Bearded Dragon, Please Help =(

[fazz]

Hi all,
so yesterday my bearded dragon got spooked and ran of my arm and tried to jump/climb up the wall next to us. Needleless to say he was unsuccessful and landed on the hard tiled floor below. He seemed ok but later that afternoon his back right leg was limp and he was just dragging it around. I did give him two mealworms earlier yesterday before he fell. He doesn’t seem in any pain when I moved his back leg and it does not appear swollen nor are there any visible cuts. I am not sure whether he has broken his leg or if it is an impactation from the mealworms or too much food. I have given him a bath and massage to try and help. He has the right setup, fake grass, so he can't have injected that. I have taken out all furniture so that he can't climb and have organsied to see the vet tomorrow. I was wondering whether anyone else has been in this situation before and if so what was the outcome? Would any recommend increasing temperatures or to stop feeding him until he poops? He last pooped two days ago.
Thanks in advance everyone.

P.s- does anyone know a vet in Adelaide who specializes in reptile care? At the moment the one I am going to see’s reptiles a lot but from the sounds of it doesn’t seem to be a specialist.

 

[Defective]

Yoda, my beardie, escaped from his outdoor enclosure and fell about a meter to the ground, when we caught him 24hrs later his legs were OK but he had a belly bruise which i kept an eye on. i've not had to take him to a vet so i don't know of any that specialise in reptiles, good luck and i hope he is feeling better soon.

 

[Wally]

Given the two events happened in succession I would be inclined to think he may have injured his leg as opposed to other causes. Reptiles are remarkably good at hiding injuries and may not give you much indication that something is wrong. Vet check to be sure would be my advice.

 

[fazz]

Thanks guys,
If it was a break do you know how they would treat that? I've heard that they have to amputate the leg sometimes, is that true? Spike is only a year old so still very small. Should I onvrease calcium or vitamins to help him recover? Good to hear Yoda recovered quickly. However I thought because of their slow metabolsims lizards would take a lot longer then 24 hours to heal?

 

[hector]

Good vet in adelaide are paralowie vet 82584818. Ask for dr christo.

 

[fazz]

Thanks hector =) the one I spoke too really din't sound like she knew what she was talking about. I asked should I change the temperature in his cage and she said "don't turn the heat off because lizards need to heat to function normally or they can die"...

 

[Defective]

lol, Yoda took ages to heal up, something like 2mths....but he had only escaped for 24hrs.

 

[souldoubt]

If there is a fracture its likely to require stabilisation in order to heal properly. I wouldnt give any extra calcium at the stage until you see the vet because you dont want a fracture (if there is one) to undergo significant healing in an offset position. Your best bet is to leave the furnishings out for the moment and wait till the vet assesses the lizard and probably x-rays him. I also wouldnt be too concerned about amputation at the moment because that would only be suggested with a severe fracture and you wont know how severe it is until the dragon is assessed.

Good luck with it mate

 

[fazz]

lol sorry Lambert, I read that totally wrong =) hopefully spike will end up ok too. I'm just freaking out weather to hold him, when to put the furniture back in his cage, should I continue feeding him, is it just a sore muscle... I have no idea what to do =(

 

[Wally]

Leave him be, bare tank until you know whats going on and no food until you speak to the vet.

 

[souldoubt]

You wont know if its just a sore muscle until he is examined mate, x-rays will probably be needed as well but the vet will make that decision when you go there. As wally said withold food for the time being because there are complications with anaesthetising animals that have recently eaten. Also get to the vet as soon as you can because the bone will start to attempt to repair itself if he has a fracture and as I said before you dont want to bone to heal in an offset position as that can cause complications for the vet and the lizard.

 

[fazz]

Thanks for the posts and amazingly quick replies everyone,
I have the appointment with the vet first thing tomorrow. Will keep you updated on spike's progress. Hopefully all goes well. Thanks again everyone

 

[splat868]

Hi Fazz,

another good reptile vet in Adelaide is Dr needham at Glenside veterinary clinic.

I know youve already made your appointment, but just so you know if you need another in the future.

Mike

 

[Renenet]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for Spike. I hope you can give us good news tomorrow.

 

[souldoubt]

any news on spike?

 

[fazz]

Hi all, just an update on spike... turns out there are no broken bones!! =D lol he sure is one tough nut! The vet said it was probably just a sprain and said with a bit of TLC and no climbing furniture he will be fine in no time. Hopefully spike has now learnt his lesson and won’t try to climb any more walls! Thanks again everyone, you really made this a lot easier for me =)

 

[Wally]

Good news fazz.

 

[fazz]

Thanks, I don't think I could have felt more relieved when I found out if I had tried =)

 

[Renenet]

Good news.

 

[Sel]

Its really good to see someone look after their animal so well and really care for it. Good job dude.

Beardies are so tough, he will be running around in no time