immobile front legs

[jsar]

my bearded dragon, theo, is a juvenile, has a heat/uv lamp(8-10 hours per day), a 30 (or maybe its 33) gallon tank, and a large water container he can get into if he wants. his two font legs are almost all the way immobile and it is so sad to watch him squirm around the tank. what i mean by almost all the way immobile is he can kind of move them but not properly. maybe he can't feel them but they still work? we pick up his front legs when he is laying down and put them in front of him so that he is not laying on them but don't really know what else to do. when i first bought him ( as a juvenile) 6 months ago i understood the directions as crickets have calcium in them so there was no need for dusting them with cacium powder. i was obviously wrong in my understanding. for the last two weeks ive been feeding him calcium powder on the crickets but nothing is really changing except that his front legs are less swollen (they got really swollen at first). his eyes are not as bright and open, they are half closed and sleepy. i am very worried about him. please let me know if you have any information that can help.

jenny

 

[beardie parents]

What type of uvb do you have? some are good and most florescents aren't The only fluorescents we suggest are the reptisun 10 tube, the reptisun 5 tube or the reptiglo 8 if you can find it still. Any others don't do very good. How far away is he from the uvb? What size tank do you have?

 

[jsar]

at the moment i dont know exactly what type of lamp it is, but i can find out from the store i go to tomorrow morning. the lamp sits on top of the screen that closes over the terranium and faces down into the cage about 18 inches away from the bottom, and there is nothing for him to climb on right now to be closer to the lamp becuase he can't climb at the moment. the terranium is 33 gallons, im pretty sure. he is also opening and closing his mouth alot.

 

[dreshany]

How is he eating? I would try and give him a bath fairly quickly, especially if he hasn't been eating too much, he may be dehydrated. If he is weak use a cloth or paper towel to support his upper body when he is in the bath, watch him carefully to ensure he does not lose balance and drown. Get a bowl and fill it up to his elbows with lukewarm water, it does not have to be too deep. Beardies take water in through their vents and this will help hydrate him.
Can you hear any wheezing? Are his nostrils clear or is there any type of discharge? is it possible he could have a respiratory infection? With the UVB light being so high and him not being able to climb he might not be reaching ideal body temps. I would supplement the heat with a regular house light bulb 60-75W should be ok. Maybe place it on one side of the tank and measure the temps carefully. You want a spot for him to be between 100-110 degrees. Check the other side of the tank as well, it should be lower so there is a gradient. If you can't get a gradient, maybe try and provide some shelter on the cool side of the tank. Is he mobile enough where he can regulate his temps? Can he move around the tank at all?
How are you measuring the temps in the tank? Could it be that he is sitting in a spot that is too hot and can not move so is thermo-regulating by breathing through his mouth?
As for the calcium, especially with MBD that is so severe I recommend you get some liquid calcium. Has he been to the vet? The vet can give him a calcium injection that could really help and also prescribe some liquid calcium which is absorbed more efficiently that the powder. It is also possible to purchase the calcium online I am sorry I dont remember the website. I will post it tomorrow. Anyway I hope he is doing ok and has a speedy recovery.

 

[jsar]

thank you so much for the advice. he is eating well, still hungry and willing to eat. i will give him a bath then. he can move around a little, but not very effectively. again , thank you. i think i will give him a bath, then take him to the vet tomorrow.

take care,
jenny