Beardie with a swollen foot

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I am a college student who visited home this weekend and found that my bearded dragon has a swollen left front foot. She is four years old in a roughly 20 gallon tank with heating and UV lamps. She is kept clean any time she walks in her poop with a small amount of baby wash and a soft brissle toothbrush, the soap is kept away from her eyes and abdomen-tail joint (I'm not sure of the exact term). She is still eating well and will chase after crickets with vigor. I have been told that her bowel movements are regular in occurance but every so often dark in color. Though she is favoring the swollen foot she still puts weight on it. Her last shedding was about a mounth ago and there is no dead skin left or signs of a puncture or scabbing. The foot is also a little pink in places and wont wash off. After reading I have massaged bactracin on her foot this morning.
I can come home one day this week to take her to a vet if necessary. Please let me know if you have any thoughts. I have also looked up pictures and blogs of gout and it does not seem to match her symptoms, as she is not lethargic and there is only one swollen area.

Thank you for your time.
Erin

ANSWER: Hello Erin,

What type & brand is the UVB light?  A fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  
How long has the foot been swollen?  
What are the temperatures in the tank, & what type of thermometer do you use?  A stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?
Do you have any pictures you could show me?

It could be gout, even if she is not having any symptoms.  It could also be a bacterial type of infection too.  Has she suffered a cut on that foot that could have gotten infected?  The pinkish discoloration could indicate some type of infection going on.
Do you know if she has a normal amount of urate output as well?

Do you see any other swollen areas?
What foods do you feed her?

Tracie


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The heat lamp is a Fluker product and is 250 Volt and 660 Watt, regular bulb. The UV light is a Reptiglo 2.0 UVB product, 150 Watt, type A 220 Volt. We do not have a thermometer in her inside cage but she is in front of a window in the warmest room in the house with her alternating UV and heat lamps. Her outside cage maintains a temp of around 87 (measured by a Fluker's stick on thermometer) in the warm side with a covered cool side on the opposite end.

As far as I know the foot has been swollen less than a week. Unfortunately I couldn't bring her with me to college but I will get you a picture as soon as I can.

I should let you know that my mom lets her sun on out screened in pool area and last weekend she jumped in the pool (and for the record she can swim very well)! She was removed immediately and rinsed thoroughly. While the pool had not had chemicals put into it recently I was told she did try to climb her way out and may have scratched her paw on the concrete. Though the swelling was not noticed by anyone until I got there yesterday, over a week later. Also I checked on her yesterday there was no scratch or missing/damages scales, only the pinkish discoloration on the underside of her paw.
Her urate output is normal as far as my research indicates (there is no blood or other textural inconsistencies).

There are no other swollen areas. She is fed collard greens, mustard greens, a broccoli slaw mix, Fluker's adult beardie buffet blend, kale, Nature Zone bites soft beardie food, and either crickets (Pet-smart store bought and dusted with calcium) or Fluker's packaged live meal worms. Her greens are also dusted with calcium.

Thanks Again,
Erin

Answer
Hello Erin,

Oh wow, how large is your tank again that she is in primarily, a 20 gallon?  Do you have the 660 watts over her in that small tank?   Are you sure you are using 660 watts?  That would cook her.  
The UVB light which is the Reptiglo 2, is that a tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  That is such a weak UVB light that it really cannot even be considered a UVB source I hate to say.

The stick on types of thermometers are not accurate in measuring basking temperatures.  The better way to measure temperatures are with either a digital probe thermometer or a temp gun thermometer.  
The inside tank needs a way to measure the basking spot, as with reptiles, their health depends on the proper temperatures.  It is a delicate balance, as if they are too cold, they cannot digest their food properly but if they are too hot, it will cause chronic dehydration problems.  Temperatures are extremely important.

That is great she gets some outside time.  How long does she get sunlight?  It is possible that she could have scratched her little foot trying to climb out.  So the swelling only started to occur after the pool incident then?  If so, then, we can relate that to a possible injury that should heal up relatively quickly.  A picture would be helpful.

I do recommend though, that you try to upgrade her UVB light as soon as you can, as well as getting a better thermometer.  Otherwise, she could fall prey to metabolic bone disease.  The best tube bulb you can get here in the US is the Reptisun 10, & you can get that for a good price on  www.petmountain.com

Since she is an adult, her calcium intake can be slightly decreased.  She can get by with 3 good dustings of calcium on her feeders or greens & veggies per week, unless she has metabolic bone disease.

If the swelling does not go down, then, a blood test should be done to rule out gout, or metabolic bone disease, or a bacterial infection.  
Let me know how she is doing.

Tracie