Wonky Forelimbs/Mobility Problems

I have a new beardie named Æg (pronounced the same as egg) that I bought two days ago from a pet-store that did not have the best conditions, to put it nicely. Her forelimbs are a little messed up and she's not able to walk normally. She rests on the outsides of her hands and tends to swing them up towards her face when she walks.
As she's not able to really grip anything, she has trouble climbing up surfaces and an especially difficult time getting down them. We've fashioned a ramp out of two halves of bamboo and hot-glue (in strips as traction) that double as a hide spot, but getting down is still tricky. Her basking spot is made up of two bricks, one slightly higher than the other, and she's on soft coconut fiber substrate.
She has a good temperament, loves to be held, and eats very well, but I'm still nervous that she's in pain or that she may fall and hurt herself. Are there any other precautions I could take in her habitat? Am I being a worry-wart?

Hello,

The poor girl/guy looks like they have MBD. I Had a beardie similar to this, and he got on very well with his disabilities. First, I Would Remove the Loose substrate, Not good for beardies at all, Maybe add carpet or a blanket for her to get a better grip on things.

Give her Hydration first, then try insects after a while, Good greens, and Most importantly, a Very good and strong UVB light (like a Reptisun 10.0 T5HO tube bulb or a Arcadia 12%). Give her good greens, Liquid calcium (around .25 mls per day for a month to two weeks was what I did) Like calcivet, Good temperatures, Sunlight especially (Sunlight is just about the best treatment for MBD so try to give her at least 1 hour of direct sunlight per day), and Lots and Lots of Love.

Could you post some photos of her setup? and Please Keep us posted on her. View media item 60728 This was My Little Dude, I Hope She does well for you.

-HippieLizards.

Like HippeLizards said home care is a good first option to try before referencing a vet. So here’s some links to calcium powders and food that contains a lot of calcium. (https://www.chewy.com/flukers-calciumphosphorus-21-reptile/dp/125971?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Fluker%27s&utm_term=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1uWC9pvA3AIVjYvICh0SDQMcEAkYDCABEgKmN_D_BwE)(http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html)

We have to change her habitat soon due to a newly discovered crack in the glass so I will post pictures when it is set up properly.

Could you explain why the substrate isn't good for them? Our other beardies have been on either loose or bioactive substrate for a very long time with no problems. I have also read that carpeting isn't safe due to fibres potentially wrapping around their nails and toes and cutting off circulation, but this was a long time ago and I'm not up to date on carpets for them as we've just not considered them an option.

Her mobility has improved a lot already since she's been moved into a larger tank where she can run around (her previous enclosure was horrifically small and filled with wood she couldn't climb on). Instead of flinging herself she is starting to use her hands more to take steps. I'm still concerned about her falling, but she's proven that she can get around just fine!

I can't remember the exact specifics of her lighting setup as I left that up to my boyfriend (he has a classroom full of various reptiles and amphibians, so I trust him), but she has good heat and UVB. She's eating greens very happily with insects afterwards (and has pooped since!). I will take her outside as soon as I get a good, safe area set up for her.

Thank you so much for responding!

It’s a precaution to prevent impactions or blockages from forming in their digestive tract, while chasing insects they could eat it on accident and have them form. Paper towels or newspapers work for substrate, though I personally use newspaper since it can hold their waste better.

ObsessedwithBeardies":3drahvtp said:

It’s a precaution to prevent impactions or blockages from forming in their digestive tract, while chasing insects they could eat it on accident and have them form. Paper towels or newspapers work for substrate, though I personally use newspaper since it can hold their waste better.

Click to expand...

Commercial or home spun bioactive substrates are
>>> impaction hazards
>>> keep humidity too high as plants need moisture to thrive (and this is not what they encounter in the wild - see viewtopic.php?f=34&t=244236 for more specific environmental information regarding their natural habitat.
>>> are impossible to keep clean (perfect breeding media for viruses, bacteria and fungi/molds which will have health implications for the dragon such a RI's , infections on the skin, etc.
REALLY not worth the bother or the risks.

2 or 3 layers of absorbant paper towels (like you find in any pantry) are just fine …. when they are soiled they soak up the liquids and make clean up very easy.

Regarding liquid calcium - I highly recommend CALCIVET (is calcium glutamate) and has a sweet taste that lizards really seem to like , I've used it with great success for rescued injured wild lizards (initially prescribed by a reptile vet to give orally via a syringe with my first rescue - I now keep a bottle in the fridge at all times in case I need it for another lizard.
http://vetafarm.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Calcivet.pdf

Focus on feeding him very high Ca/P , high protein insects such as
>> blowfly gents
>> blacksoldier fly lavae
>> silkworms
and
ensure he has access to a very good UV source ie a T5HO 12%UVB tube in a reflector hood set up to give about 200 microW UVB/sq.cm at the basking spot and no less than 100 microW UVB / sq.cm elsewhere - this will ensure he can convert dietary calcium to VitD3 and hence improve his bone density and structure.
See this for more information : viewtopic.php?f=34&t=235611

Our animals kept in bioactive environments are staying as they are. We are not inexperienced in this area, only in caring for a beardie with MBD. Please do not try to convince us otherwise, I've already seen what you've written in other posts. I'm not trying to start a debate, just learn how to better care for Æg's condition. I appreciate the recommendations on insects and calcium very much, she's thankfully not a picky eater so I will go and try those for her.

She does not chase any insects in her tank, I feed her outside of it in a large container so she has a fair chance of grabbing them, so if the carpet doesn't work out I will put her back on the fibre substrate, but I will try it out.

IMO, It would be better for his health to not be on a loose substrate. You could also use tile or paper towels. They work well. and This is a Previous post of mine that lists some of the dangers of loose substrates: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=243890&hilit=sand#p1857889

So Basically, Coconut Fiber is better than the other ones, But when I Was letting my beardies dig in the dig box full of Coconut Fiber it got in their eyes a lot, made them dirty and they didn't like being in it for too long, So Try to think how your beardie is liking the loose substrate.

When I Had Thor, He did very well with carpet, He could grip onto it and get around better. So I Think it would be Good for her.

How has she been doing today?

She's doing great today, her appetite has been steadily increasing (as well as the size of her poops) and I have learned that her favorite food is yellow squash. I held her in my lap wearing batman symbol shorts and she kept going after the yellow parts as if they were food! :lol:

She's in a brand new tank that came with a carpet, so we're trying that out and letting her adjust to all the big changes. The fibres look easy to pull out of if she were to get a nail caught in them, so that puts me at ease a bit.

Here she is, right before she tried to run and fly off of my bed to go explore my house plants.
She's surprisingly fast for not being able to use her hands properly. She does favor using softer ground (like my bed) to walk or run on versus a harder surface, so we may return to the soft substrate if she doesn't start walking more with her hands on the carpet.

I found a thread from last year on cage decor for dragons with MBD if you’re still interested about the extra precautions you asked about in your initial post viewtopic.php?f=34&t=236141

Aww, What a cutie. I Hope she does well.

and BTW, This was my MBD/handicapped beardie friendly set-up for Thor When I had him: View media item 60636 This was the first version, Worked out ok for the first few weeks, But when he got stronger and became a escape artist so I needed a tank remodel Lol.

View media item 60716 View media item 60516 This was the one that worked out best, But when he got more sickly and Less mobile I Had to remove the ramp and hidebox (That was shortly before he had to be put down) and It worked out best for him. Hopefully this will give you some ideas.

Hello, How has Æg been doing lately? ?