Need to find a liquid calcium for baby dragon

[Raym6492]

I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good liquid calcium to use for a baby (8-9 weeks). I think he has MBD and I have contacted the vet and he goes in on Friday but she said she can no longer get liquid if that is the what he needs. I was wondering if there is a brand that is better than others that I can get ordered and have it if that's what he needs. I was hoping rep cal made one since that is what I use for powder and vitamins for all of our dragons but don't see they make one. Also she didn't clarify if that would also need D3 in it as well or just the powder for his roaches. I have never dealt with this disease before some I'm trying to get what I can and have it when we find out for sure and try and get it reversed or under control. Thanks in advance
Ray

 

[kingofnobbys]

VetaFarm CalciVet is very good.

 

[EllenD]

You need to address the reason your very young hatchling already has MBD so soon, or the liquid calcium will do him no good at all. Why do you think he has MBD already? 8-9 weeks old is extremely young to already be showing outward signs of having MBD, even if he's never had any UVB light or calcium and multivitamin powder supplementing at all since birth. So if I were you, I'd post a photo of your baby, along with photos of his complete setup and lighting, because #1 he may very likely not have MBD, and more importantly #2, if he does have MBD it's most likely due to having an inadequate UVB tube.that is also mounted incorrectly and at an improper distance from his basking spot. Without a proper wavelength and strength UVB tube mounted in his enclosure correctly, his body cannot manufacture vitamin D3, and then he will not be able to absorb any of the liquid calcium or any of the calcium in his food anyway. So unless you get your husbandry straightened out, giving him extra Calcium isn't going to help him, the calcium deficiency he has will continue to get worse.

Please list the brand/model/type (compact, coil, tube, or MVB) of your UVB light, how old it is, how far away it is in inches from his basking spot, and whether or not it's obstructed by a mesh or glass lid. Then tell us what basking bulb you're using as well as far as it's color and wattage. And what is the Basking Spot temperature, the Hot Side ambient temperature, and the Cool Side ambient temperature inside his enclosure? What type of thermometer are you using to measure the temperatures (stick-on, digital probe, or gun)? If he's not getting proper UVA light, and if his temperature gradient inside his enclosure are not within the correct ranges, this will also effect the proper digestion of his food, which can also cause calcium and vitamin B1 deficiencies, which both cause similar symptoms....And what size is his enclosure? What is his daily diet (what feeder insects and how many per day)? What calcium and multivitamin powders do you use, and how often? If you can post the photos and answer all of these questions, we can help you get your husbandry and diet corrected so that any health issues will stop and possibly reverse any damage already done.

 

[Raym6492]

I'm just guessing he is 8-9 weeks per his size and what I have had in the past at that age/size. I bought him from pet smart which I normally do not buy from, usually from a breeder but the kids fell in love with him and had to have him. He has a knot at his left elbo and from there to his foot is swollen, also his rear leg is swollen at the foot and ankle. I have him in a 40 gal breeder. He has a 100watt zoo med basking bulb, a 24" reptisun 10.0 mounted under the lid on a strip light no obstructions with his basking bulb just in front of it so he is absorbing both. While basking. He get 10-15 roaches twice a day dusted with rep cal with d3 every feeding 5 days a week and gets rep cal multi vitamin 2 days a week (wend & sun). I have yet to get him to start on his greens. His basking temps range from 100-115 at his highest point with puts him about 5" from the uvb bulb. His hot side is about 93-97 and cool side is running about 84 all temps taken with a temp gun. This is not my first dragon I have had dragons since I was 16, 33 and currently have 3 of them. This is the first time I have had one with a issue like this. The vet I used to use retired so I had to find a new vet and he goes in Friday for them to look at. Talking over the phone with her and a breeder I have bought from in the past for help is who has told me it sounds like onset of MBD but the vet wants to make sure it's not a infection. I'm trying to get my Ps and Qs togeather to help him the best ways that I can so please no bashing on how he is cared for.

 

[Raym6492]

Also all my cages are on a time so lights on at 530 out at 730 so he's getting 14 hours a day.

 

[kingofnobbys]

photos of him please.

Who told you he has MBD, was it Dr.Google ?

Has a vet examined him , if he's suffering MBD they can tell from his xrays and bloodwork ?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Please do post some pictures of him & of your tank setup, if you can. Just click on the XIMG
to upload your pictures, then choose the IMG to download & copy/paste them onto here.
The Reptisun 10 tube bulb is a good bulb. Is it mounted underneath of the screen top or on
top of the screen & how far from her is it?

Tracie

 

[MizzMary]

Hey there,

I just saw a liquid calcium at the pet shop by exo-terra
i believe. I however did not pick it up and read the bottle
to tell if it was suitable for baby beardies or not. I live in canada
so the bottle was around 10.00CAD


Hope this helps!
-M

 

[EllenD]

This could be MBD, but honestly it sounds a lot like gout to me, not MBD at all, as MBD doesn't often cause swelling of the extremities like you're describing. We're seeing a lot of beardies with gout recently, and that has included a lot of very young babies and hatchlings. If it is gout then the liquid calcium obviously isn't going to help him. Is he limping or dragging his legs/feet at all? Have you seen any twitching or seizure/spasm activity? Lethargy?

I don't think buying liquid Calcium at this point is what you need to do (Calcivet is the best available for bearded dragons and prescribed by most certified reptile vets, not familiar with EXO Terra brand calcium at all, so I'd order the Calcivet online if you're going to buy it). I think you should forgo the liquid calcium and instead take him to see an experienced reptile vet or certified reptile vet if available, a general vet or "exotics" vet that has little beardie experience probably isn't the best idea in your situation since you need someone who knows what tests to run... Basically he needs an x-ray and blood work if he's big enough to check his white cells, his uric acid, and his CPK. If he's too small for blood work, then they can still try to draw fluid from the knot in his elbow to test for uric acid crystals, but the x-ray will definitively show his bone density (sometimes an x-ray will show uric acid crystals, but it's not a definitive test for gout like blood work is).

 

[kingofnobbys]

Hey there,

I just saw a liquid calcium at the pet shop by exo-terra
i believe. I however did not pick it up and read the bottle
to tell if it was suitable for baby beardies or not. I live in canada
so the bottle was around 10.00CAD


Hope this helps!
-M

I think Exo Terra Liquid calcium will be fine , use it sparingly when giving by orally by syringe as it's 8.5% Calcium
see

mix of calcium chloride and calcium lactate.
They say 8.5% max Ca++ concentration. So 85g max Ca++ / litre.

I've had vets prescribe CalciVet for my skinks , VetaFarm recommend an oral dosage for this see

They state 33g calcium boroglucanate / L ==> 3.3 % (mass basis)

Estimate Exo Terra Liq Ca dosage 33/85 = Factor = 2.6 (call it 3x)

VetaFarm recommend oral dosing of calcivet = 0.2ml/100g body weight ==> equiv for ExoTerra stuff is 0.2/3 ml / 100g body weight = 0.07ml/ 100g body weight (someone check this , very rusty on my chem calcs)

volume / drop of water = 0.05 ml so approx. 1 drop / 100g body weight ( for exo terra stuff).

For a sick beardie (or any lizard) , I'd recommend using CalciVet rather than dusting the insects / food , as dusting is very hit and miss and it's hard to know how much calcium is consumed , whereas giving the calcium as a liquid supplement you wont waste any and you will know exactly how much the lizard is getting.

I am not convinced your dragon is suffering MBD (as already stated). Really need a vet to check into this , as you risk his deteriorating if you are trying build up his calcium levels if they are already fine and the issue is due do something entirely different which is not being treated for.

 

[Raym6492]

Thank you for the advise, like I said the vet I used to see retired and I have a oppointment tomorrow to take him in to a new vet that specializes in reptiles, the only one I know of in my area and they say hey have two people on staff that specializes in reptiles which makes me feel a little better taking him in. I had a hard time believing it was MBD but like I said I was trying to get what I could to have it incase that is what he needed. I was/am not starting or changing anything until his appointment tomorrow and directed on what to do. As for limping yes he is limping and dragging which make me lean more towards a infection of some type and I will bring up the gout suggestion when we go in. He's is a little lethargic in his cag but when I get him out he likes to climb and move around on my arm and shoulder. I will try and get some photos of him up tonight but he is also working on a shed so may be hard to see by photo. Symptoms started before the shed so don't think that has anything to do with it.

 

[Beardeddragonowner]

Dude my bearded was diagnosed with MBD today at the vet he got 2 shots of calcium and other vaccinations as well he still won't eat today I bought liquid calcium and meal worms hopefully he recovers

 

[kingofnobbys]

Dude my bearded was diagnosed with MBD today at the vet he got 2 shots of calcium and other vaccinations as well he still won't eat today I bought liquid calcium and meal worms hopefully he recovers

if he's a worm junky .... try silkworms about the same size as the mealworms , they are much more nutritious , are naturally rich in calcium , and have a nice soft exoskeleton (soft and squishy).