Swollen ankles

[TerryG]

I've been reading other people's posts about health problems that their beardies are having so I know what to look out for with mine. Today we noticed that our Shacklynn's front limbs look kind of big. She isn't having trouble moving around at all or being lethargic. I got her from a pet store a few months ago but since then I've been feeding her crickets from Flukers, and ReptiWorms and supers from Mulberry Farms along with collard greens and veggie juvenile bearded dragon pellets and dusting her food with rep-cal multivitamins and calcium with vitamin d. Hopefully I'm just overreacting, but please let me know if you think her limbs are swollen or just bulking up normally.

 

[Beardienatic]

They seem to look quite normal to me, but I am no expert - I don't actually even have my bearded dragon yet! Maybe just keep an close eye on it, but I think someone more experienced will be able to give you a better answer!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Overall, the arm size looks pretty normal. It may be just a little bulky, but, it appears to be heading towards a shed in that area which can cause slight swelling in those area, too.
She looks healthy though. Just a few other questions though. How often do you give the multivitamins & which brand are they? How often do you give the calcium with D3?

Tracie

 

[TerryG]

I'm VERY relieved that both of you think she looks healthy! Thank you.

Just a few other questions though. How often do you give the multivitamins & which brand are they? How often do you give the calcium with D3?

Both the multivitamin and calcium powder I've been giving her are Rep-Cal. I read that you're supposed to give it 2-3 days per week, but the powderes don't seem to stick well to the superworms as they wriggle around so I've been dusting those daily. Could she be getting too much?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Sorry, I missed the "Repcal branding" you provided.
So you give both the Repcal Calcium with D3 & the Repcal Herptive daily with every feeding or just once per day?
It is a possibility she is getting too much overall, since the Herptivite does have calcium & D3 added, too.
Try cutting back on the vitamins to 1 to 2 (max) times per week. The calcium with D3 several times per week should be fine. You could also get just the plain calcium without D3 also & just use D3 once per week. Which UVB are you using?
Could you maybe take a few more shots of her hands & feet, just so I can see if there is any other swellings, just to be sure?

Thanks.
Tracie

 

[TerryG]

she's sleeping right now, I'll take more shots in the morning.

I'll try cutting back the vitamins and calcium as you suggested.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

No problem at all, she does need her beauty sleep!
I think it is the combination of too much vitamins that a lot of people have trouble with. I wish that the vitamins didn't have any calcium or D3 in them. I think between the vitamins & the calcium that it can be too much sometimes, yes. Or you can always get the calcium without D3 instead & cut back a little on the D3 if you would like, as long as you have a good UVB bulb.
I think the easiest would be to give the vitamins 1 time per week & the calcium with D3 4 times. That should be sufficient, along with good quality UVB lighting. As long as the dusting is a decent amount on the calcium since she is growing.

Tracie

 

[TerryG]

Oh! Alright. I'll try that. I didn't get to take pictures before I got called into work but I'll take some this afternoon.

I think I was so worried because she had been hanging out in the shady side of her enclosure or underneath her basking log for a day and I was worried because she is usually pretty active when not basking. But after I took the pictures I had her out of the cage and she was running around like usual again.

About the arms and tail sheds, is there something other than bathing that I can do to help her with them? She shed her body and hind legs a few weeks ago but not those. They haven't been in the pre-shed stage this whole time as far as I could tell, but I was just curious.

 

[TerryG]

I don't know if these will be better, Shacklynn isn't very fond of me handling her spaghetti toes, but here are some more pictures of her ankles. They definitely don't look more swollen today.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

She is a sweetie!
It really appears though overall that those areas are going to shed. So, that may be the primary reason the girth looks a bit off. Give it a little time until she sheds then reassess the size from there. Shedding can make the area appear swollen just due to water content under their scales forming new scales.
How is she doing today?

Tracie