CONTINUATION OF BEARDIE HEALTH ARTICLES --> ●PART 5● METABOLIC BONE DISEASE EXPLAINED **************************************** In general, metabolic bone disease is the weakening of the bone caused by an imbalance in vitamin D3, calcium, and phosphorus. Several foods, which have a high calcium content, such as spinach, carrots, collards, chards and other thick leafy greens, also contain oxalates, which bind to calcium. When foods high in oxalates are eaten by a beardie, the oxalates attack the calcium and make it useless in their body. Vitamin D3, calcium, and phosphorus interact together to perform a number of functions besides bone growth and maintenance, including muscle contractions and blood coagulation. Too much phosphorus can throw this balance off, as can too much or too little vitamin D3 or too little access to UVB light. As the dangers of calcium deficiency become more widely known, there is also the risk of too much calcium (hypercalcemia), which is rare. Signs of metabolic bone disease include hard knobs in the long bones of the legs, bumps along the vertebral column of the back and tail, and softening or hard swelling of the lower jaw. Regular physical exams are important as these bumps may be felt before they can usually be seen. Visible signs of moderate to severe MBD include jerky movements when walking, repeated tremors, twitches, or spasms in the limbs and muscles of the legs and toes when at rest or after exercise, and shakiness when being held. More advanced cases of MBD include all the above signs plus constipation, anorexia, and fractured bones. Severely deficient Beardies tend to be lethargic and may only be able to drag themselves along the ground. There are several treatment options available for Beardies suffering from MBD. Moderate to severe cases of MBD require the proper diet, temperatures, and UVB as well as a more powerful calcium supplement than those found in pet stores. Oral administration of calcium glubionate (NeoCalglucon®, 1cc/kg) or injections of calcium lactate (Calphosan, 250 mg/kg) or calcium gluconate (100 mg/kg) are generally prescribed by veterinarians. Studies have shown a faster recovery with calcitonin (Calcimar, Miacalcin, 50 IU/kg in the front leg, repeated once a week for two weeks) when it is administered to Beardies who have a normal serum calcium level. A blood test by your vet will determine your Beardies serum calcium level. The use of calcitonin before normal levels have been established, may cause hypocalcemic tetany and death. In mild cases of MBD, where the signs are felt or just barely visible, can be treated by correcting the diet and environment. The proper amount of UVB light is important and necessary in treating and preventing MBD. Vets have prescribed the use of self-balasted mercury vapor UVB/heat bulbs as part of the treatment for MBD. These bulbs have a UVB element and a heat element, all rolled into one. I have these bulbs in all of my Beardie enclosures and am astonished with the results. After a few weeks of installing the new bulbs, I noticed a major color enhancement in all of my beardies! Along with proper day and night temperature gradients and a nighttime dark period, proper diet is essential to recovery. During recovery, your beardie should be fed calcium-rich, nutrient dense foods such as squashes, green beans, mustard greens, dandelions, escarole, and papaya. The food should be supplemented with additional calcium and a multi-vitamin formulated for reptiles. EYE PROBLEMS **************** Known Eye Conditions: Droopy Eyes (Bloodhound Eyes): This could be a sign of acute or chronic kidney failure. In any case, the beardie would need to be seen by a reptile vet as soon as this is noticed, whether on one side or both. Hypovitaminosis A: This disorder has become associated with swollen eyes and all too often some vets assume that swollen eyes mean that the beardie has a vitamin A deficiency. The beardie is given vitamin A without the vet doing anything to investigate the cause of the swelling. Since the health problems associated with hypervitaminosis A (overdose of vitamin A) are as bad in their own way as too little vitamin A, the poor beardies pain and health problems are just made worse. Early on, there is some swelling of the eyelid, some mild swelling around the iris, and some tearing of the eye in cases of hypovitaminosis A. In addition, there are changes in the orbital glands. As the condition progresses untreated, the swellings become more pronounced and the conjunctiva becomes visible, swollen and reddened. Reptiles that depend on sight to feed can no longer see well enough to feed, and slowly starvation sets in, further weakening the animal. Along with the necessary correction of the diet and environment, and the administration of vitamin A, the cellular changes in the cells of the eye cause the already stressed beardie into infection. So, the application of a suitable topical antibiotic ointment is recommended. During recovery, artificial tears may also be useful. (Ciprofloxacin and similar opthalmic drops have been recommended over gentamicin drops because of a reported epitheliotoxic (kills epithelial cells) effect of the latter.) Parasites: The problems caused by parasites rarely cause any swelling or tearing. Mites find the area around the eye to be quite hospitable. The overall problems caused by mites lead to shedding problems. Puffed-Out Eyes - Pre-Shed: This is common in bearded dragons and considered normal for healthy beardies.. As the skin on the eyelids is undergoing the changes associated with getting ready to shed, the beardie will puff out the eyelids when its eyes are closed. These distensions look frightening to the unknowing beardie owner, but they apparently help loosen the old layer of skin, getting it ready to shed. Later, once the old skin is ready to break and start coming off, beardies will often rub their closed eyes against something in their enclosure or area. This might be to soothe an itch associated with the coming shed, or might be done to help gently break the skin so that the final step in the shedding process. Mist your beardie during pre-shed and shed times to help keep the skin moist and easy to shed. Swollen/Distended Eyeball: Swelling of one eye or both may be associated with an infection inside the eye itself, or behind the eye in or behind the socket. If left untreated, it can lead to retinal detachment, blindness or enucleation (removal of the eyeball). This might be due to an increase in intraocular pressure, which is often a sign of infection, injury, or some other health problem. Since the cause cannot be determined by the herp keeper, and appropriate treatments cannot be purchased over-the-counter, the beardie needs to be seen by a reptile vet as soon as possible. Infections Causing Ocular Changes: There are a variety of organisms that can cause changes in the eye and surrounding structures (lids, glands, ducts). They include: Viral infections Pox virus (generally identified by the appearance of small, white papules on the skin; may be seen earlier in the palpebral integument) Herpesvirus (generally in conjunction with proliferative and ulcerative skin lesions) Bacterial infections (Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Pasturella, Salmonella) Other Diseases of the Eye: Other conditions which are not diagnosable or treatable by the herp owner are: Corneal lesions (caused by accidental injury to the eye, such as rubbing against a rough branch, improperly concealed nail or screw in the enclosure, or scratched by a claw or tooth) Corneal deposits (lipids, often secondary to an underlying eye or general health problem) Uveitis (may be related to bacterial infection) Hypopyon (may be related to bacterial infection) Cataracts Caution should be used when giving multi-vitamin supplements because Beardies are very susceptible to vitamin A toxicity. Signs of Vitamin A overdose are: swelling of the throat, bloating of the body, and lethargy. I give my Beardies a small dose of multi-vitamins once a week. This is enough to ensure that they are getting all the vitamins they need, but not enough to cause problems. Watch out for multi-vitamin supplements that are very high in Vitamin A. The proper ratio of vitamin A to vitamin D to vitamin E should be 100:10:1. One popular reptile vitamin has an A to D ratio of over 600:1 instead of 100:10! So be careful when picking out your Beardies vitamins. When freezing green vegetables, especially the leafy greens, the thiamine (vitamin B1) will leach out. When pre-frozen greens are fed over a long period of time and no provision is made for adding the thiamine back into the diet, a deficiency, hypothiaminosis, will occur. This causes tremors and twitches. Unfortunately, MBD also causes twitching and tremors of the toes and muscles of the legs. Many vets are not aware of that a thiamine loss is linked to green vegetables and will assume that the Beardie is suffering from a calcium deficiency. The only problem is that no amount of additional calcium is going to make twitches and tremors related to hypothiaminosis go away...only adding thiamine to the diet will. The best way to replace the lost B1 is by buying a vitamin B1 supplement, which is available in most health food stores, drug stores, and vitamin stores. I have read that some people add brewers yeast to replace thiamine. However, a thiamine supplement is healthier than the formerly recommended brewers yeast for your Beardie, as the yeast is very high in phosphorous (1:21 calcium to phosphorus ratio). If you buy B1 in tablet form, you can use a pill crusher to crush it and store the left-over powder as you only need a small pinch of the vitamin for a serving of salad. If you buy the B1 in a powder-filled capsule, you can dump some capsules out into a small container and take your pinches from there. Follow the directions on the bottle of B1 to make sure you store it properly to maximize its shelf-life. CONSTIPATION AND RUNNY STOOLS ************************************** Feeding and heating your Beardie properly and enabling it to engage in a regular daily activity routine will result in an eating-and-pooping machine, with faeces deposited regularly. A Beardie who stops pooping for several days while continuing to eat daily, could have a problem. The longer it goes without defecating, the more serious the situation. As wastes back up in the system, the chances of organ failure and death increase. First, check the enclosure temperatures. Constipation occurring during the winter is generally caused by the ambient enclosure temperatures dropping unnoticed by the owner as the overall temperatures in the home fall in response to colder winter weather. Adjusting the heating sources to provide the proper basking temperatures is generally all that is required to restore regularity. Bathing and massaging may be required. Bathe the constipated Dragon in warm (about 95-99º F) water for 10-15 minutes and gently massage the belly for several minutes or so while it is still in the water. Be careful not to push too hard. Let the Beardie stay in the warm water (rewarming as necessary to maintain the proper water temp.) for at least another 5-10 minutes. The Beardie should defecate within 24 hours if the blockage is due to being too cool, having a very small piece of ingested substrate, or a very mild case of internal parasites. If the blockage is due to heavy parasite infestation or a larger blockage, then the bathing and increased heat will have little to no effect and the Beardie must be seen by a vet. I do not recommend the use of laxatives, especially without a veterinarians supervision. Severe MDB and paralysis may also lead to constipation. Again, a vet visit will be required to determine the cause and treatment. Parasite infections, including worms and protozoans, may cause loosening of the fecal mass to the point where it no longer holds its shape. The urates (white part) may be tinged reddish or rusty in the case of some protozoan infections. The feces of such Beardies often smell rank. When infected with Giardia, they may smell quite strongly and very unpleasant. Stress, a change in diet, or eating a food item that does not agree with the Beardies digestive system may also cause temporary diarrhea. Parasites should never be treated with over-the-counter medications found in pet stores. A fecal test is required to determine what organism is causing the problem. A vet may be needed to prescribe the proper medication. Always do a second fecal test after the meds are over to make sure the parasites have been irradicated. A second round of meds might be needed. When collecting a fecal sample, make sure that it is not more than a few hours old. To collect a sample, simply turn a small Ziplock bag inside out and place it over your hand like a glove. Scoop up the poop and turn the bag right side out. Seal it up and take it to the vet right away. Its also a good idea to write your Beardies name, age, your name, and phone number on the bag. A good poo will hold its shape. The fecal mass is usually brown or green in color. Beardies that are on diets that are mostly greens and pellets tend to have a greener poo. The white part (urates) should be fairly white. Or it could be slightly discolored if your beardie is on meds. Beardies need water just like we do. Proper hydration is very important in the health of a beardie and is even more important to a sick beardie. When a beardie becomes ill they are often too weak to drink fluids on their own, and if they are not drinking or eating they become even more lethargic and weak. Severe dehydration may lead to shock and even death. A beardie that is dehydrated will often perk up after given fluids. If the beardie does perk up some, you will often have a better chance of curing the health problem. Of course, if a beardie acts ill, its often very ill and should be taken to a reptile vet immediately. Also, most medications can be damaging to the kidneys and should be given with plenty of water. Ask your vet to make sure that the fluids will not interfere with the medicine. Symptoms of dehydration are sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, lack of appetite, and lethargy. A good way of checking to see if your beardie is dehydrated is to gently pinch the skin on the side of their back between your fingers. If the skin rolls back into place almost immediately then the beardie is likely well hydrated. In a dehydrated beardie the skin may stay in a pinched, or tented position. Depending upon the cause of the beardies illness, fluid should be offered by mouth, or by subcutaneous injection. Ask your vet for details. Remember, dehydration is nothing to mess around with. It can quickly cause an already ill beardie to become much sicker. Warning: ********* Force feeding a severely dehydrated beardie may result in shock and possibly death. The digestive tract requires fluids to process foods, if there are not enough fluids available they will be taken from other critical systems. When dehydrated, having a loss of appetite may be one way the beardies body tries to protect itself. However, when the beardie has been properly rehydrated, it may still fail to eat on its own. Force feeding may be necessary, but only after rehydrated. The bottom line is that a beardie must be rehydrated before started on solid foods. The best fluid to give in my opinion is Pedialyte. If you dont have Pedialyte on hand, dont wait to get some, offer water right away. And bottled water would be best because of all the added chemicals that they treat our tap water with. If you have to, sports drinks like Gatoraid will work, but must be diluted 1:1 with water. Pedialyte is the better choice as it is metabolized quicker and contains less sugar. Before forcing your beardie to drink, try to coax him to drink from a needleless syringe or eye dropper. I discovered that my beardies will eagerly drink a mixture of 25% all natural juice with no additives, sugar, or preservatives (apple, grape, cranberry, etc) with 75% water.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 04:57:46 +0000
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