Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went away for the weekend and when i got back my herb had hurt his wrist and it became swollen. (this has happened before differnt cause though). I toke my dragon to the vet at their next earliest appointment. I got an x ray done and it showed the the joint inflamed. The vet gave me medicine to give him a antibiotic and something to bring down the swelling. The vet told me it may effect his eating habbits and to stop giving him the stuff. After he hadn't eatten for 4 or 5 days i quite giving him the stuff. He had had a BIG HUDGE meal a couple of days before and this not eating for 3 or so days isn't uncommon with him. After the 5th day of not eatting i toke him off the stuff. He won't eat now..at all. I had to force him to eat 4 green beans. He wouldn't fall for the same trick and nothing else worked. His beard has been black for 7 straight days. And somedays his tail starts to turn black. He sleeps alot now, but i read somewhere that is the dragons "down" i think the scientific term is bermation period. So i am not really concerned about it, but this is the first year he has really experienced bermation, and he is 5 years old.

First thing I would like to know is did your vet do any blood work to seee if his blood calcium levels were good? Swollen joints can sometimes be caused by lack of calcium or vitamin d3 in the diet. If that is all good, check your cage temps and light levels. If these are tapering off, it could be putting him into brumation.

If temps are all good and light levels are perfect (ie 12-14 hours daylight), it could be the medication has turned him off food.

Antibiotics can do this, usually because it dehydrated your dragon and upsets the balance of natural gut flora in his intestines, making it harder to digest, may cause bloating etc. Make sure he gets plenty of water, using an eye dropper to drop water into the corner of his mouth or mist him so he drinks himself. Soaks in luke warm water for 10-15 minutes will also encourage him to drink, dropping water into his 'bath' can help too, giving him motion to 'attack'.

Probiotics should also be given. You can use the same kind given to human children or the one designed for reptiles. (acilliophys or something like that). If you can't find either, some unsweatened, low fat all natural fruit yogurt with an active bacterial culture (some brands actually say probiotic on them)can be fed, a teaspoon a day till his appetite is back up to normal, is good. Once he is eating again, cut back on the yogurt, that normally isn't very good but can do in a pinch for a probiotic.
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PHLdyPayne

Thank you for your help. Under his basking bulb it is around 100 degrees f or a little higher, then it gets cooler but he sits right by a window, (he loves his window one of the few things that keep him calm.0 But by the window the temp picks back up. So i am confused is burmation bad or good?

Swollen joints can also be the result of gout.

Gout can be the result of poor hydration, renal failure or too much protein in the diet, etc.

Here are some articles about it...
http://www.angelfire.com/al/repticare2/page21.html
http://www.seavs.com/case_studies/lizards/
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=17&cat=1796&articleid=3317