Beardie seems to have hurt his arm

[Ashley_ann]

A couple of days ago I noticed Zeus was limping and couldn’t put his arm down. He still seems to be in a lot of pain. Can someone please help ? His little arm is clearly swollen.

 

[Sadie]

A couple of days ago I noticed Zeus was limping and couldn’t put his arm down. He still seems to be in a lot of pain. Can someone please help ? His little arm is clearly swollen.

What is in his tank? A hammock ? Make sure your basking temps are correct NO stick ons to get those temps and he has good UVB NO coils --- proper placement as well --- if his arm is swollen has he fallen off something in the tank or jumped ? Pain is not good and I noticed hes not black bearding which is also good ---

 

[Ashley_ann]

He usually basks on the left side of his tank . He does have a hammock however he doesn’t use it . The only new thing that we have in his enclosure is a plastic feeder for Dubai roaches ? I’m not sure if maybe he got his arm stuck on the cap of it ? Besides that he doesn’t really jump off of anything. He is shedding so I noticed him a little upset however his arm was a complete shock for me . He leans it against the glass for hours , refused to come down to eat (I have to hand feed him). I also have been giving him droplets of water ? He seems thirsty and I also heard arm swelling can be caused by a lack of calcium ? How does that work . We use to dust his bugs with calcium but we haven’t in a while ...

 

[Bailey]

edit: see post below, this one is irrelevant since you responded.

 

[Bailey]

He usually basks on the left side of his tank . He does have a hammock however he doesn’t use it . The only new thing that we have in his enclosure is a plastic feeder for Dubai roaches ? I’m not sure if maybe he got his arm stuck on the cap of it ? Besides that he doesn’t really jump off of anything. He is shedding so I noticed him a little upset however his arm was a complete shock for me . He leans it against the glass for hours , refused to come down to eat (I have to hand feed him). I also have been giving him droplets of water ? He seems thirsty and I also heard arm swelling can be caused by a lack of calcium ? How does that work . We use to dust his bugs with calcium but we haven’t in a while ...

You should be dusting his bugs every time you give them to him with calcium with out d3, then a multi-vitamin once a month. He could very well have a calcium deficiency so you should definitely make dusting bugs a habit. -- I even dust his salads most of the time.

 

[Sadie]

He usually basks on the left side of his tank . He does have a hammock however he doesn’t use it . The only new thing that we have in his enclosure is a plastic feeder for Dubai roaches ? I’m not sure if maybe he got his arm stuck on the cap of it ? Besides that he doesn’t really jump off of anything. He is shedding so I noticed him a little upset however his arm was a complete shock for me . He leans it against the glass for hours , refused to come down to eat (I have to hand feed him). I also have been giving him droplets of water ? He seems thirsty and I also heard arm swelling can be caused by a lack of calcium ? How does that work . We use to dust his bugs with calcium but we haven’t in a while ...

Please take the hammock out since hes not using it --- how old is the dragon he looks young? He needs calcium D3 5 x per week once per feeding vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week once per feeding --- if hes eating his salads thats good but we often recommend the vitamins 2 x per week since most young dragons dont eat their veggies like they should --- what are you using for a UVB this is extremely important --- its possible hes not getting enough calcium w/ you not giving it to him and UVB helps them absorb it --- amongst other health issues it wards off

 

[Ashley_ann]

Please take the hammock out since hes not using it --- how old is the dragon he looks young? He needs calcium D3 5 x per week once per feeding vitamins w/ beta carotene 2 x per week once per feeding --- if hes eating his salads thats good but we often recommend the vitamins 2 x per week since most young dragons dont eat their veggies like they should --- what are you using for a UVB this is extremely important --- its possible hes not getting enough calcium w/ you not giving it to him and UVB helps them absorb it --- amongst other health issues it wards off

I’ll tag the UVB fixture we use below .. we use to give it to him every feeding however we were told that too much calcium could be bad for him as well. We got him in July and I feel like he was just about 2-3 months Old (they didn’t specify) so he should be just about 8 months old . We’re very new to being reptile owners so we’re still learning the ropes however I’m very alarmed . I want to comfort him but I don’t want him to be in too much pain. Should I lower his rock and take everything out to avoid making his injury worse ? Also we’ve been dusting since yesterday when I read about the importance of the calcium supplement.

Bulb : REPTI ZOO Reptile 15W 18 Inches UVB T8 Daylight Fluorescent Bulb https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WNGSVFK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabt1_8SVUFbWV1ZJYA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Ashley_ann]

You should be dusting his bugs every time you give them to him with calcium with out d3, then a multi-vitamin once a month. He could very well have a calcium deficiency so you should definitely make dusting bugs a habit. -- I even dust his salads most of the time.

Do you mind showing what you use ?

 

[Sadie]

Do you mind showing what you use ?

The supplements I use are JurassiVite w/ beta carotene -- Repticalcium w/ D3 and PepCal regular calcium w/ out D3 w/ NO phosphorus-- that is given after they turn a year old and when using a UVB T 5 --- or Arcadia 12% +D3 bulb-- the UVB helps them absorb the calcium that is being fed --- it also prevents illnesses / health issues --- the T 8 where in the tank is it ? Top of screen or inside the tank? It needs to be inside the tank w/ NO cover over the bulb and approx 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor --- please take out the high decor pieces so he does not haft to climb to get to his basking spots --- he needs to heal and the calcium hes getting now plus the UVB is going to help w/ this progress --

 

[Bailey]

You can do calcium with out d3 each day you feed him, then pick one day out of the month to do a multi-vitamin. The process will work just as well it's a bit simpler and my bearded dragon has no issues since i've had him

Do you mind showing what you use ?

To put Sadie's post in more understandable terms for beginners...

You can use this calcium with out d3 every time you feed: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Calcium-Without-Vitamin/dp/B005FTMGYO

I use this mutli-vitamin one day out of each month: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Rept...ivitamin&qid=1606092549&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-1

They are like the supplements that come with the kits, they are 100% safe and work great.

 

[Emilia Thuet]

I suggest taking him to the vet hun. Could be something minor like a dislocation and the vet can also give him some pain meds to ease his recovery. Or it could be something more severe and that could lead to an infection. Hope your little guy feels better

 

[Ashley_ann]

The supplements I use are JurassiVite w/ beta carotene -- Repticalcium w/ D3 and PepCal regular calcium w/ out D3 w/ NO phosphorus-- that is given after they turn a year old and when using a UVB T 5 --- or Arcadia 12% +D3 bulb-- the UVB helps them absorb the calcium that is being fed --- it also prevents illnesses / health issues --- the T 8 where in the tank is it ? Top of screen or inside the tank? It needs to be inside the tank w/ NO cover over the bulb and approx 6-8 inches directly above the basking decor --- please take out the high decor pieces so he does not haft to climb to get to his basking spots --- he needs to heal and the calcium hes getting now plus the UVB is going to help w/ this progress --

Should I remove his tall rock ? It’s his favorite spot and it’s where he has been basking since the injury . I’m attaching an old picture for reference.

 

[Ashley_ann]

You can do calcium with out d3 each day you feed him, then pick one day out of the month to do a multi-vitamin. The process will work just as well it's a bit simpler and my bearded dragon has no issues since i've had him

To put Sadie's post in more understandable terms for beginners...

You can use this calcium with out d3 every time you feed: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Calcium-Without-Vitamin/dp/B005FTMGYO

I use this mutli-vitamin one day out of each month: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Rept...ivitamin&qid=1606092549&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-1

They are like the supplements that come with the kits, they are 100% safe and work great.

Thank you so much !

 

[Sadie]

Should I remove his tall rock ? It’s his favorite spot and it’s where he has been basking since the injury . I’m attaching an old picture for reference.

If hes having difficulty getting up there if not leave it --- you want him to have his basking temps of 105-110 and his UVB at approx 6-8 inches from basking decor w/ NO obstruction --- is it in the tank?

 

[Ashley_ann]

If hes having difficulty getting up there if not leave it --- you want him to have his basking temps of 105-110 and his UVB at approx 6-8 inches from basking decor w/ NO obstruction --- is it in the tank?

UVB is not in the tank. It sits right on top of the metal tank cover .
I’ll like the one we use below. Also he climbs however I want to make sure he isn’t just hurting himself more . He won’t put any pressure on that arm

 

[Ashley_ann]

UVB is not in the tank. It sits right on top of the metal tank cover .
I’ll like the one we use below. Also he climbs however I want to make sure he isn’t just hurting himself more . He won’t put any pressure on that arm

Link *

REPTIZOO 20 Inch Terrarium Hood... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z1RG271?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[Sadie]

Link *

REPTIZOO 20 Inch Terrarium Hood... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z1RG271?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

It needs to be inside the tank the screen is blocking 30% of those rays-- T 8's are not strong enough to go thru the screen- you can use 3M command Velcro fasteners long plastic zip ties fishing line potted plant hangers-- TAK TY cable and hook ties look at Walmart

 

[Sadie]

UVB is not in the tank. It sits right on top of the metal tank cover .
I’ll like the one we use below. Also he climbs however I want to make sure he isn’t just hurting himself more . He won’t put any pressure on that arm

I am wondering if you should take him into the vet and have an x day done the UVB does need to be moved tho + use this website to find a vet in your area www.arav.org

 

[Ashley_ann]

Update: I took Zeus to the vet and they found nothing wrong with his arm however his leg was very swollen and we were so fixed on his arm that we didn’t even notice it . They prescribed him liquid calcium and an anti inflammatory however since we’ve started giving it to him he has slowly stopped eating .. pooping and today he is underneath his rock instead of basking above It. That is very unlike him. I took your advice and I set up the uvb over his tank but with the screen OPEN until our other bulb arrives. We saw a bit of improvement the first day after the vet but now he isn’t doing so well . Any suggestions? The vet in my area that I found are only able to see him Mon-Tues

 

[HoomanSlave]

Lack of appetite is pretty common after taking certain medications, and sometimes adults will go off food for no apparent reason. Weigh him and make sure he isn't losing any weight.
Once they're open, try to get him to the vet for a follow-up appointment so you can ask any questions you may have and learn about the side effects of the medication you are using.