Beardy has broken front legs??

[danieloflat]

hi everyone, my sister has a beardy which is about 7 months old, lately he has been walking around with his feet bent back towards him, is this normal beardie behaviour or should i definately take him to the vet? p.s he still runs like normal on the log in his enclosure, its just when he gets on the sand.

 

[Beloved_Reptiles]

He could have MBD so a vet visit would probably be a good idea. Does the beardie receive uv lighting as well as natural sunlight?

 

[danieloflat]

yes he recieves uv lighting for about 15 hours a day and has a ceramic heater on 24/7

 

[Beloved_Reptiles]

Well I unfortunately had this problem with one of mine. They couldn't explain why she was affected and not my other one. She was on extra liquid supplements the vet gave me. She nearly had to be put down but thankfully came good in the end. Her back and front hand was the most affected. These days the only thing you notice is her front hand has set a little off to the side but I'd definitely get it checked out. Here's a link with more info (hope it works)
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) in Reptiles

 

[GeckoJosh]

What type of lighting do you use and how far away is it from the basking spot, also what is the diet?

 

[Atrax1207]

Your beardie has MBD, your UVB is probably not sufficient, some brands don't emit nearly enough UVB for a beardie, maybe for some "jungle" animals they are good but most are not good for beardies.
Best UVB would be ReptiSun 10.0 UVB tube/fluorescent (Arcadia 12.0 if you're in AUS) (DO NOT buy compact/coil bulbs, they are harmful to beardies, they can lead to eye problems + they don't emit enough of those much needed UVB rays), you don't want anything between the tube and your beardies basking spot (no mesh or plastic that comes with some reptile fixtures), your beardie MUST be able to get within 6 inches of UVB.
Your beardie should also get his Calcium with D3 powder supplement on one of the daily feedings/five times per week, other two days in week when he is not getting his Calcium with D3 you should give him MultiVitamin supplement.
Good calcium with D3 and good UVB tube (ReptiSUN 10.0 UVB) are paramount for beardie with MBD.

I really hope he'll pull trough for you, good luck!
If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask, you can even send me a PM if it's easier for you.

 

[Chris1]

i agree it sounds like MBD.

like has already been said artificial UVB is not all the same, so check what type you have, also UVB lights need to be replaced every 6 months since the UVB get weaker till it doenst have any benefit at all. (also depending on the UV source, it the dragon cant get within 6-8 inches of it its also pretty pointless)

All the UV light in the world wont help if its not getting enough calcium in its diet.

 

[veenarm]

(DO NOT buy compact/coil bulbs, they are harmful to beardies, they can lead to eye problems + they don't emit enough of those much needed UVB rays)

This is a load of BS...
Ive not had a single problem with the ReptiGlo 10.0 coil bulbs, their are other factors that come into play - Calcium is a far greater problem for the beardies than UVB however yes they do need both...

The reptile place here sells hundreds of tanks with these bulbs, if this actually happened then they would get thousands of beardies back....


Edit* The only dragon issue I have had was due to Calcium deficiency - he couldn't catch a cockroach, head swaying etc... Reptile place here gave me a free 'Herpa-Vite' which is a Spot-On there back formula, 2 dots of this over a week and he was right as rain and then i fed them separately so he got the powered stuff aswell!

 

[Atrax1207]

I've known ppl (two of my friends were among these people) that have beardies with these coil bulbs having eye problems (constantly having their eyes closed), than I recommended him a tube ReptiSun 10.0 and in few hours after the fluorescent tube was put in he stopped doing it. And he (the beardie) was visibly relieved. No more closed eyes, his appetite has returned, and no more hiding from that bulb.
In my opinion that speaks for it self.
And even if there were no eye problems with these coil bulbs they don't emit enough UVB for a beardie. When this coil bulb is new (burn in period, first day) it emits extremely high amounts of UVB (and in the wrong specter of UVB which is not beneficial for your dragon) which drop to almost nothing in few days. So in my opinion that is not a good buy.
But of course everyone will use whatever they want to use.

Please check this site: UV Guide UK - Ultraviolet Light for Reptiles - UVB reptile lighting on test


P.S.: the fastest way your beardie will recover is to buy him a quality Calcium with D3 supplement and having him sunbathe in real sun. No UVB bulb is better than real Sun. 30mins of real sunlight is equivalent to 12 hrs of the best UVB bulb "sunbathing".

 

[Lollypop]

Agreed, the best possible solution is natural uvb at this stage - however, entering winter in Aust, makes it hard.
U first n foremost need to get xrays to determine whether it's calcium deficiency - very obvious. And treatable at this stage, vet related not otherwise.
The vet will advice u what's the best option. I reckon, from the description you've given, that it's too late for just "household remedies" that u may get on any website.

Take your (your sisters/mates) beardie to a reptile specialised vet please, for xrays at least.
Keep us informed!:|

 

[veenarm]

Well yeah, a bit of calcium dust or spot on does wonders, but they get all the UV they need, I take them out every now and then in the sun (doing gardening they sit on my back etc) but im very weary of magpies etc...

People will use what works for them, and as I have had no ill effects from UVB i'll continue using them

 

[Lollypop]

Veernarm, that's fine for u.
What is happening here is far more serious than anything that concerns u or your lights, & something that needs a vet consult.
Sorry to burst your bubble of 'relevance'.

 

[Atrax1207]

Yep vet. would be the best choice for this beardie.
And please keep us updated on how the little guy is doing. Good luck!