Tintin1945":3priuek3 said:
Hey guys, I am new to the bearded dragon forum and created an account today. My Bearded dragon Nelly George is a year and two months old have had her for six months. She loves sitting on my shirt while I do homework, Xbox, and other activities. Yesterday evening she crawled up my shoulder to get on the back of the chair(she had done it before and never had any problems) however she was having a lot of difficulty getting up. She lost her grip on the wood and fell on our carpet. I immediately picked her up and put her on my thigh so she wouldn't try climbing again. Everything was fine until I picked her up and noticed her beard was black and her tail tip was black as well. Thinking she was just mad and hungry I put her in her cage. When I got back home with her wax worms I put them in her cage and noticed a large lump on her back and that she was paralyzed in her hind legs. She slept well last night and this morning had many tremors trying to make her legs work. I am new to bearded dragon pet owning. She has an appointment with the vet at two. Is there anything I need to do for her? Take her climbing stuff out?
Oh poor little girl .... she's injured herself in the fall , they don't have to fall far to do serious injuries. Hopefully she's only bruised her spine and will be fine in a little while.
Yep take out the stuff than requires climbing , lower the basking globe and the UV lamp.
This might be attributeable to poor UV source (not all UV sources are created equal or as well).
Might be a good time to check the UV source
>>>> is it close enough to give her about 190 microW UVB / sqcm at her basking spot ?
see
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=234800
... you'll need to either install a false floor or lower the basking globe and the UV source to adjust these to provide a new lower basking spot , wont hurt to have the warm zone and cool zone a few 3 -5 degC warmer while she's recovering/repairing her injury/s , will help boost her immunity and metabolic rate.
Nice soft surfaces to bask and sleep on (an old towel or t-towel say) will be appreciated by her while she's sore and not comfortable and recovering.
>>>> and what exactly is it ?
see my general cheat sheet ,
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=234738&p=1806050#p1806050
age of the UV source, the brand, the type, the positioning (incl reflector or no reflector) and rating in %UVB , and wattage are all crucial data for to know to help you and her.
If the UV source is not strong enough (very low UVB) and a poor quality (clone) and too far away , she may have early MBD which will make her bones less dense and more prone to damage even from minor falls
.... ask the vet for an assessment of her bone density (potential of MBD) and her blood calcium and vitamin D3 levels while he's checking her if the UV is not the best for one or more reasons.
Since dusting insects and salad is very hit and miss, I think it's worthwhile for while she's recovering and repairing any injuries (especially if she's hurt her back or hips) to get hold of some VETAFARM CALCIVET (liquid calcium) and a syringe and a 12G feeding /crop needle see
viewtopic.php?f=45&t=232687
and
http://www.vetnpetdirect.com.au/vetafarm_calcivet_liquid_calcium_supplement
is easier to get the liquid calcium into her mouth (from the side) using a feeding/crop needle than trying to get the end of the syringe into her mouth.
Calcivet is very sweet tasting and I've used it for a few injured rescues and pet lizards and they seem to like the taste.
Waxworms are very poor feeders see
viewtopic.php?f=76&t=234999&p=1807834#p1807834
but more nutritious than mealworms and superworm.
If you can get silkworms , they have natural anti-inflammatory enzymes in them and are a super live feeder to offer her , slow moving, soft and squishy , very nutritious and rich in calcium, and she wont have to eat many to get good feed
She can probably handle medium sized (2 inch) silkworms with no problems.