Koopa - Injured Front Right Limb

[drpayne1990]

Hey All,

Been a while since I have needed to post, but unfortunately not back with good news.

My oldest beardie, Koopa, appears to have lost full mobility. Both my boys have been in Brumation down here is Melbourne, so have gotten used to them just lazing about.

For the past 4 or so days Koopa has been laying in one spot, so I let him chill. I went to get him out and unfortunately realized that he can not support his own body weight at the moment. He can still move his limbs, but he appears to be tremendously weak.

I have just changed his UV light in hope this will help, but I am really concerned. He has not really been eating that much over the past few months which is expected (couple of meal worms here and there). And not really eaten any salads whatsoever as he has no real interest in them unfortunately.

I don't believe he is impacted because of the minimal food, and his poops have been very far apart. I have bathed him and given him a good dose of water. Additionally, I have checked all the temps and they are spot on.

Now unfortunately, on an unrelated note... My cat has had a urinary track desease which caused crystalization in his bladder. This caused him to get blocked and was in hospital care for 5 days. The reason why I am bringing this up is because this whole ordeal has cost us $2,000 (i.e completely broke). So taking directly to the vet is a really difficult thing to work around at this point in time.

Can he bounce back from this? Have any of you experienced something similar? How can I help the little bugga recover, if possible?

Any suggestions/recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Payne

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear this ! How old is Koopa, length + weight ? Can you post a few body shots of him ? To do so you can put them on a site like photobucket, then copy/paste the img/url here.

It may be a combination of his age as well as laying stiff for a long period of time. Will he take water via syringe ? If so, microwave it [ or heat another way ] just enough to be warm and offer it that way. Have you tried putting him in a shallow, warm bath ? Just to see if it encourages him to move about or produce a b.m

And definitely take him out in the sun [ never in a glass tank ] Sometimes that does more good than anything.

And I can feel for you about your cat's situation....I went through that with mine in the past and I know how stressful AND expensive that is. !!

Bit hopefully Koopa will rally a bit....see if any of those suggestions will help.

 

[drpayne1990]

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear this ! How old is Koopa, length + weight ? Can you post a few body shots of him ? To do so you can put them on a site like photobucket, then copy/paste the img/url here.

It may be a combination of his age as well as laying stiff for a long period of time. Will he take water via syringe ? If so, microwave it [ or heat another way ] just enough to be warm and offer it that way. Have you tried putting him in a shallow, warm bath ? Just to see if it encourages him to move about or produce a b.m

And definitely take him out in the sun [ never in a glass tank ] Sometimes that does more good than anything.

And I can feel for you about your cat's situation....I went through that with mine in the past and I know how stressful AND expensive that is. !!

Bit hopefully Koopa will rally a bit....see if any of those suggestions will help.

Hey AHBD,

I am currently in bed, but I will get accurate information in relations to his weight, length and so on in the morning. He hasn't really grown for years, but am due to weigh them both due to the warmer weather coming about. He is about 4 years old, and generally quite active for his age.

Gave him a bath today and he drank a heap of water. He didn't really move about until he wanted to get out and built up enough strength to prop himself up for a tick (trying to jump out of the sink). He didn't do a poop, but as I mentioned, he has not really eaten that much... I rubbed his belly like I normally do, but no luck on getting him to pass anything.

I am concerned if it is MBD that he will break a bone. This is because I keep putting him on his stick which is closer to the UV light, and he 'jumps' (i.e falls) off. I just want him to absorb as much as possible with the brand new globe if this is the problem. Wondering if I should just let him go where he wants and not force him somewhere that could cause more harm than good.

Cheers,
Payne

 

[AHBD]

O.K, so he's still relatively young.....but if it is a calcium problem of course be sure to get some calcium in to him via syringe mixed with baby food and/or water [ if he's not eating ] and get him out in the sun. If the temp. gets below 65F but is still sunny, you can still do so if you get a large plastic storage tote that is a dark color [ red, green, blue ] and put him out there in that. The dark totes trap + increase heat and a dragon can bask nicely because of how warm it gets . Just be sure to supervise, and if you leave him for a few minutes to go inside for something then have some type of screen to cover it + keep him safe.

And yes, if he doesn't want to bask in the tank you can only try to offer a different basking platform, or just let him come down when he wants. Lowering the UVB bulb AND the platform may help.

 

[drpayne1990]

O.K, so he's still relatively young.....but if it is a calcium problem of course be sure to get some calcium in to him via syringe mixed with baby food and/or water [ if he's not eating ] and get him out in the sun. If the temp. gets below 65F but is still sunny, you can still do so if you get a large plastic storage tote that is a dark color [ red, green, blue ] and put him out there in that. The dark totes trap + increase heat and a dragon can bask nicely because of how warm it gets . Just be sure to supervise, and if you leave him for a few minutes to go inside for something then have some type of screen to cover it + keep him safe.

And yes, if he doesn't want to bask in the tank you can only try to offer a different basking platform, or just let him come down when he wants. Lowering the UVB bulb AND the platform may help.

Have had him out in the sunlight most of today, gave him a syringe of Rep-Cal Vitamin D and water. Have kept him in the bath for the past 40min to see if he will poop, but unfortunately nothing.

Upon further inspection today, it appears as though it might be one of his limbs (front right) that could be causing the issues.

He has strength in all other limbs except that one, but I can't see any obvious breaks. He is also keeping it out straight where the others are bent.

Will attach image shortly.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is too bad about Koopa! Definitely if you have any pictures, that would be nice to get them posted.
Which UVB light are you using now, what brand & type is it? Getting him out in the sun will most definitely help a lot. How often are you giving him calcium?
I would recommend getting him on a liquid calcium. You are in Australia? You may be able to find Zol-cal liquid there at a pet store or order it online.
Brumation can sometimes be hard on them, too.

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[drpayne1990]

Hello,

That is too bad about Koopa! Definitely if you have any pictures, that would be nice to get them posted.
Which UVB light are you using now, what brand & type is it? Getting him out in the sun will most definitely help a lot. How often are you giving him calcium?
I would recommend getting him on a liquid calcium. You are in Australia? You may be able to find Zol-cal liquid there at a pet store or order it online.
Brumation can sometimes be hard on them, too.

Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

I only use ReptiSun 10 globes. He hates things going into his mouth, so very hard to get a syringe in. He gets a light dusting on all food (salads and insects). Been mainly trying to feed meal worms to pack a bit more weight on during the cold season.

I had written up a better post, but this website isn't mobile friendly and the 4 time I have had to write this.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He looks pretty good. You think his front arm is injured or sore?
The Reptisun 10 tube bulb is a good bulb. Is that the one you use?
Are you feeding other insects other than mealworms, since they are not real high in protein & a little more fatty than other insects?

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[drpayne1990]

Hello,

He looks pretty good. You think his front arm is injured or sore?
The Reptisun 10 tube bulb is a good bulb. Is that the one you use?
Are you feeding other insects other than mealworms, since they are not real high in protein & a little more fatty than other insects?

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

Hey Tracie,

He has definitely hurt it somehow, just not sure how bad... I think my over reactive parenting kicked in and panicked hard when he couldn't stand.

Have a look at the images I put above. You can see how he is hanging it down and the other 3 limbs are griping the branch. Problem is, there is no reptile vets near by and will have to drive over 1 hour to get to any. I don't mind doing this, but finding 2 hours of driving time (not including peek hour) is going to be hard. Also as previously stated, we are totally strapped for cash due to the sick kitty in the house! Just don't know if I can do anything for him to try help mend the arm, or if it is actually bone or muscle damage.

Now that I have gotten him out in the sun, and in the water his mood is quite alert. He accidentally seen his brother from another mother, hence the black beard. I am using the 24" ReptiSun Tube, one of the first things I got when I got the little bugger.

The issue with food is, well, he is just bloody picky. I have tried so many salad variations, and still eats it once in a blue moon. He hates to poop in his enclosure, but he will if he has too. Meal worms and king meal worms are the only thing he considers. He used to love thawed out crickets and roaches, but pretty much went off them after his last brumation last year. Live food is not really a good option for him, as he just sucks at catching them... I don't know why, but he just misses all the time. If I hold it in front of him, he doesn't want a bar of it.

All in all, he is a pain in the but when it comes to food. So getting the correct nutrition has been a massive ordeal. Pretty much just feed him what ever he will put in his gob.

 

[AHBD]

He looks pretty good ! Nice + bright- eyed, and I'm glad that the sun + water have done him good. I think he's just faking it so that he will be pampered [ more mealworms please, and hold the crickets ! ] No, just kidding......so did he climb the branch himself ? From these pics there doesn't appear to be any trauma or swelling to the leg. It may be that he slept in an awkward position while brumating and then strained or sprained it, just as we do to our necks/backs, etc. Keep getting him in the sun and getting the calcium on his food and this will probably heal on it's own.

Try to keep him from seeing the other dragons....if he gets rowdy + riled up he may do a bit of foot banging and hurt it further...but I think he'll probably recover from this and be O.K.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He doesn't look like he is in pain, luckily & I agree it isn't swollen or anything either.
Hopefully it will just self correct without a vet visit. I think what you are doing should help a lot, maybe he just needs a good boost of UVB for a short while.
That is tough when they are that picky & wont eat much of a variety! It sounds like he is very spoiled! LOL Tell him his veggies are good for him.
Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[AHBD]

Hi there....just wondering how Koopa's doing and if there's been any change.

 

[drpayne1990]

Hey All,

Unfortunately, he has made no improvement. I am quite concerned now as it has been 10 days and he is unwilling to put any pressure on his front right leg whatsoever.

My partner and I are heading away to New Zealand soon, and every reptile vet it over 1 hour away. I have felt his leg and not sure if it feels out of place or not. Any other help would be good guys.

Kind Regards,
Payne

 

[Drache613]

Hello Payne,

I am sorry to hear Koopa hasn't gotten any better!
Have you been able to get him out in the sun at all? If it's still swollen it is possible he could have broken something if it hasn't improved at all. How often are you giving him calcium?

I wish he was getting better, when are you leaving on your vacation?

Tracie

 

[drpayne1990]

Hello Payne,

I am sorry to hear Koopa hasn't gotten any better!
Have you been able to get him out in the sun at all? If it's still swollen it is possible he could have broken something if it hasn't improved at all. How often are you giving him calcium?

I wish he was getting better, when are you leaving on your vacation?

Tracie

Hey Tracie,

Just thought I would touch base with an update. We returned from NZ today and the little bugga is showing no sign of a sore limb... In other words, he is back to his normal goofy self (running in circles and into walls which is normal behaviour...).

Thanks for the help, really appreciate it.

Kind Regards,
Payne