Limping, Nails and Scales??

[yellowturtle1]

Hello,
My beardie Maxamillion has settled in great, he has a fantastic personality, and loves going for walks.
This past walk, I noticed his left front (or back, I'm not sure) was limping a little.
I discovered he really doesn't like to climb, probably because of the dismal conditions he grew up in, so I adjusted his enclosure to have smaller height variants... in other words, he didn't fall off of anything.

I'm beginning to think his limping is being cause by overly-long nails, which I have trimmed since I got him and are kept at a short length, but it seems his previous owners never did and I don't know if it affected the way he walks?

I'm also concerned about his lack of shedding. I've had him for four months now, and he hasn't shed. He's six years old, so I know he won't too often, but I'm pretty sure lack of UVB stunted his growth as a juvenile so I was really hoping he's pick up the pace with better lighting and food!

Thank you!

 

[CooperDragon]

It's good that you lowered things a bit to make it easier for him to get around. If the limp just started, it's possible he caught a toe on something and is being a bit protective of that area. Do you notice any swelling around his fingers/toes that may indicate an issue? Is he moving around well otherwise? At 6, he's fully grown so I wouldn't expect frequent shedding or an increase in size, but that's OK. As long as he's getting proper lighting and a nice varied, healthy diet he should be in good shape at his current size.

 

[yellowturtle1]

It's good that you lowered things a bit to make it easier for him to get around. If the limp just started, it's possible he caught a toe on something and is being a bit protective of that area. Do you notice any swelling around his fingers/toes that may indicate an issue? Is he moving around well otherwise? At 6, he's fully grown so I wouldn't expect frequent shedding or an increase in size, but that's OK. As long as he's getting proper lighting and a nice varied, healthy diet he should be in good shape at his current size.

No, all his tootsies look fine. He's still incredibly active! Nothing that looks that bump/bruise around those legs, so I don't know if he accidentally stretched a nerve or slept uncomfortably.
Thank you, no, yeah, he's got a great appetite

 

[CooperDragon]

My guess is that he's OK then. Maybe just a temporary issue causing the limp that will clear on it's own but keep an eye on it and look out for lethargic behavior or any apparent signs of injury/swelling.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I think it's worth making an appointment with a local reptile vet for in a few days , and monitoring Max over the next few days, if he's still favouring the leg /foot , it's worth then taking him to the vet for an examination and maybe some xrays, if it gets better , you can aways cancel the appointment.

Puff had sore left arm once and when I took him to the vet, he was moving perfectly. Vet put it down to strained joint that had come good by the time he saw him.

 

[yellowturtle1]

Whew! That's good to know! Thanks guys.