Please Help! Beardie with swollen legs!

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LG27

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So it’s been a minute since I posted- I hope someone will still read this. So My beardies leg swelling has gone down and he’s walking better these past two weeks. Abdominal bloating is down. And overall he seems better, but he has his off days too)

Still having toe twitching every once and awhile as well
Weird new symptoms however….

A couple times he got VERY stiff in his back legs and tail, so much so that his feet will curl towards his belly.

Then other days he is very watery feeling and floppy and limp. But then I put him on the ground and he will run around and is fine.

His general mood has been slightly down lately. Maybe not lethargic but definitely not his normal active self. He hardly moves most of the day and really perks up when I come home from work and interact with him.

It’s very bizarre.

Since the onset of these two new symptoms, I’m starting to go back to the organ issues I was so concerned about.

Since his leg swelling went down I put him back in his 75 gallon tank. (He’s been back in it two days so far) I made new improvements. I added a 48” T5 10.0 reptisun tube that runs the whole back length of the tank. I have some dark areas and shade where he can hide if he needs to. Is this excessive UVB or would it help him get better?

In my research I have come across Fatty Liver Disease.
Is this a possibility, given his bloodwork that I posted earlier?

I’m so confused and at a loss. I am hesitant to take him to another vet. My experiences with them have been a nightmare so far.

Any thoughts?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your dragon's leg doing today, is the swelling still down by comparison? Are you
planning on taking him back to the vet, or have you decided on that yet?
You mentioned that he is having strange mobility issues with his back legs & tail? Can he
still move those areas or is he having trouble moving?
Your new lighting arrangement in your setup sounds like it should greatly help him out. Is the
T5 tube mounted on top of the tank or underneath of the screen top? How far from him is it
mounted?
Based on his AST levels, at the moment, it doesn't appear to be fatty liver disease. However,
they are masters of disguise, so sometimes it's difficult to tell since we can't always "see"
inside of them. Genetics play a vital role in their health & longevity too.
Has his beard been normal color or dark in color?

Tracie
 

LG27

Member
Original Poster
So today he seemed to be perked up quite a bit more than usual. I think he likes the new big tank arrangement. No swelling or puffiness. No body limpness or stiffness. He was very alert, curious, active for most of the day.
He ate some greens and I gave him 1 hissing roach (large, cut up) no black beard at all.

Halfway through the day he seemed to just hide under his branch and he fell asleep pretty early.

The light has no screen impeding the UV at all. He is about 12 inches away at the highest point (still trying to keep him lower to the ground just so he doesn’t hurt himself)

Basking site was around 94-98

My concern is that now I’m over-doing it with the UVB tube length spanning the entire length of the cage. I wonder if it’s TOO much? Or is there such a thing? I am getting an x-l wooden hide hut for him in the mail tomorrow. (He usually doesn’t hide under things and likes to curl up in corners when tired or needing shade)

Im on the fence about the vet. I’ve sunk so much money into useless vets. However, I have gotten the name of a highly referred one though. So I’m all open to take him in, if he seems like he needs it and this isn’t something his body can heal on his own.

It’s just so tricky knowing what’s going on with him, and if it’s something urgent

Because he’s still overall, throughout this whole thing been accepting food, very lively, no darkness, etc.

Someone online was thinking it could be ADV. I’m really doubtful of that

Here are some pictures of the new tank arrangement and of him:
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

If you meant to post pictures, they didn't show up yet. Oh I see them now. The tank looks
really good, nice & bright. He looks happy there!
That's great he seems to like the larger tank setup, they usually love the extra space, too.
Ok, that is good to hear the T5 is unobstructed then so he is getting strong UVB exposure.
That is a good idea to keep him lower to the ground so that he doesn't hurt himself or fall &
can't flip himself back over. The basking temperatures are good, so that he has a nice range
to choose from.
I don't think that he is getting too much UVB because of how you have it mounted & the size
of his tank. It should be fine.
It doesn't really sound like Adenovirus though. Give him a bit more time, as long as he isn't
exhibiting a dark beard, etc. They do tend to want to get a little lazy so that can be normal
for him to want to relax some.
That's good he did eat a little bit then. Keep us posted on him!

Tracie
 

LG27

Member
Original Poster
Yes I think the new layout is working for him. I bought him a huge log that he seems to love. This was his first day under the new light so maybe you’re right and he needs some time to heal.

Glad that it doesn’t seem like too much UVB too.

I will keep you updated if anything changes. I will be watching him extremely closely over these next couple days and see if the light is helping any.

Thank you so much again, and I’ll update again soon!
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

That's great your new setup seems to be doing well for him & that he loves his new log to
bask on too! I hope that he starts to recover nicely for you also. I think that the UVB amount
is fine.
Do keep us updated on his progress & post new pictures when you can, too.

Tracie
 
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