Adult Bearded Dragon, swollen foot?

Question
QUESTION: Hi I have noticed that my male bearded dragon has a swollen foot and part of his leg is also swollen. I have touched the area and it doesn't seem to bother him & he still has his appetite. Do you think I should take him to the vet? or do you know what might be wrong with him? Thanks

ANSWER: Hello Gemma,
Could you run over your tank setup with me, such as your lighting, type of UVB whether it is a flourescent tube or a compact or coil & the type of basking light?
What do you measure your temps with a stick on round type of thermometer, a digital probe or a temp gun?  What are the current temps?
How large of a tank is he in?  What type of substrate?
How old is your dragon & what do you feed him?
Do you offer water on a regular basis?
The swelling of the foot & leg sounds like it could be gout or pregout syndrome starting.  
I would take him to the vet for a bloodtest.  When you do, make sure to request an ionized calcium test as well just to test his 25 hydroxy levels too.  The bloodtest will test his uric acid levels which if they are too high, that is a good indication of gout.  Also, they can aspirate some fluid around the joints to determine whether or not there is any crystallization of uric acid in the area.  An x-ray will determine or show any tophi or uric acid deposits on or around that area.
I would begin giving him oral fluids right now, daily of around 2-4 cc's or ml's.  You can give just straight water or get some apple or cranberry juice to use a little in with his water daily, too.

Let me know how he is doing.  It is imperative that he see a vet to get a bloodtest.  If it is gout, then it has to be caught early or his chances of survival greatly decrease.  The only other thing it could be would be an infection or maybe an injury.  

Tracie

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

QUESTION: Hi again thanks 4 ur quick response..
He has a Waterproof probe on a long lead connected to a Habistat Pulse Proportional Thermostat. He has a Ceramic Heat Emitter (Heat Wave Lamp)& a UVB flourescent tube. The current temps of the tank are around 28-30 0c. He has calci sand in his tank and eats mainly lochusts & mealworms. He wont eat crickets. He does eat fruit & veg quite regurly. As for drinking he has a bowl full of fresh water everyday but he never seems to use it & i often have to pop him in the bath for a drink and a swim.. His tank is about 2 meters long and about 1 meter high. Thank You

ANSWER: Hello Gemma,

Ok, a couple of things.  :-)
Instead of using a ceramic heat emitter for basking light he needs a bright white baskinglight.  One of the best lights is a halogen light.  What brand is the flourescent tube & how close is it to your dragon?
The size of tank is fine, that is a large tank at around 6 feet long & 3 feet high.  
How old is your dragon?
The temps are not near warm enough.  The basking temps need to be at 35C to 43C which is 95 to 105F.  If they are not kept warm enough they can't excrete uric acid very well.  So if that happens the uric acid can build up in the system which could be one of the problems right now.
The locusts & mealies are fine & that is good that he eats greens & veggies, too.

Let me know how he is doing & when you get him to a vet.

Tracie

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

QUESTION: Hi.. I've had(Dude! my bearded dragon)around 4 years now and he was only a baby when I got him. I thought his heater was ok, thats what he has always had. It doesnt produce any light only heat. Im not too sure what brand the flourescent tube is I think it is Exo Terra Repti Glo Fluorescent Bulb. This light runs across the top of the tank. I will turn his temps up as you have advised, however he does tend to stay in the cool end of the tank as it is, thats why I have turned it down. I have been giving him A syringe full of water with a little cranberry juice in it aswell. Thank you for such good advice.

Answer
Hello Gemma,
Have you gotten him a basking light yet?  Good that you have increased the temps, but he needs a bright white basking light along with his UVB.  Which Reptiglo model is it, the 8 or the 10?  He may stay in the cool end due to improper temps causing him to be lethargic.  Also, with not enough bright light, they become lazy & lethargic.  The 3rd eye or parietal eye on top of their heads are light sensors.  If it does not detect much light, it looks like dusk or nighttime to them, & they just want to sleep.
Do get the lighting fixed for him as soon as possible.
How does the foot look?  Are you going to be taking him to the vet for a blood test?
Good you got some oral fluids started in him.  

Tracie