Can Neurological Issues Resolve? Quality of Life?

[annecat]

I am wondering if anyone has ever had a Beardie with Neurological problems...?

We've had ours since he was 2 weeks old and he has been a happy, healthy beardie. That all changed about 2 weeks ago when he turned 6 months old and started to act strange. Wouldn't eat as much and lost control of hind legs and his jaw. Our husbandry is spot on so MBD is not the problem (bloodwork confirms this).

Blood work by the vet shows:

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Mr Beardie has a slightly high WBC count with changes in the cells that show a low-grade bacterial infection (WBC= 12,000; 36% Heterophils; 57% Lymphocytes; 6% Basophils; 1% Azurophils; Slightly degranulated Hets). The percentage of red blood cells and red blood cell morphology is normal (PCV= 30%). The calcium, phosphorus, muscle enzymes, liver enzymes, bile acids, triglycerides, glucose, BUN, and uric acid are normal. Small amounts of at least 2 different types of protozoan parasites were seen on the fecal exam.

Overall the lab results show a low-grade bacterial infection and parasite problem, but the rest of the results look very good and I do not have an explanation for the neurologic problems. If he seems much better since the exam on 1/3/13, then most likely he has a deficiency in Vitamin E/Selenium, or possibly Vitamin B deficiency. Older trauma is also a possibility, but I can't explain why he is just now showing the symptoms unless there is compression of the spinal cord from the healing process. Continue the Fortaz injections for the bacterial infection, start oral Metronidazole for the protozoan parasites (the parasites would not be causing his neurologic symptoms), and if there was significant improvement after the Vitamins injection then repeat it in 10 days.

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Since we've been treating our Lizard, he has shown an improvement in terms of eating - he will attempt to chase crickets now (which he stopped doing for about 10 days) but he still has no use of hind legs and he eats very strangely (chews off to the side as if something large was in his mouth...even if its a drop of water).

Is it possible that the mild infection combined with parasites might be contributing to the neuro symptoms? Wishful thinking?

We have not X-rayed him as the vet could not find an injury. When we got him, he did have a break in his tail but it was in a place that did not interfere with blood flow.

So we will continue with treatment but I have to ask if he doesn't get better, is this a good quality of life for a Beardie?

He's part of the family and we are all so crushed by this development.

Has anyone ever seen improvement from a neurological issue? Can Beardies live happily with neuromotor problems?

Appreciate any and all thoughts.

Beardie Mom

 

[AHBD]

Hi Anne...I'm sorry to hear about your beardie. I can imagine how sad this makes you all, it's so tough to not know how or what to do to help your pet. Can you give a rundown on your set up...what brand and type of lights, what substrate he's on, etc. I'm not challenging your husbandry, just want to trouble shoot by getting the specifics. Also, I just wanted to mention that a blood test cannot rule out a calcium deficiency and MBD because there may be acceptable levels of calcium in the blood at some times, and some times not, also there can be calcium showing up in the blood test that is actually not being absorbed and utilized completely by the body. Oh, by the way, sometimes natural sunlight will help these problems if it's warm where enough you live to get him outside. Let's hope someone can help your fellow,I can see you all love him very much

 

[Lindz0518]

There is a beardie that is kept at the office where I get medical supplies for my daughter and he is 8 years old and has a neurological disorder as well. I am not completely sure on the history of him but he has had good care with vet visits every couple months and he is 8 and still going strong and doesn't seem to affected by his issues. He looses his balance occasionally but he doesn't seem to be suffering. He is reason I got a bearded dragon because when I got in the office he is such a character and loves attention from all the office workers. He doesn't have the jaw issues though, he is a big guy! All I know is he has had this problem since he was 2.

 

[annecat]

Here's our set-up for him (some of this has recently changed, which I've noted below):

50 gallon tank
2 incandescent bulbs on left side, 75w and 100w (left on 12 hours/day)
1 ceramic heat bulb on on right side (left on 24 hours/day)
Temps are generally 90-100 on left, 85-95 on right (recently increased to 100-115 on left)
1 Reptisun 10.0 tube (left on 12 hours/day)
Cage has screen between UVB bulb and Beardie, which we recently just cut a hole in so there are no barriers
Lizard carpet as substrate
Used to eat greens daily (collard, mustard, sometimes squash)
Eats 15-20 small crickets twice per day (dusted 3x/week, which we recently increased to 5x/day)
Crickets are fed Flukers orange cubes dusted with vitamins
Baths 1x/week (which we recently changed to 2x/day with pedialyte and calcium mixed in)
He normally poops 1x/day but since these problems, he didn't go for a whole week (we celebrated yesterday when he had a big poop that looked completely normal)

I hope you are right that it might be MBD -- as at least we can treat it.
Since we made changes as outlined above, I have definitely seen an increase in appetite (and the celebratory poop) but no change in his hind leg or jaw problem. Not sure what to make of this.

Thank you for responding.

 

[PastelBeardie]

Hello Anne, if, like AHBD said, it is MBD, it can improve over time. I rescued a crested gecko with a bad case of MBD, and had to had feed her for a long time. Eventually she improved enough to move around her viv freely, but will never be normal. They're two separate species, I know, but MBD is MBD. With reptiles it takes longer to see a change than with mammals, so if it is MBD, there is a good chance you will be able to reverse some of the damage.

 

[AHBD]

Hi Anne...it may possibly be that the screen was blocking the UVB just enough to affect his ability to metabolize the calcium. It's good that you cut a hole in it now, and if he should be able to get within 8-10 inches, and good that you have upped the calcium to 5X a week. Hopefully this will help him to improve over time.