*help* I rescued 2 critically handicapped juveniles

[jackiegrace]

Hi everyone,

I could really use some help and advice. Yesterday i rescued two young bearded dragons from petco. While I have kept reptiles for most of my life, both rescued and purchased, I have never had one with such a severe handicap.

The younger, smaller one is paralyzed from the waist down, and his front legs don’t seem to be very strong at all, as he tends to get stuck on his side. However, he does move around his enclosure and has a good feeding response.

The larger one is paralyzed in all 4 legs, or maybe it’s better to say that he does not appear to have any working limbs, as his legs seem to move from the base if that makes sense? He wiggles his torso to move around and is able to make it around his enclosure, but he definitely struggles more than the other one.

The employees at petco who have been taking care of them said that they both developed issues in the store, but they were mobile when they came in, then started to slow down and they realized there was something wrong. They said the vet they use has looked at them and determined that they have neurological issues, and that the paralysis is not due to MBD. If I’m being honest, I’m really not sure if I have much confidence in the accuracy of this diagnosis. They have had the larger one since March, and the smaller one came in June/July. The employees have been hand feeding them crickets and mealworms supplemented with calcium, and giving them flukers reptiboost twice a day.



Does anyone have any experience with anything like this? I will be taking them in to see my exotic vet but unfortunately due to covid It has been extremely difficult to get an appointment, so I won’t be able to get them in until next month. I just want to make sure I am doing everything I can to keep them comfortable in the mean time. I am very concerned for them as they seem to get stuck on their backs/sides often, and while they are happy to be held, its quite sad to see them struggling to get around on their own, and I’m honestly not sure if they would even be able to access water without my help. They seem to be kind of underweight as well.

Right now I have them (separately) in 20 gallon longs lined with paper towels. they have uvb, basking spot of 106-110, and I have placed 2 hides that they can easily get in and out of in each of their tanks. I offered them pelleted food softened with pedialyte but they were not very interested in it today, but I did get them to eat a few small mealworms and will offer them more in the morning.

I am fully prepared and willing to do whatever needs to be done to ensure that they are happy and healthy, so I would love to get some more insight.

 

[HoomanSlave]

First of all, make sure they both have a good quality of life. They should be able to poop, eat, drink, and bask normally and should not be in severe pain. If one them is suffering, it might be best to put them to sleep.
For your basking spots, look for or make small, textured ramps that go up gradually with a flat area at the top. Foam is a good material here and you can find lots of tutorials online.
To fatten them up, feed waxworms or another food that is high in fat (and preferably calcium). Make sure they are able to defecate normally.
To get them water, try spraying water onto their noses and decor every morning so they won't have to try using a water dish.
For your substrate, it might be easier for them to move around if you use textured ceramic tile (It's expensive, so maybe wait until they move to a bigger tank).
Use the correct UVB light (ReptiSun or Arcaia T5 H.O) and give them a good quality calcium supplement.
Good luck!