EllenD":art4ury7 said:And thank-you to Tracie for clearing up the fact that the pus coming from a joint can actually be a combination of both the Uric Acid Crystals resulting from Gout and an infection in the joint or extremity as a result of the Gout. I wasn't aware that this was a common thing, but it certainly explains his pain, the poor little guy. Gout is painful enough, I can't imagine having swelling and pain in a joint and extremity due to both Gout and an infection. He's a trooper!!!
I really think that the inadequate UVB light explains the length of time this has been going on, I'm glad that Tracie caught that because I missed it, and it's not uncommon at all for bearded dragons to develop "Pseudogout" as a result of inadequate UVB light and the resulting nutritional deficiencies, especially with the number of extremely weak compact and coil UVB bulbs being marketed for bearded dragons, along with the weaker T8 UVb tubes being put on top of the mesh lids of 40 gallon breeder tanks. The good news is that this can start to be reversed by getting an adequate 10.0 T5HO UVB tube and a course of Allopurinol. Hopefully the vet he sees tomorrow is familiar with pseudogout in bearded dragons due to inadequate UVB light.
Drache613":i04xc8av said:Hello,
Those will be fine, no problem at all. The T5 is a lot stronger th an the compact/coil light.
Since he has been under a coil, that is a pretty weak UVB output, indeed.
You can sit the light fixture with the tube bulb on top of the screen but it will block out a
good amount of light, 30-40% depending on the size of the mesh/screen. How far is his
basking area from the top of the screen to where the light would be?
I agree, gout can come on from many different causes. I hate to see so many having so
many problems. Maybe this isn't gout but just a bad infection. Either way, it hasn't been
improving so something needs to be changed in his treatment.
How did the vet visit go?
Tracie
CooperDragon":3g9lsd9g said:That's the exo-terra tank that I have too. The mesh is pretty fine and blocks quite a bit of UVB. It's definitely best to use a T5 with that setup. The ReptiSun hood and the 10.0 bulb you linked are a good fit for that tank, yes. It will work from the top of the screen if you build the basking area up to be within about 10'' of the bulb. Otherwise you could remove the screen in one of the quadrants or leave the top off (if you have no other animals in the house). You can put in a cross brace of some sort to rest the UVB light on if you take the top off. The basking light can hang from an adjustable stand. That's how I have mine set up and it works well. Without the screen in the way, it's best to have the basking area around 12'' from the bulb.
CooperDragon":10kdvont said:That's a lot of antibiotics. That can be hard on his kidneys so be sure to offer him lots of water to help protect them. It's scary to have them go under because they're so small. One of my guys went under for a lung lavage once and it wasn't a big deal. As long as you trust the vet and they feel confident in the procedure and diagnosis, it should be OK. It carries risks like any such procedure but if it has been deemed necessary then it's probably more beneficial than harmful in the long run. I also agree about the sand and it's risk of harboring bacteria. A solid substrate like newspaper or shelf liner or tile is much easier to replace or keep sanitized using a good disinfectant like F10.
Drache613":2g5b2fs1 said:Hello,
Poor Pablo! That is a lot of medications for sure. Try to make sure they don't overmedicate
him so his kidneys don't become damaged.
I have had our female under anesthesia twice, for two different things. She was a rescue so
there were a few problems when we got her. I was somewhat worried, just because I know
it is always a risk putting them under. As stated, as long as they are presumably healthy, it
usually isn't an issue if the vet is good & gives the proper amount of anesthesia & oxygen
titration while he is under. It is pretty routine & becoming more common practice as more
of us have procedures done on them. She fared well each time. She definitely was mad but
got over it. She was ready to go home, but, did well for them except that she wouldn't let
them put a tube into her mouth. She fought them on that, so, they just put a mask over her
to put her under. She was a little sleepy for a day or so, but quickly got back to normal & did
eat a couple of days later, actually. I was so proud of her.
I am not sure what they will find, but there don't seem to be any other options right now if
nothing else has worked. Perhaps he just has infection in that one area but not a systemic
infection.
When are you going to take him in, on tuesday?
Keep us posted on him. I am sure he will pull through just fine though!
Tracie
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?