Bad MBD Deformities.

So my newest dragon I rescued last night has got some pretty bad MBD deformities. See this post as it explains it in more detail: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=251364#p1904418

But basically a lot of his limbs his are pretty deformed.
His arms are especially really deformed compared to a normal beardie's arms. They're kind of like Popeye the sailor's arms if I had to describe them. Because they're just like really huge forearms and small upper arms because the bones obviously had Severe MBD at some point but then they hardened again and formed like that, So his arms are Super weird.
View media item 60476View media item 61118 Left arm.
View media item 61118View media item 60673 Right arm.
The photos don't show how they really are all that well unfortunately.


Next is his spine. There's a really weird bump on his spine where you can feel there's a bit of a dip in his hips from where his spine connects to his tail, it feels super weird because normal beardies don't have that at all, and it worries me because the bump is hard on one side and soft on another and the scales are misshapen, so that worries me, what could it be? A cyst? Tumor? I don't know. ?‍

He's a lot more different than Thor than I thought, but sorta in a good way. He's a LOT more mobile than Thor was and thankfully he gets around really well. It just seems his back legs are locked up and so he limps on one leg and drags his back end and legs. But thankfully he can get most of his stomach off the ground and his front end completely up, which is good.

I'm scheduling an appointment with my vet for him sometime this week and I'm planning to get some X rays to see what exactly is going on.

View media item 61052View media item 60897View media item 60935View media item 61069View media item 60853View media item 60402
But I'm not exactly sure of what I should do yet. Or if there is anything I can do, Any advice would be greatly appreciated because I've never Had a dragon like this. He acts like a normal dragon but also not. It's weird. :|

Thankfully behavioral wise he's pretty normal, not the biggest fan of cuddling so far but he's getting more used to it. He struts around head bobbing acting like he's the boss, which is fun. He isn't eating his salad at all though and has trouble grabbing food because his jaw has a major underbite it seems, His jaw is just very oddly shaped.
But really anything I try to do he will not eat his salad. He ate a few dubias and a super worm just fine and eagerly though.
View media item 61095View media item 60600View media item 61091 Mulder seems to love blankets though.

Thank you in advance for any tips or advice,
-HippieLizards.

He's a pretty good looking dude despite his problems ! He is not as bad as many, the fact that he can walk and is not too weak or partially paralyzed is a real plus. Just keep offering the veggies, don't handle him too long and keep his basking areas pretty low. You know the rest. A vet won't help much but liquid calcium is about the only thing they might give him. I would wait at least a couple weeks before taking him in so he can get settled in his new home before the vet visit. Nothing you can do to reverse his condition but the good thing is that he is eating and is mobile.

I agree.

He looks OK and it's good he's not disabled.

I suggest you get some CALCIVET , this is dosed according to the reptiles body mass. Give him this orally each day , it's nice tasting so he'll think it's a treat and will not be a bother coaxing him to take his daily dose.

Xrays will tell you the extent of his issues.

AHBD":3lt6m44o said:

He's a pretty good looking dude despite his problems ! He is not as bad as many, the fact that he can walk and is not too weak or partially paralyzed is a real plus. Just keep offering the veggies, don't handle him too long and keep his basking areas pretty low. You know the rest. A vet won't help much but liquid calcium is about the only thing they might give him. I would wait at least a couple weeks before taking him in so he can get settled in his new home before the vet visit. Nothing you can do to reverse his condition but the good thing is that he is eating and is mobile.

Click to expand...

Hello,

Yes I have been keeping handling to a minimum, and he's been doing great. He's not AS active as the other dragons but for him he likes to run around some and gets around well when he wants to. Usually though he seems to just like to sit and Observe everyone.

His basking spot is pretty low and he seems to be able to get on and off of it with a lot of ease thankfully. He mainly likes to just bask all day.

Unfortunately the only problem is that he's refusing to eat. Not even bugs, he won't touch his salad or fruits, and when I try to offer the occasional Dubia it seems to take a lot for him to notice. I've tried everything but he just refuses to eat which worries me.

Should I try and do critical care on him? I probably have some of the powder left Over from when I had Thor, if not I can ask my vet for some or get it on Amazon if I can. But his refusal to eat and drink really is worrying.

He hasn't been to the vet as of yet, (they're still out of town sadly enough.) When I do, I do plan on trying to get X rays done to see how badly his bones have been damaged. Hopefully not a lot, but we'll see.

kingofnobbys":3lt6m44o said:

I agree.

He looks OK and it's good he's not disabled.

I suggest you get some CALCIVET , this is dosed according to the reptiles body mass. Give him this orally each day , it's nice tasting so he'll think it's a treat and will not be a bother coaxing him to take his daily dose.

Xrays will tell you the extent of his issues.

Click to expand...

Ok, thank you, I'll definitely look into it. Do you know of anywhere in which I could find/order Calcivet?

Yes the Critical Care is a good idea, you can get some Repta boost as well. You might also try smashing a bug so the insides come out and rub that lightly on his snout. That will often get a feeding response. And yes I would say get him checked out by a good vet in the near future.

Good news, he ate a bit of salad and 2 dubias today. I'll See if I have any critical care left and start him on that and see how he takes it. I'll try that trick with the bug and hope that works too.

My vet still isn't back in town yet but I will try to get him an appointment as soon as I can.

Good to hear that he ate a little, always a good sign.

Indeed, and he's getting a bit more active lately which is another excellent sign.

UPDATE: Mulder had a vet appointment around a week ago, and aside from A few parasites and his bone abnormalities they said he overall was very healthy. He also has started eating again which is good.

Which is a huuuuge relief. We got X-rays done which were rather concerning for me at least because it showed he had probably fractured ALL of his limbs at some point in his youth, causing them to form in weird ways and such. And the lump on his spine thankfully isn't a cyst or anything, But Some really messed up hips. But the vet said these were probably from his youth and not much can be fixed with that, so he gave him some pain meds for that.

Unfortunately I do not have any photos of the X-rays to post right now, but when I retrieve the photos I will post them.

Hey, good to hear about his appetite sparking up again. Has his mobility been pretty good all along or more on the gimpy side. And why did the vet give him pain meds. for old injuries and how long is he on them for ? Once they've healed there's no need for them and just like us humans they should only be used for diagnosed actual pain that is severe and or chronic.

I'm on vacation currently so I do not know how his appetite or mobility has been. But the crew is under the good care of my uncle until we get back, but I hope his mobility and appetite has been alright.

Prior to when we left Mulder would normally just hide all day in his log, but that started when the weather back home started cooling down drastically (steady 50Fs and below), so he could be slipping into brumation? I'm not sure. I'd move him to his basking spot but he'd always just bask for a few minutes then go back to his log. So I'm not sure what's up with that. :?

The pain meds were for his hips because they were still super sensitive and he would black beard anytime someone touched them, so the vet recommended giving him a small dose for a week to help him with that. I have the paper list of medicines, doses, for how long and why, but they're back home and like I said I'm currently on vacation and unable to check on that right now.

Ooops, late to the update but that is great news about the vet visit!

Well enjoy your vacation! Looking forward to an update when you get back home.

-Brandon

Even later update, I'd like to say that Mulder has been doing fantastic lately, he's been soo much more active and colorful (I even caught him glass surfing today! Something he has never been able to do before) Mulder also has been pooing more regularly lately and he is getting a tank upgrade soon.

And best of all, HE HAS GAINED AT LEAST 75 GRAMS SINCE I GOT HIM!! I weighed him last night and he is currently a lovely 340 grams.

The only problems lately have been that Mulder lately has been really picky and stubborn about his food, he's been refusing to eat any greens or vegetables at all, and Only seems to want to eat bugs and occasionally dried up crunchy greens from the day before. (weird I know.)

And that he has occasionally been gaping and sticking his tongue out for 10-15 second intervals typically, though it hasn't been as often this week thankfully (I made a post about it a few days ago).

Pics!
View media item 60737View media item 60798Mulder in a bowl. Being weighed lol.

View media item 61070 He's loving his temporary 20 gallon, Can't wait to see him in the 40 gallon soon.

Hello,

Great update! I am very happy for Mulder, it sounds like he is feeling much better.
He sure has gained the weight, too. I guess his appetite has increased.
I'm sure he will love the new tank upgrade once he is relocated.
I did see your other post about him gaping & sticking his tongue out. Did you double
check all of your temperatures?

Tracie