Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My juvenile bearded draggons both have a strange deformation of the joints. For instance one of them has a normal right knee but a left knee three times the size. They seem to not be in pain but do walk a little funny. However, their eating habbits are great and they've been like this for about half there life. They are about 2 years old. Does anyone know what this may be? I would like to send pictures to anyone taht might want to look at them. Please email me at mikeciaramitaro@charter.net

Thanks ALL!!

First off, 2 years old is adult, not juvenille. How often did you dust the food with calcium? Swollen limbs, difficulty walking and deformation are all sign of Metabolic Bone Disease. I think you'll need a vet's opinion on this one.

What are your tank sizes, temps, feeding schedules, UV,...
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Ross

1.0 Bearded Dragon (Fuego)
2.1 Roommates (require more cleaning up after than the dragon)

Go to a vet right away. This sounds like MBD...this is why calcium is so important.

Hi hows your beardie? first off dont take it personaly when other people critisize your reptile keeping abilities. its not just MBD that causes swollen joint. Arthritis and gout occur in reptiles. if you know you provide enough UV-B and calcium/phosphate inthe right proportions then look at other possibilities. other signs of MBD are easy breaking bones, a deformed tailnear the base. A good one to test is after your animal runs, can he hold his hips off the ground or does he squat straight away. a deficient animal will show weak hips and so cant hold the body up. Look at the protein/vegetation component of the diet. much to peoples disbelief this animals eat 80-90% plant matter suck as flowers and fruits. got for dark green leaves and bright (but safe) colours like strawberries, peaches, bok choy, apples, hibiscus flowers, rose petals etc. Ilive with these animals naturalyoccuring in the wild. good luck and always ask questions! Ickis

Either way, these dragons need to see a qualified vet as soon as possible. No one can diagnose them correctly just from a discussion forum.

Either way, these dragons need to see a qualified vet as soon as possible. No one can diagnose them correctly just from a discussion forum.

Amen to that brother!! and yet so many people just keep trying to be an electronic veterniarian.
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Russ

I understand where you're coming from Russ but you have to look at both sides of the coin here. Many many vets give advice that just shouldn't be given with regards to specific reptiles. It seems to me there's a good number of them who have the attitude a lizard is a lizard and actually cause more harm than good.

I'm not saying this is always the case by any means. I also fully believe if your beardie has a problem that seems life threatening or serious the best possible thing you can do for him/her is to take it to a reptile vet. I also think it is extremely important to get viewpoints from those who have kept beardies and done research about illnesses, husbandry, etc.

I've heard some say their vets told them to put animals in the freezer because they were most likely going to die anyway. Some of those cases were ailments that could be treated but the vet failed to recognize this.

I brought my new Ball Python to my vet and he told me I needed a UVB light for it to live. HELLO, where did he get that from? How much confidence can you have in an expert whom you look up to when you hear him say these kinds of things?

Again Russ I do believe you should take your animals to vets for medical reasons but I do hope you do not get back on your kick about people on this forum advising others about their dragons when they ask questions. Forums like these give everyone access to the advice of experienced, informed people who have dealt with a specific animal for years and you must see the value in this. If not then you simply haven't had the exposure to what I'm talking about but in time I think you will.
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Rob Talkington

Your dragon will be fine, definitely get him checked !

All hoping for the best results , let us know!
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Eve

Thank you all for your help. I think this is MBD however it is strange that he got MBD because I feed them regularly and dust their crickets every time. Furthermore, they have a year old 20gallon tank with clean sand and brand new UV lights and spot lights. My pet store breads bearded dragons and he is my consultant in many cases so I know what to and what to not do. Thank you all for your responses and I apologize for not replying sooner.

Mike