HELP! BABY'S LEG NOT MOVING

[Gibr2]

I've posted before about Felix saying he wasn't eating. Today when I got home from school I noticed Felix's back leg wasn't moving. When he walks, he sort of drags it. I don't think it's hurting him because I prodded at it with my finger and he didn't flinch away or anything. Another thing that's really worrying to me is that his other back leg, when I try to stretch it out or move it, I can't. But with his other leg, I can move it around a lot more, like I can't feel the muscles in that leg, you know? I use a Reptisun 10.0 T8 UVB tube bulb, my temps are correct, and I dust his food with calcium six days a week and multivitamin one day a week. I don't think it's broken because I'd imagine he'd be in a lot of pain if it was. If he hurt it somehow, I don't really see how he could do that as there's really nothing in his tank that could hurt him, unless he fell off his hammock, but I don't think that's high enough off the ground to actually hurt his leg. MBD is caused by lack of calcium/UVB, and I'm giving him the right UVB bulb and I'm dusting his food with the right supplements. I'm really freaking out right now so I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me some advice or ideas on what to do. I want to take him to a vet but I don't know of any that specialize in reptiles in my area.

 

[EllenD]

Can you get some photos of him and both legs?

Is your hammock one of those green mesh ones? If so, they often get their toenails stuck in the mesh and either purposely yank it out very hard, or they go to jump off and it gets yanked very hard, often dislocating their joints...

 

[Gibr2]

My hammock is cloth so I don't think that's it. I wish I could post a video so u could see how he carries it when he walks. But as you can see he's very thin (he hasn't eaten a good amount of food for a few days now)

 

[CooperDragon]

He looks frail. Which fixture do you have for your T8 and how far is it above where he basks? Is there any clear plastic covering the bulb? I would try dripping some baby food green beans or squash on his nose and see if he licks it up. That will help hydrate him and give him some energy. It looks like something is certainly affecting his health though.

 

[Gibr2]

The fixture is just a regular under the counter light fixture, there's nothing blocking the bulb, and it's about 5-7 inches from where he typically basks. If I give him baby food, which flavors should I get and do I need to mix it with anything? Also is it possible for him to have a parasite of some sort? I got him from Petco and I've heard a lot of stories about health issues with their dragons.

 

[CooperDragon]

Just plain squash or green beans or maybe some sweet potato. I've had good luck with those. You could try some chicken too but I'd go easy on protein not knowing what the issue is. You can also try dripping plain water on his nose to see if he'll lick that up.

It's certainly possible that the issue is illness such as a parasite or atadenovirus. I can't say that's the case without running tests but it's possible. It's also possible he ate something that isn't digesting properly and he's impacted. When is the last time he pooped? For now I would focus on stabilizing him by offering water if he'll take it, and a little baby food to try and get his weight up a bit. If the weather is nice out you could bring him outside for some natural sunlight too. That often perks them up and the natural sunlight is great for them.

 

[EllenD]

Has he had normal bowel movements? Petco isn't necessarily the issue, I have a 10 month old Petco dragon I got at a month old and she's perfect, but any young baby (he looks very young) can carry parasites, worms, a high coccidia count, etc. I hope it's not Adenovirus, as that is becoming an issue all around the US, and private breeders nor vendors that sell to pet shops test...

He doesn't look good, very frail, weak, and if his back legs or leg is partially paralyzed he could very well have an impaction pushing on his spine... Typically it's not MBD this young, but he has the symptoms, though his enclosure and lighting sound good...Has he been like this and not eating since you got him? I'd get him to an experienced reptile vet ASAP if I were you, try to get a fresh bowel movement to take with you to test for parasites.

But Cooper is right, you need to get some nutrition and hydration in him immediately. Some Reptaid or Reptaboost would be a good idea, Petco sells it in store. You can try squash or sweet potato baby food, they generally like that, or even use a blender and add in some greens or live crickets or roaches. Use unflavored Pedialyte to mix in for hydration and electrolytes, and add a pinch of Calcium and a pinch of multivitamin in too...

 

[Gibr2]

He just had a bowel movement this morning and his poop always looks pretty normal. And yes it has been like this since I got him, on and off. He'll go a week or two eating and then he'll just stop for no apparent reason. I can't imagine what he would have eaten that isn't digesting, I always make sure none of the insects I feed him are too large. They did have him on sand at Petco, but I don't know how long he was there for. I'm going to get green been and squash baby food and try that with some calcium and multivitamin. If he doesn't perk up in a day or so I'll definitely look for a reptile vet nearby.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He does look a bit thin. How large are his stools? They can be partially impacted & still pass
things through their system. If he was on sand before you got him, it is highly likely he has some
in his system blocking him up.
When you get the baby food, get some canned plain pumpkin or sugar free applesauce, or some
prune baby food to mix with a drop or two of olive or coconut oil. That can help with an impaction
to get the GI tract moving things through.
You can try going to this site to find a vet:

www.herpvetconnection.com

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[Gibr2]

I fed him baby food with calcium and multivitamin the day before yesterday and yesterday, and yesterday he ate some of his roaches! I was so happy and he looked stronger and his leg seemed to be improving a bit as well. Well...today I woke up and it's like he won't even stand. His front leg won't move either now and I'm freaking out I have no idea what's going on he was just improving!

 

[kingofnobbys]

I think you need to get some xrays taken by a vet .

1) to work out what is going on with the leg
2) to check to see if he has an impaction

and you need to provide more detailed information as there is something really wrong , likely several things , that are contributing to his condition .

Here's my cheat sheet ,
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050
get someone to help you work throught it as the answers you have given are too vague to be of any use.

 

[EllenD]

I think this is now beyond home remedies or syringe feeding baby food, he needs to see an experienced reptile vet IMMEDIATELY. I'm worried that he is too thin and weak, he needs tube feedings of a heavy-duty nutritional supplement like Oxbow Critical Care to get some calories, protein, and hydration into him. An experienced reptile vet will tube feed him Critical Care several times a day, it's much easier for them to do this, they have the right equipment to do the tube feedings, and he also needs an x-ray ASAP as Knobbys already said, as it sounds like either a severe impaction pressing on his spinal column, a growth of some sort pressing on his spinal column, or possibly a disease he acquired from his breeder like Adenovirus. I'm sorry, he's just too frail and weak at this point and he needs professional medical help.

If you need help finding an experienced reptile vet near you, just let us know the town/city you live in and we can help you find one. You need to tell them this is a very young beardie that is extremely frail and weak, and that cannot move his legs, it's an emergency and he cannot wait for a week or even for days to be seen, they need to see him immediately as an emergent case.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh dear, you are going to have to take him to the vet. There is definitely something wrong
& he wont make it much longer without medical intervention here.
Are you able to find a vet? You can try going here:
www.herpvetconnection

They usually have pretty good listings but let us know if you can find one in your area.
Try to keep him warm overnight since he is still having some trouble. Just maintain the
tank around 80 or so.
Were the roaches appropriated sized for him? He is most likely terribly impacted right
now so he shouldn't be fed any other insects right now, until this gets ironed out.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[Gibr2]

I thought I'd give an update on how he's been improving. I made an appointment with a vet and took him in, but they basically just told me what I already knew. I've been giving him warm baths every day until he poops, feeding him a mix of a few baby foods with calcium and multivitamin mixed in a few times a day. He's been improving very quickly, and although his legs are still not in perfect condition he can stand up straight and he moves around fine. He's gained some weight and he's definitely perked up. I'm not sure when I'll try to give him roaches again (I'm kind of terrified to but I know he can't live off baby food). The roaches are small, definitely smaller than the space between his eyes, and I'm thinking maybe I'll try giving him one or two tomorrow, if he's looking good.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I am glad to hear he is doing somewhat better, that's good news!
He can survive on softer foods for awhile. Has he been going to the bathroom regularly too?
Did the vet give you any critical care powder to give to him also?
Is he walking any better then?
If you do feed roaches, be sure they are very small so nothing blocks him up at all.
I hope he continues to improve for you. Please keep us posted on his condition.

Tracie