My boyfriend and I just adopted a beardie who has MBD. I added pics so you can see it. He is 7 months old. I am just wondering if there is any advice on what we need to be doing for him. I am going to make an appointment at the vet for him. I am just nervous because he looks so fragile. Any advice is appreciated.
Aw, poor guy...you really have big hearts to take him in. How is he acting , moving much at all? Is he eating well ? Just keep up a good feeding schedule with good dusting of calcium of course. You'll need to keep the basking platform very wide + low so there's no chance of him falling off. Be very careful handling him, and never leave him unattended on couch, bed, etc. Any fall could break his bones. It's probably best to make sure that his hard shelled insects insects are never too large , and keep him well hydrated so he doesn't have to strain to poo, that could even cause extra stress. If he has trouble pooing, you could add a little canned pumpkin to soften it up. You're very kind to take him in, hopefully he'll like his new home.
He actually moves around really well!! He can run pretty darn fast! He seems to have a great little personality. And he eats well too. I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow and I am hoping he says he is ok. He looks like he is hardly affected by the MBD. He runs, eats, and poops great! It just breaks my heart that someone even let him get into this condition.
Well that's all really great to hear ! He's doing really well for his condition, so he won't be too difficult to take care of. Just be careful with him jumping/falling ...that is the main concern. Other than that, just enjoy him.
Oh poor baby, that is so sad! How generous of you to take him in.
At least he is not greatly affected by his condition though.
As suggested, the most important thing is his nutrition, lighting & heating setup & safety. His bones could be very fragile so definitely be sure he doesn't jump or fall off of anything.
Which UVB are you using?
Let us know how things go at the vets.
We have the ReptiSun UV light. The good one. Our other 3 beardies use that too.
Louie's vet visit went well. He said that Louie is healthy other than the MBD. The vet said that Louie has old fractures in his tail and hip. I won't have the results from the fecal exam until tomorrow. I still can't get over how someone can just neglect an animal. I am glad that Louie seems to do well with his tail and back like they are.
He seems to be settling in pretty well though. He has not black bearded at all since he has been here. He's eating well. He actually fell asleep on me last night. He is such a sweet boy and I am glad that we have taken him in.