Gout

[Linkthebeardie78]

My beardie’s front legs have started to get really puffy. I was worried he had early MBD (despite adequate lighting and calcium dusting) but after looking online, it looks more like gout. I’m going to bring him to the vet tomorrow but just wondering if anyone has experience with beardie gout. I read that it is treatable in adult dragons but that they have to be on allopurinal for the rest of their life and the crystals never completely go away. He’s only about 18 months old. My kids and I are extremely attached and I can’t imagine our home without him. But I also can’t imagine putting him through a lifetime of daily meds. Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with this because everything I’m reading is not good

 

[Sadie]

My beardie’s front legs have started to get really puffy. I was worried he had early MBD (despite adequate lighting and calcium dusting) but after looking online, it looks more like gout. I’m going to bring him to the vet tomorrow but just wondering if anyone has experience with beardie gout. I read that it is treatable in adult dragons but that they have to be on allopurinal for the rest of their life and the crystals never completely go away. He’s only about 18 months old. My kids and I are extremely attached and I can’t imagine our home without him. But I also can’t imagine putting him through a lifetime of daily meds. Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with this because everything I’m reading is not good

A blood test will need to be done to test for uric acid levels -- what is his diet ? The UVB is extremely important for the health of the dragon --- what kind of UVB are you using ? NO coils please --- basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons please you need a digital probe thermometer --- you can get some cherry juice and feed him that - that will help w/ the kidneys and they swelling - please post a pic of the dragon and I can get some more help from a vet tech friend - we see alot of dragons w/ gout - dubias are notorious for causing gout if fed too many --- usually the dragon will need to be pulled off the dubias and fed a different staple feeder like silk worms or BSFL -- but you UVB is a huge role in the health of the dragon and you want a good one w/ that type of issue -- if you need more help please ask -- and make sure you have a good vet a lot of vets do not really have a clue - here is a website to find a reptile vet www.arav.org if you are in a small town type in the zip code of a bigger city near you

 

[Linkthebeardie78]

A blood test will need to be done to test for uric acid levels -- what is his diet ? The UVB is extremely important for the health of the dragon --- what kind of UVB are you using ? NO coils please --- basking temps what are they and how are you taking them? NO stick ons please you need a digital probe thermometer --- you can get some cherry juice and feed him that - that will help w/ the kidneys and they swelling - please post a pic of the dragon and I can get some more help from a vet tech friend - we see alot of dragons w/ gout - dubias are notorious for causing gout if fed too many --- usually the dragon will need to be pulled off the dubias and fed a different staple feeder like silk worms or BSFL -- but you UVB is a huge role in the health of the dragon and you want a good one w/ that type of issue -- if you need more help please ask -- and make sure you have a good vet a lot of vets do not really have a clue - here is a website to find a reptile vet www.arav.org if you are in a small town type in the zip code of a bigger city near you

He is at his vet right now. His X-rays came back normal with no signs of MBD and no lesions on joints from gout. We’re still waiting on uric acid and other labs. He has a t5 on top of his cage and a t8 mounted on the inside. His diet is a variety of veggies (mustard greens, sweet peppers, squash, cilantro, collard greens, etc) and bugs (crickets, waxworms, soldier fly larvae and sometimes horn worms and Dubias). He doesn’t get any mealworms or super worms because he’s prone to constipation/impaction. He doesn’t drink any water at all and won’t even eat veggies if they’re spritzed with water. I’m sometimes able to drip some water in his mouth with a pipette when he lets me. Other than that, his only water source is his food. His reptile vet advised me to increase his soaks to every day while we’re waiting for labs and figuring out the source of his swelling and she’s sending me home with critical care to keep up his strength and hydration in the meantime. I’m mostly asking about people who have a beardie living with gout and what their quality of life is. I’m just trying to prepare myself for the worst since his uric acid could still come back elevated. I work with human patients with gout and the thought of my beardie being in that much pain is hard.

 

[Sadie]

He is at his vet right now. His X-rays came back normal with no signs of MBD and no lesions on joints from gout. We’re still waiting on uric acid and other labs. He has a t5 on top of his cage and a t8 mounted on the inside. His diet is a variety of veggies (mustard greens, sweet peppers, squash, cilantro, collard greens, etc) and bugs (crickets, waxworms, soldier fly larvae and sometimes horn worms and Dubias). He doesn’t get any mealworms or super worms because he’s prone to constipation/impaction. He doesn’t drink any water at all and won’t even eat veggies if they’re spritzed with water. I’m sometimes able to drip some water in his mouth with a pipette when he lets me. Other than that, his only water source is his food. His reptile vet advised me to increase his soaks to every day while we’re waiting for labs and figuring out the source of his swelling and she’s sending me home with critical care to keep up his strength and hydration in the meantime. I’m mostly asking about people who have a beardie living with gout and what their quality of life is. I’m just trying to prepare myself for the worst since his uric acid could still come back elevated. I work with human patients with gout and the thought of my beardie being in that much pain is hard.

I can have a vet tech answer some of your questions that you have posted here -- diet is good the UVB you only need one good one --- so I would take the T 8 out and keep your T 5 -- distance would depend on the screen on the tank if its a wide hole type it can stay on top 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor piece if it needs to go inside 12-15 inches but only if the screen is a WIDE HOLE for it to stay on top ---

 

[Sadie]

I can have a vet tech answer some of your questions that you have posted here -- diet is good the UVB you only need one good one --- so I would take the T 8 out and keep your T 5 -- distance would depend on the screen on the tank if its a wide hole type it can stay on top 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor piece if it needs to go inside 12-15 inches but only if the screen is a WIDE HOLE for it to stay on top ---

Here is the vets questions
Hello,

When are you getting the blood test done? I can take a look at the results when you have them done.
Pictures would be great so I can see the physical condition of him.
Definitely get your UVB mounted to where it is giving maximum benefit for him. Unless you are using
a strong T5 tube I would recommend mounting the tube bulb underneath of the screen.
Are you using a good calcium supplementation?

 

[Linkthebeardie78]

I can have a vet tech answer some of your questions that you have posted here -- diet is good the UVB you only need one good one --- so I would take the T 8 out and keep your T 5 -- distance would depend on the screen on the tank if its a wide hole type it can stay on top 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor piece if it needs to go inside 12-15 inches but only if the screen is a WIDE HOLE for it to stay on top ---

Here is the vets questions
Hello,

When are you getting the blood test done? I can take a look at the results when you have them done.
Pictures would be great so I can see the physical condition of him.
Definitely get your UVB mounted to where it is giving maximum benefit for him. Unless you are using
a strong T5 tube I would recommend mounting the tube bulb underneath of the screen.
Are you using a good calcium supplementation?

His labs will probably be back in by Monday. His t8 is mounted underneath the screen already. I’m at work but I will try to post pics tonight

 

[Linkthebeardie78]

His labs will probably be back in by Monday. His t8 is mounted underneath the screen already. I’m at work but I will try to post pics tonight

And I dust his food with calcium/vitamin D powder daily and a vitamin supplement once or twice a week

 

[Sadie]

And I dust his food with calcium/vitamin D powder daily and a vitamin supplement once or twice a week

Where is the T 8 top of screen or inside the tank

 

[Linkthebeardie78]

Where is the T 8 top of screen or inside the tank

Inside tank mounted underneath the screen

 

[Sadie]

Inside tank mounted underneath the screen

ok make sure distance is 6-8 inches directly over the basking decor -- and the bulb is not over 6 months old -- they need to be changed out every 6 months I recommend every 5