read that the antibiotic can be causing her to not eat and I’ve been sprinkling the probiotic on her food but she not eating a whole lot so I figure this is the best option and hope it’ll settle her stomach and make her appetite come back, any other ideas of what I can do?

Hello,

Ok, so you are using a compact/coil UVB light right now? Which brand, do you have a
picture of it?
I would recommend upgrading to either the Reptisun 10 tube or the Arcadia D3 12% or 14%
tube for a better UVB strength.
How is she doing today? That's great mixing the probiotics with some warm water helped
her take them better. Is she taking the meds very well? How long is she supposed to be on
meds? She is on anti-inflammatory meds & Baytril both?
Have you double checked the temperatures in the tank to be sure they aren't too hot? The
smaller tanks do make it harder to maintain a good gradient.
Let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

I’ll definately upgrade! The temps have been good and stable, she is only on the baytril for now, I’m suppose to pick up the anti inflammatory on Tuesday because they had to have it specially made for her dosage (she’s only 2 grams) and she’s currently still sleeping right now, I haven’t woken her up yet ? (we have a process ?)

I highly suggest you stop giving her the Baytril, it's ridiculous that the vet gave it to her in the first place for no reason at all. You cannot give reptiles Antibiotics "Just in Case", as it causes them all kinds of health issues, like renal failure, and she is only going to end up having no appetite at all and becoming extremely sick from the meds, if not worse. We actually have had 2 young Dragons in the last month, who were completely healthy and eating properly, no issues at all, but that were taken to "exotics" vets for a first-time wellness checkup, and they were both put on Antibiotics and Antiparasitic meds 'Just In Case", and both quickly became seriously ill, stopped eating, started sleeping all the time, and died within 2 weeks. We are used to advising people to not give their Dragons these meds these inexperienced "Exotics" vets are giving them, usually "Just in Case", because every single time the Dragon becomes seriously ill from the meds.

Your vet took x-rays, did an exam, and said your Dragon was healthy and must have injured her leg. Okay, why then did he need an Antibiotic? Did he take a culture? Swabs? Blood work? NO. So your dragon does not need the Baytril for any reason at all, and I'll again advise you to please, please stop giving all meds to her now, she's fine, at least she is for now, but if you keep giving her prescription meds for no reason, she may get very, very sick or worse, and you're more than welcome to look at a lot of the current posts in the "ER" from the past 2 weeks, including the 2 tragic posts where babies were killed by meds given for no reason.

I agree with Ellen, don't give this baby antibiotics. It really can make your baby very sick. Just give it time to heal, cripple the crickets when you put them near her so she can get them easily. Don't change too much in her tank + don't handle her too much. Offer water with an eyedropper to give her a drink, and blend up a good smoothie made with greens, strawberry, squash + some insects if your food processer can be used solely for that purpose. Otherwise, skip the bugs.

Thanks you guys! I honestly haven’t given her the baytril today and some of the crickets have gone missing so I’ll just continue to hydrate with the probiotic and water and let her be, I also will go pick up some mealworms and see if that entices her, I seriously appreciate all your guys help! She is moving around and keeping her head up and so I think she’s on the mend already!