# Beardie with a broken leg



## alexr (Jun 17, 2005)

On Tuesday, we have Spike out of his enclosure (which we do regularly). He loves to sit on my kids laps and often goes to sleep. 

Although we are not sure if this was the cause, Spike decided that he had enough and jumped off my sons lap. The problem was Jake was sitting up quite high, and spike fell some distance. 

Normally when Spike decides he has had enough we put him back in his enclosure, which we did on this occasion, and Spike seemed fine at the time.

The next day I received a phone call from one very distressed wife, stating that spikes right hind leg looked broken. I know that spike likes to stretch out when basking ? and sometimes at weird angles and assumed that my wife was seeing this and jumping to conclusions.

When I got home from work, I took a look. His leg was limp and he made no attempt to hold on with it when climbing or being held. When he moved it just dragged behind him ? but caused no obvious discomfort ? Even when I carefully touched it. :cry: 

First thing in the morning I took another look. When I touched is leg, he flinched, so I am guessing that it was causing some discomfort.

My wife took him to North Shore Veterinary Specialist Centre (Crows Nest, Nsw) to see Dr David Vella (02 9436 4884) as he came highly recommended from various people on this site.

I would like to say how very happy I was with the service that Dr Vella provided. Both my wife and I were very stressed and concerned for Spike, and it was a great relief to know that Spike was in good hands. 

Dr Vella provided my wife with step by step photos of a similar procedure that he performed on recently on a water dragon(?), that had a broken leg. He gave us comfort that in captivity even if his leg needed to be removed, Spike could still live a happy life (at this stage it appeared that Spikes pelvis had been fractured) ? provided there were no internal injuries. 

Anyway after a long wait, we received news that it was not as bad as first feared. Rather than a fractured pelvis, his fema was broken, and that Spike is expected to make a full recovery!!!!

While Spike leg was being attended to, Dr Vella checked for parasites, bone density and queried us with regards to how we looked after Spike and offered us some advice on a couple of areas of improvement. 

I cannot recommend Dr Vella highly enough, and I know that if it wasn?t for the people on this site that recommended him in the first place ? or his expertise, I am sure that Spike would not have anywhere near the chance that he now has at a full recovery.  

So what started out as a very stressful mid week drama appears to have ended with some light at the end of the tunnel.

Spike will need to have list broken leg immobilised for about two months, and will require his enclosure modified during this time (sand replaced with news paper and all his climbing equipment removed). He will need the odd check-up, and Dr Vella has provided me with his email address, so if at anytime I have any concerns he can addresses them quickly.

regards

Alex.


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2005)

Poor thing!!! Good work on the vets behalf!!!!! 

Looks so cute with the cast on!!! Its defininatley one of those "aaawwwwwww poor thing" photos!!! 

Good stuff Alex, hope he comes back even stronger for ya!!!

Just a quick one, obviously the cast is only framed across the top of his hips?? The vent is still exposed im guessing??


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## pugsly (Jun 17, 2005)

My god! Thats some sad news mate! Poor thing.. Mine jump off me all the time like that better make sure from now on they don't get too hard a landing, sounds like the vet was awesome though.

Hope he makes a full recovery for you and that cast shot is a classic!

What advice did he give you while you were there? diet? enclosure? etc?


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## Possum (Jun 17, 2005)

*Beardie*

:cry: Poor little bugger!!!

It is good the Doc could fix him without amputating, his little cast is so sad... Do you have to do anything else to keep it clean besides the substrate change?


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## nuthn2do (Jun 17, 2005)

Pffft, why see a vet when you have the internet ? :roll: 







:lol:


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## alexr (Jun 17, 2005)

Teamsherman said:


> Just a quick one, obviously the cast is only framed across the top of his hips?? The vent is still exposed im guessing??


Good point. I didn't want to stress him out so I have actually checked myself, but the vet made a point of mention that to me.



pugsly said:


> What advice did he give you while you were there? diet? enclosure? etc?


He said that Spike was very healthy - possibly a little on the fat side (but arn't fat people jolly - just look at santa :wink. He is feed well, and he has meal worms with his vegies. meal worms are a bit high in fat, so prob. beter to stick with roaches and the odd pinkie mice. As for the enclosure - its a fishtank which is proving difficult to keep warm, so it looks like I will have to get out the power tools and knock somthing together out of wood.



possum said:


> Do you have to do anything else to keep it clean



I will ask the vet how to keep it clean. In the past, we have giving spike a bath on saturdays - so that is obviously out as this can't get wet.

(BTW. Its more of a bandage rather than a cast). 

regards

Al.


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## instar (Jun 17, 2005)

Good luck spike! what a lil character! hope his leg heals and he recovers fast!


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## Reptilegirl (Jun 17, 2005)

> Its defininatley one of those "aaawwwwwww poor thing" photos!!!



aaawwwwwww poor thing :wink: 
hope he gets better real quick. thats bandage is classic!! almost looks like he's got a little pair of pants on :lol: :mrgreen:
Megz


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## Guest (Jun 17, 2005)

Hi Alex. 

We are so lucky to be close to this amazing vet! Glad your little guy is under his expert care. Hope he is up and running/climbing again real soon.

Sheri


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## Jason (Jun 17, 2005)

thats no good hay. my beardie had a broken front leg, x-rays showed that it completely snaped the bone and he to was in a thing like that, the good news was that he recovered after only 4 weeks and it was completely snaped so although it is sad he will recover well. good luck and i hope he gets well soon


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## salebrosus (Jun 17, 2005)

Poor little bugger but that cast loooks so cute. Thats a great photo Alex.

Simone.


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## alexr (Sep 10, 2005)

UPDATE
*********************
Spike got his cast off yesterday after 12 weeks and 1 day!

I really wanted to take Spike myself, since my wife took Spike in to have the cast fitted originally. As I work weekdays and Dr Vella doesn?t currently work weekends, he volunteered to see me at 6am Friday with less than 24hrs notice! Very impressed!

So (as I have said previously) I am very happy with the service that he has provided us not to mention the odd phone call and email that he has responded too (and the one consultation somewhere around the 8 week mark. ? So if you need a good reptile vet in the Sydney area ? he?s your man!

Dr Vella is very happy with how it has healed, and is confidant that he should regain movement in it ? so now we just wait.

I have put back his sand and his water dish, but will wait a week before the rocks go in. We are going to wait about 1 month before we start handling him again (till the stiffness in his legs is replaced with his original muscle tone)

He is already (kind of) using his legs to walk, and has used his sore leg to grip when I moved him outside for some UV this morning. The leg on the other-side (the braced non-broken one) is looking a little worse for ware ? but I am hopeful that it will come good.

Straight after his UV this morning he made a B line to the water dish were his sat for the next 3 hours (well it was his first month for 3 months!)

As you can see in the last picture ? Spike still thinks he has the cast on lol.


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## Jason (Sep 10, 2005)

im happy that it all turned out well, congrats


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## NCHERPS (Sep 10, 2005)

Hey Alex, Good to hear that Spike has recovered, nice looking little fella isn't he.

Can't agree more with your comments in regards 'David Vella', he definately goes the extra mile.

All the best.

Neil


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## westhamsc (Sep 10, 2005)

great to see it has turned out all for the best and good luck to spike on the rest of his recovery

westie


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2005)

nuthn2do said:


> Pffft, why see a vet when you have the internet ? :roll:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Because the internet is full of misinformation sometimes from well meaning people but more often than not purpose placed misinformation .
If you own animals it is your duty of care to provide the best for them regardless of cost.

Would you set your own leg with a how to from the internet? :?:


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## pugsly (Sep 11, 2005)

Awesome news alex, its great too see fellow herpers taking so much care of their reptiles, I think he is a very lucky Beardy and best of luck with his recovery!

Pugs


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## alexr (Oct 5, 2005)

UPDATE 
********************* 
Unfortunately Spike has not regained the use of the ?good? the leg that was used to brace the broken leg. Spike has not been himself the last couple of days and yesterday I noticed that his leg had started to smell. 

After seeing Dr Vella this morning it was decided that the leg needed to be removed.

However - it is not all bad news. I have just got off the phone to Dr Vella and he informs me that the amputation went well and that Spike should be fine. 

Once I get him back from the vet and he has recovered from the ordeal I shall post some pics.


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## Gilleni (Oct 5, 2005)

WOW, He must be a tough little fella...

Hope my beirdies dont break legs.. Good luck with the recovery..


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## alexr (Oct 5, 2005)

Thanks Gilleni,

I have just got back from picking him up and he looks so much better. He is much more active than I have seen for a long time (I am sure that some of that is him being stressed out) - but he just looks happier!

I have been given some pain killers and some antibiotics for him - so fingers crossed I wont have any more problems.

Once he is all better - I will get him a girl or two as a special treat!


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## inthegrass (Oct 5, 2005)

hope spike has a full and quick recovery.
cheers.


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## pugsly (Oct 6, 2005)

Man.. poor little guy, hope he gets well soon mate. I think the girlfriend is a good idea! How does he go moving around now??


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## alexr (Oct 6, 2005)

He seems ok. 

He was very active when I go him home... as soon as I got the lid of the shoe box that I took him to the vet in he made a break for it (which is a little out of character). 

This morning he was a little slower - but I recon he would be in some pain today. (the Vet gave me some pain killers for him - ever tried to give 0.05ml of fluid to a beardie)

He is very used to moving without his legs as he has been in a cast now for about 3 months so I think if anything he will be moving better now that he does not have to drag his dead leg behind him. Give him a week and I bet he will be back to his old self.

Thanks for the kind words everyone.


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## Possum (Oct 6, 2005)

Poor little bugger! He is obviously a fighter. His leg makes him unique! He is a cutie.....


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## Jason (Oct 6, 2005)

well im happy that he seems healtheir now, hopefuuly he will get well soon, and be back to his normal self ASAP.


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## pugsly (Oct 6, 2005)

So it was the other leg than the one in the cast? Is he moving the one that was broken freely then?


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## alexr (Oct 6, 2005)

Yeah the broken one is fine (thank God!) but kind of ironic hey :role:


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