Limp arm help! UPDATE

[alieraisu]

I just noticed Shade not using her right front arm. it has no muscle tone, it's completely limp and her hand is slightly swollen. she was not like this an hour ago, so it's recent. please help! our vet is closed on sundays


UPDATE: We took Shade to the doc today. They took X-rays and said there were no breaks and her arm was in its socket. She either strained something or if she did dislocate her arm we had gotten it back in. Either way, so long as she takes it easy she should be good in a few days. She's already gaining muscle tone in the arm, though she still keeps off of it mostly. Thanks to everyone for their help!

 

[zebraflavencs]

I'm going to pm a Moderator for you, in the meantime, can you give us a run down of your enclosure, and diet for this dragon ?
We need specific brands of the UVBs, age of uvb, distance away from dragon, temps and how you measure..
Thanks,
Janie.

 

[alieraisu]

we have a 40 gal breeder. basking spot is at 92 right now i have a temp probe on the basking spot our uv ray us reptisun 10.0 the basking spot is bricks but she has a log to climb up from. our other two dragons in the tank are looking fine and she was fine until an hour ago

 

[zebraflavencs]

So am I understanding you have 3 dragons in the same 40 gal viv ?
Janie.

 

[alieraisu]

3 young dragons. we know they aren't gonna stay in that tank they will grow into a larger one. there are no fights in our tank, actually our oldest who is still only a year old, thinks she is momma of the tank. We have a large basking spot that they all sit on comfortably. and a secondary basking spot just in case.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Honestly, I would separate as soon as possible. you might not be seeing any hostility, but that is rather curious this "injury" has happened, with so many in that tank.
I pm'd Drache613 for help here.
Janie.

 

[zebraflavencs]

In fact, I would take the injured one out, and house in a diff tank immediately with towels so she has something soft to walk around on. Same lighting and heat.
Janie.

 

[alieraisu]

I know most people wouldn't suggest multiple dragons in the same tank. but with these three girls it just works. the two, Shade and Embery, have been together for months and we watch them like a hawk. there's no problems. I think I know how Shade got hurt though. Her and Embery were on the basking spot and i think she slipped in a funny way on off the brick. I didn't think anything of it but I just called my breeder and she asked if Shade moved funny at all and I remembered her slip. That had to be how she got hurt because seriously i had her out an hour ago and she was fine.

 

[zebraflavencs]

I still would highly suggest her being separated until she is no longer limping.
Janie.

 

[alieraisu]

Mama Embery knows something's up with Shade too. She went up to the basking spot, licked shade, then looked at her and went back down to the log.

 

[alieraisu]

She's still eating and she moves around when she wants to, she just doesn't use the afflicted leg

Here are photos I just took them
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v600/alieraisu/?action=view&current=2009-08-0212-51-33729.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v600/alieraisu/?action=view&current=2009-08-0212-52-15490.jpg
Two pictures of the tank. As you can see, Shade loves Embery and clings to her. (Shade is the greyer one in the back on top of Embery, the orange girl)

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v600/alieraisu/?action=view&current=2009-08-0212-52-58115.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v600/alieraisu/?action=view&current=2009-08-0212-53-20136.jpg

As you can see, Shade isn't using her front right arm. she keeps it slightly suspended when she walks and it pretty much stays in that back position


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v600/alieraisu/?action=view&current=2009-08-0212-54-07290.jpg

When she is laying down, she keeps her arm back like so

 

[alieraisu]

ok so i gave her pellets with extra calcium because i don't have crix right now and there's an awful storm outside. As soon as it dies down i'm gettin crix and I'll dust them so she has the calcium she needs. She's starting to show more tone to the arm but she can only move it in the back position with the palm facing up which leads me to really think it is a dislocation or possibly was and is just sore now. We are gonna take her to the vet tomorrow first thing but until then i'm not moving her out of the tank because she has attached herself to her older sister, Mama Embery. Mama is taking good care of her and I know she feels more comfortable with Embery there than she would in a new environment alone. Like I said, my dragons are very unique. They really act like a family and it's odd even for this friendly species but seriously that's how these three act. I can't imagine what the other girls would do if something happened to one of them.
By the way, our uv bulbs were changed about 4 months ago so they should still be good. basking spot temp is at 100 right now.

 

[maze1216]

I am going to have to agree with some of this and not the rest. I see no problems in housing beardies together if they are fed properly and handled often. We have our 15 babies and we bounce them all around from tank to tank so that they all get to know each other and to free up a tank for a couple to breed now and then. Even our males don't fight. We have some MBD rescues and one that's recovering from a respiratory infection and those are secluded to their own tank. Even our german giants don't pick on our normals when their all out playing together. So, in my opinion, housing calm dragons together is not a problem. I would bet the fall did it. I've fallen out of trees that are over 100 ft tall (long story, don't ask) and came out without more than a scratch and i've stepped down a stair wrong and tore tendons in my ankle, so things that look like nothing may very well be very painful. But, beardies can be clumsy, especially in groups so it would be a great idea to find an alternate home until the leg heals.

 

[maze1216]

On a side note, you should find the flower button for your camera and use that before taking pictures so that your camera will focus up close

 

[alieraisu]

That was from a webcam. My camera broke in a freak shooken-purse accident. (don't ask)

I wonder if it is broken or dislocated. like i said though, vet isn't open until tomorrow and even the university of pen animal hospital which is 24 hours 7 days a week but their exotic staff is off on sundays. so i have NO help today.