Swollen Foot

herp_collector · 03-21-06, 09:16 PM

Hi, my male adult Mali Uromastyx has a swollen hind right foot/ankle(mostly ankle) and I was wondering what it might be other than the obvious choice of a broken or twisted ankle/foot. He appears to favour the other leg but when I held him loosely in my hand and felt the swollen foot he didn't wiggle or move around like it hurt him. His tail is thin which is odd because my other two Malis are chubby. He also is quite lethargic. I am almost sure he has not been in any fights or been bitten. The other two Malis are female. Any treatment options or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My mom is taking her Veiled to the vet soon(within the week) and I will bring him. Thanks, Morgan.

Rhonda · 03-24-06, 07:00 AM

What you are discribing could be an injured leg or metobolic bone disease(MBD). How long has this mali been in your care for? The swollen limb, skinny appearance and the fact that he's lethargic are all symptoms of MBD. Perhaps he isn't getting enough Calcium/D3 in his diet. What kind of lighting do you have for the enclosure? Are you including Calcium/D3 suppliment in their food? You need to use both heat lamps and UVA/B lighting such as Repti Sun. With out the exposure to UV uros can't produce enough D3 to matabolize calcium. This eventually leads to MBD. Their bones become weak and their limbs often become swollen.
I made the mistake of purchasing a female Ornate uro a couple of years ago that was in the early stages of MBD I didn't know it when I purchased her. Her symptoms became obvious when her front limb swelled up and she could not move her hind legs very well. I took her to the vet suspecting it was MBD. Sure enough, that's what it was. The vet treated her twice with a calcium/d3 syringe. She seems fine now because I caught it early enough. With out treatment it is often fatal. Good luck with him!

herp_collector · 03-24-06, 11:17 AM

Thanks for all the info. I do have a uv bulb on them and he does bask under the heat lamp quite often which is right beside the UV lamp. It is the highest UVA/B output(for desert lizards I believe) but to be honest I havent been supplementing their diet with Calcium/D3. I have had them for about 6-8 months but the place I got them from had clearly imported them. Its not that he got thin over time its that he was thin to begin with and didn't bulk up like the other two. I will tell the vet of you suspicions on monday when we are going and get the shot. Thanks for all your help, Morgan.