BEARDED DRAGON INJURED! I'm reaaaally upset

[jthmdepp]

The other day my beardie got out of her cage somehow and I think my cat attacked her. She has a cut on her head and on her backside right where her tail starts. She also has a bump on her backside right where her tail starts as well. I rushed her to the vet right away and he gave her some antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. She is a little more lively today and drags herself around her cage, but has not yet used her back legs. The vet said she still can feel "deep pain" in her legs, and every now and then she moves them a little bit but will not stand on them. She is not eating crickets or greens, but I got her to drink some water today.

Has anyone else ever experienced this? Are her legs most likely never going to work again? The vet was not very conclusive about what exactly is going on with her. I'm supposed to return back later today. . . but I'm afraid he's just going to tell me to put her down since she can't use her back legs.

Need some advice, or just some support! D: D: D:

 

[Pravius]

Well truthfully without knowing the true extent of the injury I think it is going to be very hard to say exactly if she will be able to use her legs... I do however wish you the best, as I know how crappy it can be to have a sick dragon, these little guys grow on you so fast!

I would let the vet take a look, however I would say that if you do see movement there is a good chance that she will use them again as long as you can see her moving them and not like a random twitch ect.

Good luck with everything and please let us know how she is.

 

[gini]

Oh. Good luck, I'll be thinking of ya. Keep us posted as to what the vet says.

 

[SARBEAR]

Awhh poor thing
I'm so sorry! I know how devastating that can be!

I've experienced something a long the lines of that.
My beardie didn't have proper lighting, which led to a spinal fracture, which then resulted in being paralyzed from mid back down.
The vet told me he was suffering, so I decided to put him down. It was a really hard decision, but I didn't want him to be in any more pain.
Which is probably not something you wanted to hear...
But I agree, if there is some movement there's probably a good chance he will recover, maybe not fully, but enough.
I've seen some beardies on BD.org that are thriving and have no arms or legs at all. But like Pravius said,without knowing the extent of the injury, I really couldn't tell you
Good luck to you and your beardie, I hope everything works out okay!!

Did the vet not do x-rays?

 

[crickest]

I would wait it out, unless you think she's in severe pain. You might offer baby food - squash and maybe a little chicken slurry - for her to eat until she's ready to try live feeders again. There are beardies who have been rescued with incredible injuries who have rehabilitated and are healthy and happy and pain free. I would also encourage xrays, if they weren't done already, to run out severed spinal column. Give her kisses.

 

[SARBEAR]

I would also encourage xrays, if they weren't done already, to run out severed spinal column. Give her kisses.

Ditto, but personally I wouldn't wait it out. Not moving the back legs isn't something I'd take lightly.
I'm not quite sure what are possibilities for the back legs not moving, but it doesn't sound like something I would want to wait out.
Maybe that's just from experience, Idk.

I would do x-rays asap

Is there any possibly way maybe she's impacted?
Or has MBD?

Or did her not moving her legs just recently occur after it was attacked by the cat?

 

[crickest]

Sorry, I wasn't clear . . . I would wait out putting her down, unless the spinal column is severed. I would get xrays asap. Hopefully, it is muscular and will resolve as inflamation goes down.

 

[SARBEAR]

Oh okay, I see.
I didn't mean for the poster to actually put her down without knowing first though

Yes I also hope it's just a muscular thing as well.
Let us know what the vet says!

 

[jthmdepp]

Thanks for all the fast replies.

Before her injury yesterday she was a perfectly healthy happy lizard. No deficiencies or anything and she'd run around her cage. So it's definitely the injury that has caused her to not want to use her back legs.

The vet has not yet taken x-rays. I have another appointment with him in an hour or so. Hopefully he'll give me some more information.

She seems to have the will to live, and isn't completely "gone" so I'd hate to have to put her down. Can beardies live with paralyzed back legs?

 

[crickest]

One of the beardies that was rescued is named Tazzie. You might search for her thread and read her story. Her legs were completely disabled due to MBD, both front and back. Her mom is rehabilitating her through water therapy (moving the legs while in the bath) and although she has gained some strength, she still has a hard time using them. There are other beardies who are amputee's caused by trauma. One of them, Bella, is a triple amputee. She does real well. You have to make accommodations for the paralysis, but it could be done. Unless she fails to thrive and its obvious that she's going downhill, I would at least consider letting her live. But the only one who knows the beardie is you. What does she want you to do?

 

[jthmdepp]

Well, the vet appointment didn't go well today. . . The vet was trying to show me how to use a syringe to force feed her since she wasn't eating, and the solution we were feeding her dripped out of her ear. The puncture my cat put in her head was a lot deeper than we first believed. . and since she wasn't eating or using her back legs. . . we decided to just put her to sleep.

Just earlier today I was giving her a bath and she was lapping up the water, and crawling in my hand. . . I miss her a lot. Thank you all for your replies and support.

 

[gini]

Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[spurlee01]

Oh no, I'm really sorry to hear that. I've been lurking on this post and was hoping for a happy ending . It's never easy to lose an animal and it seems there never are words that are right...

 

[SARBEAR]

I'm so sorry to hear that

 

[crickest]

I'm sorry for your loss. It just about killed us to lose Ash, so I know what you're going through. Our thoughts are with you.