Baby Bearded Dragon Leg Wound From Attack

[mfaith31]

Long story...fair warning...

So, usually, when I go on a trip I take my dragons with me. All six of them. Under normal circumstances, I simply do not travel when I have babies. Period. However, my last trip was an unexpected family emergency during which I happened to have one baby dragon left of my last clutch. Due to room restrictions, etc., I was forced to leave this baby with a close and trusted (or so I thought) family friend of mine who actually has several dragons of her own. I left him with his own cage, his own food, his own greens, his own lights, thermometer, and strict instructions (even though she knows well enough how to care for a bearded dragon).

However, despite her knowledge or my instructions, she shirked her duties to this baby long enough to allow her dragon to viscously attack him. She called me immediately after it happened to inform me of the incident...referring to it as simply a nip. She assured me it wasn't bad but she was unable to send a pic. I instructed her to put antibiotic ointment on it and watch it close for infection. She agreed. I checked in frequently but she said it looked fine.

After dealing with an awful end to my family emergency I returned home to find my baby beardy with a nasty looking infection in his leg due to what was not a nip but severe bite right below his knee. It now appears he is going to lose the majority of his leg due to this very nasty bite which seems to have broken the bone below his knee. At this point the leg is literally just dangling.

Since this emergency was very long distance and completely unexpected I returned home with no means to seek medical attention for this baby. This is really a first for me as my dragons are a top priority in my life. But now I'm finding myself at a complete loss financially. I washed the wound and debride it well ONE TIME ONLY and carefully with hydrogen peroxide (not recommended) because it needed to be cleaned effectively and quickly as the infection appeared to be very thick and spreading. Since then I've used sterile saline wound wash, povidone iodine (diluted), and antibiotic cream twice daily. It appears to have made a significant improvement although I'm not convinced. My main concern is that before I got to him the infection seems to have spread to slightly above the knee. :`(

His home temp is 95 at current but adjusting (we've just turned the air on for the summer), as for size I will just say it is huge, he has a 10.0 UVB lamp properly adjusted to his basking platform which he remains on a lot. He is eating very well (wax worms occasionally, Dubai roaches as a staple, collards, mustards, butternut squash, green peppers, peas as a treat, seedless watermelon for hydration, distilled water, calcium powder a couple three times a week, and a multi-vitamin once or twice a week). He's very active (although you can tell he's in pain). In fact, he is placing his tail over and around his wounded leg to protect it...but also to mimic a missing limb. It's like he's accommodating for the missing part. Amazing actually. He uses it to leap from the floor of his cage to his basking platform regularly.

Anyhoo, all that said and given his will to overcome, I'm willing to do absolutely anything (I can't stress this enough) to help this little guy survive. So, is there anything I can do for him besides what I'm doing. I've heard of medicinal grade honey, silver, and all sorts of other suggestions to prevent, stall, or treat infections. Again, I can not get to the vet for two weeks. So, home remedies are all I can go with. If there is anything I can do...please let me know. Putting him down is not an option!

 

[kingofnobbys]

Oh my.... poor little guy he must be in agony .

I guess that person is no longer on the Xmas card list. Why the hell didn't they get him to the vet right away if his g-d leg is severely broken !!??!! They have eyes and were responsible for this.

I think he can be saved and a good reptile vet may even be able to save the leg
>> fix the broken bone with a pin and place it in a caste of some kind , if the leg can't be saved they can lead a full life and OK with only 3 legs.
>> and a long treatment antibiotics will be needed.

I'd be hitting the friend up for all the vet and surgical expenses but worry about recovering them after he's been helped by the vet. They caused this.

I wouldn't hesitate, if there is a reptile vet who offers afterhours emergency calls / consults , time is off the essence.
I expect he'll die of an infection if not seen by a vet PRONTO.

Somehow you need to organize this for his sake , home remedies simply wont cut it and he's likely to die an agonizing death without prompt surgical treatment and powerful antibiotic.

 

[AHBD]

Sorry to hear this...can you post several pics of the leg as well as the full body ? Raw honey straight from the beekeeper or health store can do wonders, but if this is as bad as you say can you get someone to loan you money so dragon can be seen by a reptile expert ? Other than that, honey is going to be your best antimicrobial....bacteria can't grow in it and it sterilizes wounds because it produces it;s own natural hydrogen peroxide. But please post pics : here's how :


https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload

 

[mfaith31]

I can't even tell you how much I don't want to post this picture on here. I feel so bad for this little guy. As crazy as it sounds, this is actually much better than it was before I debride it.

As for the vet, to be painfully honest, I tapped out everyone I know to pay for a funeral. To make matters worse, it's a holiday weekend. The vets that are still open and accepting calls are not willing to take payments nor do they offer credit. I'm at a complete loss.

I can get some manuka honey from the whole foods store, however. I've heard it works wonders. I'm just hoping it might do the same for this little guy.

Anyway, here is the pic. Not the best but the closest I could get. Tale looks dark in this photo too but he's a peely peelo right now...there's nothing actually wrong with that part.

 

[mfaith31]

I don't have one of the full body on me but I will get one and post it asap. Hopefully he isn't beyond repair. Also, is it safe to put triple antibiotic with pain reliever on him or no? Would the pain reliever even work?

 

[AHBD]

It's recommended to not use the pain reliever kind. The leg is not black or swollen. Can you get some raw honey ? It does not need to be medicine grade or Manuka, just raw honey which I've used on my own cuts as well as when my beardies had wounds of any type.

 

[neilkd21]

Poor guy. I know you said you can't get to the vet but you really need to and soon. The honey may help but if there is any serious bone damage or an infection the longer you leave it the less chance of a full recovery. Not to mention if the infection spreads it can spread fadt and could result in death.

 

[AHBD]

You say he is using it to jump to a platform ? Does he actually bend it , and is there any way you can post a video of him walking ? In the meantime, lower his platform a bit and/or put a small ramp for him to get up on it. Keep all climbing areas in the same area but lower to the ground.

 

[mfaith31]

You say he is using it to jump to a platform ? Does he actually bend it , and is there any way you can post a video of him walking ? In the meantime, lower his platform a bit and/or put a small ramp for him to get up on it. Keep all climbing areas in the same area but lower to the ground.

I will definitely get a video because it's the strangest thing. He wraps his tail around his wounded leg and uses it as leverage where he'd normally use his leg. The leg itself stays straight. He lifts it slightly from the hip and/or drags it around. It does seem very loose (for lack of a better term) at the knee which makes me think it's broken or dislocated. I called home though and asked someone to swap platforms for a much much lower one with a ramp thing on the side. About 2" tall. Normally once he gets up there though he doesn't come down. But I can give him a towel or something shorter and softer if you think that would be better?

 

[mfaith31]

Poor guy. I know you said you can't get to the vet but you really need to and soon. The honey may help but if there is any serious bone damage or an infection the longer you leave it the less chance of a full recovery. Not to mention if the infection spreads it can spread fast and could result in death.

I understand. However, if that was an option I'd have him there already.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Poor guy. I know you said you can't get to the vet but you really need to and soon. The honey may help but if there is any serious bone damage or an infection the longer you leave it the less chance of a full recovery. Not to mention if the infection spreads it can spread fast and could result in death.

I understand. However, if that was an option I'd have him there already.

Well, you do have another couple of options, get the "friend" who was "hatchling sitting" him and failed to show proper care to pay all his vet expenses .

This person even tried to down play the extent and severity of the injuries and has not even offered to help out with the vet expenses for the injury he allowed to happen and did absolutely nothing about it other try to con you.'
If they were nice people and good friends they should have offered to at least help out with the vet bills, I read no evidence of this .

I hope they are reading this post and are feeling very ashamed of themselves and come good ... but I doubt they will.
That person has been very dishonest so far IMO and not the kind of person you need for a friend.

A letter from a lawyer requiring full payment of the vet bills might be required if this person says no if you ask them to pay for the vet bills (and physically be there with their credit card, chequebook or cash when you and they take the hatchling to the vet).

The other option if you can't raise the $ is contact a rescuer and surrender him to them, they will at least ensure he gets the URGENT / EMERGENCY VET and SURGICAL treatment he needs ,and then they'll rehome him.

This hatchling needs at least to be assessed by a reptile vet and given a course of antibiotics until you can sort out the costs of what will be an expensive surgical procedure (at least $500 , that's what it cost to set my bluetongue skink George's left upper arm break several years ago when he was a wee juvenile, a tiny pin was made and inserted into the broken bone to repair it).
I expect the assessment including Xrays and antibiotic + pain relief combo injections will likely be maybe $100 or there about.

Please don't let this drag out over the entire long weekend - as I said already - TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE if they leg and broken bone are to remain viable and to have the best chance of preventing a life threatening systemic infection killing him because he is very little and very young and will not have a very strong immune system even if he were healthy before the attack (I understand you lost all his siblings either to a AV or toxic fumes so his immune system was likely already compromised).

I hope I'm wrong, but if he don't get to a vet before promptly, he will get very sick very quick and die.

 

[EllenD]

Do you live in the United States? If so, you need to go online and apply for CareCredit. Most all vets accept it, ypu can literally go apply online right now, get approved, print out your approval information page, and you can take him to a reptile vet immediately! All you need is a job with income.

He was bitten below the knee and has an open bone (which is very internally vascularized), and the infection has spread through his bone all the wsy up his femur. There isn't a lot of room left, im actually surprised the infection hasn't yet made him septic, but it soon will. Tgere is no reason for a vet to try to save that leg, i can't imagine anyway, speaking from a professional medical point of view, the bone, surrounding tissue, nerves, and vascular system is not salvageable at this point, and leaving that leg attached is only wasting time, money, and risking the infection spreading into a systemic infection. So he should only need a visit/exam, beliw the pelvis amputation with a local anasthetic, wound dressing, and antibiotics (both an injection and then a long course or oral antibiotics), and oain meds. This entire thing should cost no more than $500, and you should have no problem being approved for $500-$1,000 with CareCredit as long as you're employed.

Im sorry this has happened, you've done everything you could possibly do, but home treatments like raw honey, Neosporin, Betadine, etc. will not treat the infection in his bone, nor do anything to help any bone tgat has died or is dying. It needs to come off before he gets septic and dies, because that is unfortunately what is going to happen soon. Reptiles and birds hide pain and illness very, very well, it's an inherent survival skill, but once he becomes septic it will be very difficult to save him. He will suddenly become very lethargic, stop eating, and then die. I'm being very straight with you because #1 you need to act now, in one way or another, to save his life, and #2 this isn't your fault and I know you want to help him. I would have demanded that the friend that allowed this to happen pay for the medical care, but if they refuse then you need to do what you have to do, it sucks and it's not fair but the bottom line here is that without having that leg amputated and getting him on some strong antibiotics in the next few days, he's not going to live. This is not an injyry that raw honey and Neosporin is going to cure...

I agree that this was in no way a "nip", first of all, "nips" do not penetrate the bone, and #2 a "nip" below the knee would not result in a deep infection that traveled up the leg towards his peritoneal area. So that friend was lying from the start, and that sucks. But you can't worry about that right now, he needs to get to a reptile vet asap or he's going to die. Period.

You said you are willing to do anything to save him, so I would apply for the CareCredit right now and go get him to an experienced reptile vet, this is definately an emergency so they should see him immediately. If for some reason you cannot or will not apy for CareCredit, and you have no one to borrow $500 or so from, then your only remaining option is to surrender him to an accredited reptile rescue that can take him to their vet immediately for the amputation and antibiotics, and we can help you find one if you let us know where you live. I know this isn't what you want to do, but it's much betterthan him dying, right? Most reptile rescues have a specialist vet that they use and have accounts set up so that they can get emergency help on the spot. This is option #2.

It's a horrible situation, I know, but I cannot stress to you enough that he is going to lose that leg one way or another, and if it is just allow to "hang there" and die, he will become septic and not survive. Raw honey and over the counter topical medicines cannot cure a deep infection in the bone. Any time a bone is opened up and then the tissue surrounding it is opened up, the bone is going to become infected, and bone is very vascularized. So it's very easy for bacterial infectionsto spread from bone to the bloodstream, making the lizard septic. Once that happens his chances of surviving are minimal, so I cannot stress to you enough that you either need to apply for CareCredit at once and take him to a reptile vet for the amputation and antibiotics, or you need to surrender him to a rescue or a person that can. Not having him with you is much better than him dying a horribly painful death.

And i hope you have shown the friend that allowed this to happen how badly the "nip below his knee" has spread and become a life and death situation, where his best case scenario is that he loses his leg and is on antibiotics for quite a while, then lives his life with only 3 legs, and the worse case scenario is that he dies a really awful, painful death because they were unwilling to pay for proper medical care to save his life...if it had been a "little nip" you would not be in the horrible situation they have put you and him in..

I'm very sorry you are going through this, and if you need help finding a good reptile rescue near you we can help...

 

[mfaith31]

Just a quick update on this baby the kids have now dubbed "Lucky". Care credit was not an option and haven't been able to find anyone who was capable or willing to adopt who was capable of taking on such vet expenses. Most people were, however, willing the cover the cost of putting her down. So, we were left to treat this issue on our own.

First, I do want to thank those of you who understood my inability to get to the vet and offered advice based on that. It was very helpful. We continued aggressive treatments with the iodine, manuka honey, and silver gel. The infection has not spread...in fact, it has shown major signs of improvement. I am actually amazed at the healing properties of these products!! Not only has it performed miracles with this leg infection, but has completely healed the toes on the other foot.

Lucky still has an amazing appetite and is getting around her enclosure extremely well. At this point, we have decided to have the leg amputated at the knee. But we refuse to have her "put down". She is just too spunky and has fought too hard to get to this point.

The woman responsible has refused to take responsibility. I am still pursuing damages on this little one's behalf but I doubt we will see much in the way of financial help from this woman. All request have been denied to this point. I was hoping for enough to cover the expense of having the leg removed but that's just not going to happen and I'd rather focus my efforts on this little one's treatment and healing process and deal with the rest later.

Anyway, I just wanted to update everyone on the progress we've made so far. I will post pics soon. And thank you again for those of you who understood the predicament I was in and offered helpful advice within the context of that predicament. You guys are life savers...literally!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is excellent news to hear! Wow, I am so glad that it has been healing up so well with
the use of a few products like that. It really is amazing how they can heal up, if given the
chance.
I guess you probably wont be talking to your friend again, for the way she has treated your
dragon & refused to accept any wrong doing. That's too bad but at least Lucky is doing a lot
better now, thanks to you!
Definitely keep us all posted on his progress.

Tracie

 

[AHBD]

That is good to hear that she's doing well and that the treatments have healed the toes + improved the leg. But you say that you will have the leg amputated ? Or was that a typo ? And please do post pics .