Vet said beardie has gout..

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My 13 month old beardie Puff just went to the vet because I was concerned about his behavior. For the past month or so he hasn't been eating almost at all, he will eat a few dubai roaches or super worms but does not touch his salad. He also has been sleeping in his hide during the day a lot, sometimes for a day or two straight. I always take him out of his hide after he's been sleeping for a while because I didn't know if it's okay to just let him sleep forever. The vet said that he thinks he has early stages of gout, because he didn't grab on with his front or back legs as much as the vet would've wanted him to. He also gave me critical care food for him and said we need to load him up with veggies and water. Does this sound right to you? I was thinking that he was trying to brumate, but the vet didn't say anything about that. Also, should I keep taking him out of his hide whenever he tries to sleep? Last question, should I still be feeding him dubais or worms while he's eating the critical care? Thanks!
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Please post pics of the dragon--- https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at the top of the message box -- then click on the pic it should post
The vet should of done blood work to test for uric acid levels in him -- gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood and causes inflation in the limbs etc -- if he does indeed have gout he would be in pain it is very painful -- if he does have gout he would need to come off the roaches - and some other staple feeder would need to be fed -- like silk worms or BSFL --
We need to go over the lighting in the tank for the behavior what are you using for a UVB brand and bulb coil or tube and where in the tank is it? Basking temps what are they and how are you taking them?
Karrie
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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I haven't heard of grip strength being used as a test for gout before. That sounds a bit suspicious to me. Typically the physical signs of gout are swelling around joints, especially along fingers and wrists. Fluid can be extracted from the swollen areas and observed under microscope for uric acid crystals which may indicate gout. Elevated uric acid levels in a blood test may also indicate gout. I wouldn't rule it out, but I wouldn't bet on it being gout without running at least a blood test.

Lethargic behavior can be caused by a lot of different factors. It could be brumation, as you suspected. If this is the case, then it is healthy and normal. They tend to act like they have taken sleeping pills - groggy and sleepy. The extent of this behavior varies between dragons. They will slow their metabolism so they won't eat much and they will be able to maintain their weight, so it's important to keep a log of weight to make sure that remains relatively steady over time.

If you can post some photos it may be helpful to determine overall health. Looking for things like diminished muscle density, sunken/depleted fat pads, sunken eyes, black beard - these can indicate illness. Steady weight loss over time can also indicate illness.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Yep me too --- I see no swelling of limbs - and he does not look like hes in pain
Karrie
 

carlyandpuff

Member
Original Poster
Yeah, he is really active sometimes but then wants to go into his hide and sleep for days. So does that mean he's probably trying to brumate? If so, what should I do?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
13 months is possible for brumation but we need to go over your lighting to rule that out
UVB brand and bulb coil or tube and where in the tank is it?
Basking temps what are they and how are you getting those temps? NO stick ons they are inaccurate
Karrie
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

He does look very good & in good condition. I didn't see any swelling on his hands, feet,
etc either. Have you noticed any swelling?
Please review your tank setup for us, just so we can be sure that he has the correct UVB
lighting as well as supplementation.

Tracie
 
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