Trying to identify an infectious disease from a description

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KristenT

Juvie Member
I went to a specialty pet shop today for Taz's crickets because I can get them cheaper there than at petsmart. I found a small female bearded dragon which I thought had MBD. When I asked the store keeper what her story was, he said that someone had brought her in, thinking she had MBD and they didn't want her any more. Turns out, it was not MBD at all, but some other infectious disease that mimics MBD, along with like boils on their skin etc. He said he couldn't remember the name of the disease but it only effected bearded dragons, and there was no cure. There was only supportive care until they died from it.

I want to know y'all's ideas on what this disease could be, and if he was correct that it was a death sentence. If I can figure out what the disease is, I 'may' try to obtain the dragon and care for her, especially if she can be brought back from this.

He said that the disease caused them to stop eating, they became super dehydrated, and they were giving her pedialite twice a week, which helped her appetite.

If there's a way I can care for her with out endangering Taz, I want this dragon. But I need to know what I'm getting into first! Any ideas or info anyone can give me would be so much appreciated... they've given up on this little girl, thinking she's going to die no matter what. I want to give her a fighting chance at least.
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Oh, it doesn't seem to come with seizures either, if that makes a difference.... She wasn't bright colored, but seemed to have 'normal' color at least. She was dragging her back leg around, like it wasn't working, and it looked almost like it was turned around so she was walking on the top of it if she pulled it up. Poor baby. :(
Any suggestions at ALL is a place to start at least... because I have no earthly clue here.
 

TASTIGER

Extreme Poster
Hmm im not sure!! could you get pictures?
what is her set up like?
what does her poop look like?
what are the boils like? soft and squishy or hard? have any of them popped?
what are they feeding her?
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
I've given all the info I've got. Her set up lacks proper UVB light and is on what looks like cedar chips for substrate. I know both of these are bad, but they didn't cause her condition. She was like that when her previous owner brought her to the petshop. This petshop isn't known for proper husbandry methods, especially in their reptiles. The boils are... well, like boils. Little fluid filled bumps. Tems, etc. are moot point right now. THey won't give me any clues as to what this is, because it happened before she was at this place. I didn't touch her, if it's contageous I want to know what it is before I end up bringing it home to Taz, so no, no contact with her. I don't know if any of them have popped, no clue as to what her poo looks like, and he said she wasn't eating, so she was getting pedialite. My guess of food is some type of greens (mustard, collards, etc) maybe squash, crickets most likley, possibly dubia or worms.
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
It really looked like super advanced MBD.. I mean face deformity, leg deformity, etc. That's what I thought it was, but he said it only looked like it. I wasn't able to activly see any boils on her, that's just what the guy said.

Is there any other infectious disease that causes MBD like symptomes?
 

MissT

BD.org Addict
Adenovirus *can* cause MBD like symptoms. Im not sure if it would cause boils though. However, I highly doubt a pet store would have tested for that as its a specialised test.
Im totally at a loss as to what it could be.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Poor dragon. I've never heard of anything, other than certain nutritional deficiencies, that mimics MBD. Deformed body parts are from MBD. There are no writings that I've seen on any forum or book that would indicate otherwise. The poor thing has cysts, or boils . It may be from lack of proper heat, possibly a damp or filthy tank, or just no strength in it's immune system to fight off any thing that attacked it's weak body. If it's not eating, and in that condition, it probably won't live long, and the kind thing to do may seem obvious. The skin problem could possibly be contagious. Nice of you to want to help it, you're probably just longing to get it some relief.
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Well, I figured I'd give this my best shot, but I was thinking much the same as what has been said here. No such disease exists like this. It's beyond poor husbandry, and the pet shop owner is an ideot. I will speak with him tomorrow and ask again what the name of 'said' disease is. If he can provide one, I'll go home, do my research on it, and hopefully bring the little girl home with me. If he can't provide me one, I might still take her home, and just set the tank up far far away from Taz, and make sure he doesn't touch anything she has, with out steaming the fool out of it first, and/or bleaching. I'll take her to the vet as soon as my paycheck comes in next paycheck, and if the vet thinks it's a hopeless cause, I will have her euthanised. That sounds horrable, but I refuse to force an animal to suffer more than they must.
She really did look that bad, nearly as bad as the dragon in another thread, Trinity, I think? Poor baby. But I'll see what I can do!
 

TASTIGER

Extreme Poster
KristenT":i05chmcn said:
I'll take her to the vet as soon as my paycheck comes in
if possible see if you can get a CBC done that will show if shes fighting an infection, thats what im guessing it is.
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Poor think is probably fighting several, as bad as she looks. It all boils down to cost.. I don't make much money, and I may not know just what I'm getting myself in to costwise here :S But I can't just do nothing. Does anyone know of a beardie rescue in or around the Atlanta area in Ga? If I can't do enough for her and there's hope, I may try that.
 

TASTIGER

Extreme Poster
thats always the hard part about getting into rescues :(
you could always look on google for a reptile rescue
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Tried it a few times, but not pulling up much. I KNOW there's a guy around here that deals with them... I've seen his truck. He's got his website on the back of it, and I've visited it before. I think he's a breeder though? I don't know. I'll stop jumping the gun though. I don't know anything till tomorrow when I visit her again.
 

TASTIGER

Extreme Poster
meby call some vets near you and see if they will take him on for free? i know its a long shot but its worth a try
 

KristenT

Juvie Member
Original Poster
I've thought about that too. The only herp vet we have with in 2 hours driving distance, is the one I see. He is also not a lisenced herp vet, but a herp enthusiast, and specializes in them. He's more knowledgeable about them than anyone else in the area, but he's still not a true herp vet. But, with gas prices as they are, he's all I've got right now. It's something to look into though, and I'll consider it! Maybe he could help me treat her at a discounted fee, since I rescued her or something. We'll see
 
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