Bearded Dragon Swollen Leg

Question
QUESTION: My Bearded Dragon has a broken leg.  It is swollen and very hard.  Have been giving him liquid Calcium drops every day.  Leg is very swollen and hard.  Is it possible to remove the swelling in his leg?  He is also not eating and has lost weight.  From 102G to 92G.  I purchased him in July 09, so about 6 mths old.  Have appt on 19th for vet but expensive and wondering if something else is going on.  Thanks,  Cheryl

ANSWER: Hello Cheryl,

How did your dragon break his leg?
Can you post a picture for me?   
I have a product called Serrapeptase that helps greatly with pain & swelling which may help him out quite a bit.  It is less harsh than conventional painkillers are.  
Serrapeptase is enzymes from silkworms so it is very safe.  
How do you have his tank setup for him?
What type & brand of UVB light are you using, is it a florescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?
How much liquid calcium are you giving, & what brand is it?  
Is his beard black?  

Here is my site if you want to check out the Serrapeptase:

http://www.bug-de-lite.com/


Let me know how he is doing.

Tracie

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


Riley   QUESTION: I'm not sure how it got broken.  May have gotten nail caught in hammock?  29 Gl tank with 2 lights.  One is a 150 Wt basking light, other is a round coil light.  Reptiglow 10 Desert Bulb. Calcium is Calcium Oral Suspension (per ml) (30 ml) - one drop a day.  No his beard is not black, it is white.

ANSWER: Hello Cheryl,

Wow that looks very painful!  Yeah, I would say that it is most definitely broken!!  :-((
Well, I hate to have to tell you but, your UVB light is not good.  That is why his bones are not strong enough to have prevented this injury.  The Reptiglo 10 has not had good reviews & the UVB emissions are very poor & the wavelength of UVB are not conducive to D3 synthesis.  When they are under a UVB that does not have the proper wavelength, their bodies cannot properly absorb calcium.  Over time, their bones begin to become leached to maintain their blood calcium serum levels.  Even giving calcium will not be effective because they cannot absorb it properly.
The liquid calcium, what brand is it?  One drop a day is not nearly enough.  He needs to be dosed according to his weight.  So, what is the concentration of the calcium, does it say?  Is there a milligram of calcium per ml?  Or does it state a certain percentage on the bottle?  Did you get it from the vets or from online?    
Your 150 watt basking light, is it a bright white light or a red or infrared type of light?  What are the temperatures in the tank?  What type of thermometer are you using?  I see a stick on type of thermometer on the side, is that what you are using?  If so, the stick on types of thermometers are not very effective at measuring the basking temperatures.  They measure the ambient temperatures & the humidity though.  What you will need is a digital probe or a temp gun to make sure the basking temperatures are optimal within the 95-110 range for him.  He needs a cooler end of around 80 or so.
I can dose it more effectively for him, but I need that information as well as his weight.
The best UVB light that you can get is the Reptisun 10 tube bulb.  Do not purchase ANY compact or coil lights.  They simply are not strong enough for bearded dragons' UVB requirements.
Here is a link to where you can buy the Reptisun 10 for a great price!

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-rept

The bulb will need to be within 6 inches of him, & placed alongside your basking light to encourage basking & to protect his eyes.  The light should not have any screen or plastic lens covering it to prevent UVB's from going through to him.

Please let me know how he is doing.  I am happy to hear his beard is not dark though.

Tracie

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

QUESTION: Basking light is bright white.  Temperatures in tank - Hot side - 100, cool side 85 at night temps drop to between 70-80.  We recently added an under tank heater that keeps it warmer at night, we put it on the side of the tank instead of underneath.  It is on the cool side of the tank.   We have 2 thermometers - they both stick on the side of the tank.  I gave you all of the inforamtion on the Calcium medicine, I received it from a Vet.  My dragon's current weight is 92grams, he was 102 grams when i took him to the Vet.  He is not eating any crickets, eats a little bit of Kale in the morning, but that's it, he has lost considerable amount of weight.  Not sure if he is in brumation or just not feeling good.  I have another dragon that is eating fine and gaining weight in the same tank.  They get along very well, so I don't think it is an issue with them not getting along.
Thank you for your input!  It is very hard because we seem to get different information from everyone we speak with.  It is very hard to decide who to listen to. The Vet is very closed mouth and I have to force answers from him, that is why i'm reaching out to someone else.  I may consider another Vet but they are expensive and we are low on money currently.  
Thanks again, awaiting more information.
Cheryl

Answer
Hello Cheryl,

I know vets are expensive & a lot of times you don't get any help from them.
Can you call to ask what the concentration of the calcium is?  I do not think he is in brumation as he is way too small & light for brumation or too young.  
Good that the basking light is bright white.  You need to get another UVB light as I suggested because otherwise, his calcium absorption will be hindered.  The Reptiglo 10 is not conducive to D3 synthesis so the liquid calcium you are using wont do him much good until he has a better light.  The vets do not stress the importance of lighting.  
It is not recommended to house dragons together because inevitably one usually dominates the other one so one does well while the other one suffers.  Do you know the sex?  Are they from the same clutch & are they same age & size?
He is very small for his age, as most 6 month old dragon are already weighing at least 300 grams & roughly are around 17 or so inches in length, or longer.  How large is your other one?
If they are both males, you will not be able to house them together without one getting severely injured.  If you have a male & a female then they will mate too young & that will greatly decrease the lifespan of the female & stress them out.  If they are related & breed, you don't want them to inbreed either.
If you have 2 females, that is a possibility of housing them together.  
If he is losing weight, he is stressed.  Did the vet do a fecal exam when he was there, to check for parasites or worms?  If not, I highly recommend that.  Do his stools smell really bad & are they runny?
As far as the stick on type of thermometers, they do not effectively measure the basking temperatures.  They only measure the ambient temperatures & the humidity but not the basking temps.  So you will need to get a digital probe or a temp gun to more effectively measure the basking temps.  You will not need to use a heating pad that is on the side of the tank, as that can overheat them in combination with the basking light.     

If the vet will not answer your questions, it is definitely time for a new vet.  You are paying for his services so if he wont provide any services you should try to find a new vet.  
For now, I would give .1ml twice daily, of the liquid calcium, as I do not know the strength, but 1 drop will not do it.  Please look into the Reptisun 10 tube bulb.  It is much better with the UVB emissions.

Tracie