my beardie fell off his bridge....

[Beardymama33]

Draconis got out of bed a few nights ago and was refusing to go to sleep, he was sitting on his bridge when he finally went to sleep and was only asleep for a few minutes before he fell off of it. He hasnt fallen off his bridge while sleeping before so he wasnt able to catch himself in time and became injured. His neck isnt broken (he hit his head) but sprained, i know because i did the wiggle test after feeling gently for breaks. there is a faint pulse in all his extremities and he wiggles when i pick him up, he was even slithering around his tank and working on being able to lift his head for more than a few moments. He most likely just sprained his neck muscles because he was lifting his head more over a matter of hours and the next day he held it up for a couple minutes while moving it about looking at people. What concerns me is that he dashed against the glass yesterday and now seems to be in a deep sleep, though he is responsive when i pick him up. i have him on an incline with his head down due to mucus forming after he tried to "fight" me yesterday (before the dash into the glass). I also have him on a heating pad with a couple of blankets over it to keep him warm but not scald him. I bought reptiboost for him and have also gotten him to eat beardie bites with enthusiasum that got him to open his eyes the other day...
My question is, what else can i do? If i were to take him to the vets here most would put him down or charge me 10 times the amount vet offices trained to care for beardies would, due to him being an "exotic" animal. I am going to get him to eat some holy basil later if i can which will help with anything swollen or other problems unseen while giving him some nutrition. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Oh and please dont get upset with me, i have cared for injured animals before just not a bearded dragon, I have also gotten several warm blooded animals to recover from brain injuries and such and go on to live full lives. I just havent done so with a reptile, because hes my first one. I have had him two years and dont want him to be put down or die when i have seen them bounce back from worse injuries.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I think you need to find an experienced local REPTILE vet, not an exotics vet (they are not trained or experienced with reptiles and can do more harm than good).
You need to tell them what happened and how long ago it happen, show them pictures of the "bridge" and the enclosure and tell them EVERYTHING you can about his lighting, his diet, and history.

The vet needs to take xrays to determine the exact extent of his injuries and his bone density. He shouldn't have been so easily injured in such a small fall ==> likely suffering from MBD.

Without a vet's assessment and xrays YOU and everyone else here who might offer advise ARE GUESSING and can do more harm than good to your injured dragon.

So the steps you need to take as matter of urgency (the longer you wait the more likely the dragon will get worse).
1) take dragon to a REPTILE VET for assessment.
and
2) remove the bridge and other options the dragon to climb ( too dangerous for him while he's injured and decapacitated )
3) rearrange the UV lighting and basking light so he has a good low basking spot.

Advise we can give will depend on the extent of his injuries - bruising, and soft-tissue injuries require different treatment to broken bones and dislocations.

 

[AHBD]

I.m sorry to read this. Poor guy, it may be that he actually had a stroke, this sounds much more like a neurological problem. His dashing in to the glass is unusual. Was he healthy + active before this ?


And please do list the type/brand of bulbs that you have. Post pics of him and his set up as well.

 

[Beardymama33]

I think you need to find an experienced local REPTILE vet, not an exotics vet (they are not trained or experienced with reptiles and can do more harm than good).
You need to tell them what happened and how long ago it happen, show them pictures of the "bridge" and the enclosure and tell them EVERYTHING you can about his lighting, his diet, and history.

The vet needs to take xrays to determine the exact extent of his injuries and his bone density. He shouldn't have been so easily injured in such a small fall ==> likely suffering from MBD.

Without a vet's assessment and xrays YOU and everyone else here who might offer advise ARE GUESSING and can do more harm than good to your injured dragon.

So the steps you need to take as matter of urgency (the longer you wait the more likely the dragon will get worse).
1) take dragon to a REPTILE VET for assessment.
and
2) remove the bridge and other options the dragon to climb ( too dangerous for him while he's injured and decapacitated )
3) rearrange the UV lighting and basking light so he has a good low basking spot.

Advise we can give will depend on the extent of his injuries - bruising, and soft-tissue injuries require different treatment to broken bones and dislocations.

The problem is the closest reliable vet is nearly 2 hours away and I am not sure if the stress of riding in a car would kill him. He hates car rides, i wish they told me and others that there isnt reliable experts on beardies close by when selling them to us! I will say that hes back to lifting his head again. Hes also a grumpy grumpster trying to bite me (he mock charged and beardied at me before the injury) only to give kissies in the middle of playing "whos more macho?" with me. Oh and him dashing against the glass isnt a new thing, just the first time he did it while not showing off...I have also removed the bridge and my mom is working on a wedge like bed with a heating pad (made with beans so the heat is more regulatable) and side rails on 3 sides so he wont fall off but can sleep with his head down after eating. yes hes eating and drinking and actually chewing it. this is just the first time hes not been fully able to move afterwards, well all othe rtimes he was awake and showing off... His eyes are opening (i had to help "unglue" them with ro water) and hes semi alert looking about ad he scootches about the take working on being able to lift his heas and even pushing up on his legs and trying to walk. Hes getting better just at his own pace and i hope he recovers. I am doing what i can for him, its just tough to see any animal this way and feel powerless to do much more than care for them because the people that sold them to me werent honest in there being no beardie experts close at hand.

 

[lizardgirlforever]

Definitely. Go to a doctor immediately. Vet, I mean. Do it quickly.

 

[kingofnobbys]

double post

 

[kingofnobbys]

Definitely. Go to a doctor immediately. Vet, I mean. Do it quickly.

You might find an easily accessable reptile vet in these listings : http://www.anapsid.org/vets/florida.html

 

[Beardymama33]

Definitely. Go to a doctor immediately. Vet, I mean. Do it quickly.

You might find an easily accessable reptile vet in these listings : http://www.anapsid.org/vets/florida.html

ill call the one vet close by to see what they say....but most of the searchs ive made say the closest beardie expert or reptile expert is 2 hours away. fingers crossed that they have one on board.

 

[Beardymama33]

I talked to a vet and they said to observe him, if hes getting better then he will most likely be ok, there really isnt a vet here that specialises in beardies. they did say if he seems to get worse to bring him in. He is moving about and able to push up on his legs and lift his head, hes just flopping a bit due to fluid on the ear (it went away) and the only vet willing to see him said it would be expensive to see him and there isnt much they can do but to tell me to do what i have already done. hes eating, hes basking on his padded tank bottom and has a heating pad. He even tried to steal some of my hair today and has made kissies at me while lifting his head and pushing up on his front legs. I will call another vet to be sure, but there isnt much else to do. I had to stop talking to one that said the best thing is to put him down, hes getting better... Why would i have him put down? He even fired up earlier which is something he only does when happy! I am thinking they told me to observe him because its after hours and not much the emergency stand in vet can do. I took out his bridge, layed his matresses across the bottom and took everything else out save for two stuffies that he cant get hurt on, he was even playing with his creepy kitty earlier and ate the food i made him! I will keep yall posted and make an update post if the other vet that isnt in until monday says different. If only it was as easy to find someone willing to see him and give advice other than to put him down or what i already have done that doesnt charge an arm and a leg just to turn around and give that advice. I will say, however, that i was suprised at the fact that the one i talked to that gave advice over the phone and didnt jump into telling me hes going to die or that i should take him to the emergency vet.I have one option left on someone to call and i will contact them on monday when they are in to see when or if he can be seen.

 

[Beardymama33]

Quick update, he has made a normal looking (but small) poop, so hes eating, basking to the best he can and digesting what he eats. I might try to call the vet today and see what they say if they can answer my initial questions.

 

[Beardymama33]

Hes getting better, he can lift his head and walk a bit but starts going in circles after a min or so, hes eating, pooping, and the white part is still a nice shade of pure white. His beard is still dark but the edges are lightening and hes fireing up with all of his colors. He hasnt tried to bite me and will willingly take food from me. I still havent put aything but his matresses, two small stuffed animals (he wone slimb these but uses them to prop his head while reasting) and a temp heating pad under his blanket so hes kept warm He has an issue with his tail joints poping out of place a bit( has since he was little) and i will pop them back into place again as usual when hes feeling a bit better. I called several vets and was tossed from one number to the other, the one place i called that was SUPPOSED to take beardies told me they didnt and gave me the info to call two numbers, one was disconnected and the other told me to call the university of fl. One of the vets did tell me from what they heard that i was doing all the right things and if i couldnt find someone to look at him, and hes getting better to just keep doing what i am doing. Its not that i am not trying, i keep getting told no and they dont or wont take them at all. After so many refusals of help, and one vet saying that from what they know im doing all that can be done for him (not a reptile vet but they know a bit but are too far for me) instead of adamant refusal to talk to me or telling me in a brisk rather rude way that they wont even see them was a bit of a nice thing. What gets me a bit heated, is that reptiles are very popular here and all of the vets i have called within comfort ride zone (he freaks out when hes close to a car, he hates car rides) told me they wont or dont take bearded dragons. I even called one 45 mins away that was on a list for exotics and they dont take any reptile, even though they are on a list that includes reptiles as what is seen by people. I am between a rock and a hard place, but at least i have my skills of healing and rehabilitating animals (grew up in the country) and am putting those skills to use. I do the same for my kitty son when hes injured, and according to the naysayers and pests he should have been dead at least 3 times so far....
I might post updates in anothe rsection if yall want me too, because this has become a situation where im on my own, and i did truly try to get him seen.