Beardie with pretty bad MBD

[CloudyCat]

Hey guys.
This morning I picked up a bearded dragon with MBD from a friend of a friend. I named her Athena.
I didn't think it was that bad at first, but it's pretty bad. She can't really walk, she just kinda flops along and pulls with her best leg. She's got a few small cuts that I put raw, unfiltered honey on.
Athena has limited mobility in all of her legs, her front legs are the worst. She ate several crickets dusted with calcium with D3 and she did drink some water, and she seemed interested in eating some bok choy but ultimately turned it down.
Her Reptisun light will be here in a day or two, in the meantime I've been taking her outside into the sun for some natural UV and she has a 100 watt basking bulb. I've got her in a twenty gallon, I don't want to put her in something bigger until she regains some mobility.
She does get around. I've been watching her drag herself around the cage and she can move, just not well.
Here's a few photos of her. She's a sweetheart.

Heres a video of her too.. She was trying to swim.
http://tinypic.com/r/wu1i4l/9

So my questions.
Do you think there's any chance she'll ever recover? Even just a bit? Or is she going to be just like this forever?
Do you think she might have gout? Or is that just from her MBD?
Should I take her to the vet for an exam and X-rays? I have a reptile vet nearby and I can make an appointment if she needs it, it would be kinda nice to know just how extensive her MBD is.

Thanks for reading!

 

[AHBD]

Hi CC.....it's possible that she can gain better mobility [ and she may surprise you ] but not fully. It's good that she's eating, just keep up with the calcium dusting and getting her in the sun. If it's very warm out just sit her in the grass. If it's cool [ 70 ] you can sit her on your lap for warmth.

It may be best to let her settle in before a stressful trip to a vet. They really can't do much more than what you'll do for the MBD, and I don't think she has gout. Maybe see how she improves in a month with your care before thinking of subjecting her to tests + blood draws.

It's always a big gamble taking a sick dragon to a vet because so many do not really know exactly what to do and some cause more harm than good.
BTW, I can't see the video, just a bunch of ads.

 

[CloudyCat]

Hi CC.....it's possible that she can gain better mobility [ and she may surprise you ] but not fully. It's good that she's eating, just keep up with the calcium dusting and getting her in the sun. If it's very warm out just sit her in the grass. If it's cool [ 70 ] you can sit her on your lap for warmth.

It may be best to let her settle in before a stressful trip to a vet. They really can't do much more than what you'll do for the MBD, and I don't think she has gout. Maybe see how she improves in a month with your care before thinking of subjecting her to tests + blood draws.

It's always a big gamble taking a sick dragon to a vet because so many do not really know exactly what to do and some cause more harm than good.
BTW, I can't see the video, just a bunch of ads.

I sent you an email containing the video. Too bad the link didn't work.
Okay I'll wait awhile before taking her to the vet.
Thank you for your input, I appreciate it!

 

[AHBD]

Aw, she's a sweet little trooper. I would avoid the baths, she looks to be flailing too much and her head is dunking a bit. That can contribute to a respiratory infection and/or ear infection. Probably too stressful for her, too.

 

[CloudyCat]

Aw, she's a sweet little trooper. I would avoid the baths, she looks to be flailing too much and her head is dunking a bit. That can contribute to a respiratory infection and/or ear infection. Probably too stressful for her, too.

I'll avoid baths, or if I do give her a bath I'll keep her in a smaller area and keep a hold of her. But I'll try to avoid baths, I don't want to stress her out.
Thank you!

 

[AHBD]

Yes, like if she gets dirty or something it'll be fine. You'll do a good job with her, she needed someone who will care about her. Since she's eating already, that's a sign of trust + being somewhat comfortable with you already.