Gout? my lizards foot is swollen and his toes are messed up!

[bruh]

my lizard isnt a beardie hes a chinese water dragon, but this is the best site ive seen for getting info on any lizards. well ive started to notice that his right front leg is swelling up. all but one toe are out at awkward angles and it seems like they have dead skin on them. it doesnt seem to bother him to step on the foot. at first it was just one toe that out at an awkward angle and other the past 2 months his foot started swelling.
my setup is:
-small reptibark substrate
-one of those "hammoc" things
- a large dish with water for him to drink and get in
-theres also a plant in the corner for him to climb. i dont remember its name, but i did check if it was safe when i bought it.
-i have a zoo med 50w heat bulb.
-i dont know what my uv light is, the box got thrown away. its coiled

i feed him crickets and medium size mealworms. i dust them with "jurassi cal" powder every few days
thanks for any help!!

 

[bruh]

my lizard isnt a beardie hes a chinese water dragon, but this is the best site ive seen for getting info on any lizards. well ive started to notice that his right front leg is swelling up. all but one toe are out at awkward angles and it seems like they have dead skin on them. it doesnt seem to bother him to step on the foot. at first it was just one toe that out at an awkward angle and other the past 2 months his foot started swelling.
my setup is:
-small reptibark substrate
-one of those "hammoc" things
- a large dish with water for him to drink and get in
-theres also a plant in the corner for him to climb. i dont remember its name, but i did check if it was safe when i bought it.
-i have a zoo med 50w heat bulb.
-i dont know what my uv light is, the box got thrown away. its coiled

i feed him crickets and medium size mealworms. i dust them with "jurassi cal" powder every few days
thanks for any help!!

 

[scalesandtales]

Im sorry I dont know how to help you, but the uvb you have is very bad for lizards eyes. You need to get this ASAP http://www.petmountain.com/product/fluorescent/504983/zoo-med-reptisun-10.0-uvb-bulb.html this site is the cheapest.

 

[bruh]

here are some pictures of my lizards swollen foot. he doesnt seem to mind walking on it and where it looks like he lost a toe that toe is stickin up at an odd angle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34047584@N02/3172982984/
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3172980512_1311cf0094.jpg?v=0
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1004/3172980182_c505afe135.jpg?v=0

 

[vickson420]

Hi
I will try to help as best I can I am not really as well versed in water dragons as beardies.My first thought is retained shed.You said it looks like he has dead skin on it,right?How long has it been this way?Do you have any pics of the foot?Are there any other signs of injury points.He could have also broken it you said his toes are oddly bent.A picture would be of great help.

 

[vickson420]

One other thing it could be is MBD or a break due to MBD(metabollic bone disease).What type of supplements are you using and what type of lighting/uv?I think he is most definately going to need an X-Ray.

 

[vickson420]

Ok I saw you had another thread going so I merged the two together so things are not confused and I saw that this one had photos.It looks like a break to me.He needs a vet and to have that toe reset and bandage.I also saw your using the coil uvb which could explain the break.Water dragons like beardies are very susceptable to MBD and I am betting thats what caused this.Do you know if he could have caught his foot on anything in the enclosure.Any tight spaces that arent safe for his digits?

 

[bruh]

hey,
that was really helpful, thank you.
possibly he could have caught his foot in the hammoc thing. its suctioned to the glass so theres a gap. im not sure what kind of uvb it is i dont have the box anymore. the only supplement ive given him is the dusting of calcium powder on crickets.

 

[bruh]

is mbd something that is permanent, or would it get better over time?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Metabolic Bone Disease is something that affects your lizard for lifetime, even if he does recover from it, he may from time to time have calcium absorption problems after he recovers.
If he is under 1 year, he needs calcium 5 times per week. ALL coil & compact lights are terrible conductors of UVB emissions, unfortunately. So, as suggested, a Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb is the better light to get.
The bark you are using, is not good for holding humidity. The best substrate for holding humidity would be a mixture of sterile topsoil & some moss mixed, so it will hold moisture better. They do need at least 80% humidity so you will need to get that humidity up in order to help with shedding issues.
By looking at the picture, it could be several things. It could be retained shed, a broken bone/toe, or it could be gout.
What are your temps in your tank, & what do you use to measure the temps with? A stick on thermometer, a digital probe or a temp gun? The basking temps should be around 84-88 or so, & the night temps can run between 75-80.
Gout can be caused by severe & chronic dehydration, too high of protein, or improper temps. If they are kept at too low of temps, they cannot properly excrete uric acid & that can build up in the body causing crystallization.
Is there any swelling around the wrist or hand area on the one particular hand, or the other hand or the feet at all?

Tracie

 

[bruh]

the thermometer i use is digital. the humidity is around 65%, so that def. needs to be fixed the temp of my tank is around 75 during the day, i havnt checked the temp under the heat light, my thermometer is in the middle back. it may be dehydration, i never see him drink from his water bowl, but i do give him a bath once a week. the swelling is all in the one hand. his other hand and feet look fine.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Yes, please do adjust the humidity up to around 80%. Also, check the temps underneath the basking light too just to ensure it is within the proper ranges.
Have you checked carefully on that particular hand to make sure that there is not retained shed there which has caused this problem?
Good to hear that there are no other swollen areas on the body.
Do you leave crickets in the tank with him overnight?

How is his appetite? If you feel he is not getting enough oral hydration then you might want to give some oral fluids for a week or so to try & get his hydration status up.
Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[bruh]

ive started raising the humidity up and yes i do leave crickets in overnight. what would a retained shed look like? he has not been eating as much as he should 3-4 crickets a day, sometimes hell only eat one. the arm doesnt look well and i havnt gotten a chance to bring him to the vet, the arm is turning a light brown and it is really wrinkly... i really hope it isnt necrotic or something.

 

[bruh]

actually he jsut moved and the arm is only light brown underneath. the one toe that looks as if its broken( im positive it is) is almost at 90 degrees from the other toes, im sure theres no saving that paticular toe. the other toes appear to be straight enough but they are swollen as is the foot.

 

[vickson420]

You really have to get him to the vet.That toe needs to be realigned or removed and its probably blocking proper blood circulation as well as causing an infection.It also is hurting him a great deal which is why he isnt eating.If its not treated his foot will go necrotic(sounds like the start already) and will need to be amputated.Unfortunatley there really isnt a home remedy for this.It is imperitive you get him to a vet ASAP.Do you have a herp vet you can take him to?