Liver failure?

[Marrissa]

Has anyone experienced this? My younger brother has had his beardie for 2-3 years now. I really have no clue when it comes to lizards but my mom and brother had the help of someone who has owned beardeds for a long time help them with the light setup and all that. So it should be correct. And I know they described the setup to the vet too. Anyways several months ago we noticed a sore on the back right leg joint down (think ankle). We thought maybe he'd rubbed it on something. Brother soaked him several times over the next week and no improvement. We got him in to the vet. The vet game him some general antibiotics and sent him home with instructions to give them to him daily and soak him. (I wasn't there for the visit or I would of said something about not taking a culture and just giving antibiotics).

Several weeks passed and he didn't improve and instead started to show the same thing on the front leg joints, so mom took him back to the vet. He ran some tests (not sure what kind since I'm getting relayed info from my mom who isn't reptile savvy) and the vet said his liver is failing and that it's common for beardeds. My brother has been doing a ton of research on this and hasn't seen that come up in his searches before. If that was so common I feel like I would of heard that as well. I'm not into beardies but the little dude has a way of suckering you in and I feel horrible that we're just biding time. He's not getting worse but he's not getting better. The sores aren't open sores, more swollen joints with redness showing between the scales. The vet has us giving him 5ml of water daily and soaking him for 10 minutes daily. I feel bad that he has to have that stress every day. He's also not eating his veggies and won't eat unless we hand feed him. The only thing he's eating are crickets and super worms and maybe a piece of his veggies. My mom said she's weighing his quality of life and feels like it's getting close to euthanize him. (although from hearing how horribly snakes react to the injection, I'm not sure how to put a lizard down)

Has anyone ever heard of this? I feel really horrible for him. And sorry for my lizard knowledge deficit. I'm a snake person.

[Sauzo]

Without seeing it, hard to say. Might be gout too if its in the joints. Is he fed lots of insects? Especially fatty insects like wax worms? Also is he offered water at least once a week in the form of soaking in a little tub? I know my girl loves her bath time in her little soaking tub twice a week. She drinks and splashes around and usually poops at the end of the "fun time".

As for tests, did he do a blood test? Is that how he found out? If he did a blood test, you can get a copy of it. I had my vet do a blood test on Harley so I knew how she was doing and I got a copy of it. It shows what the normal should be for each thing and then it shows her readings. The vet will usually tell the tech or nurse what are high and stuff which the tech should tell you as well so you know what everything is.

Also for lighting I'm assuming you are using something like a Reptisun 10.0 HO T5 or a Reptisun 10.0 T8? Also are you supplementing her diet with vitamins? I use Rep-Cal calcium without D3 and Rep-Cal multivitamin which I mix together in a little shaker and coat her dubias and kingworms in 2-3 times a week.

[Marrissa]

I asked and my mom said the vet confirmed liver failure with a blood test. I know my brother dusts the crickets with calcium. He gets worms sometimes but mainly his salad and crickets. I'm not sure exactly of the lights used. They followed the advice of a friend who has bearded dragons for years. He's been getting soakings daily for about a month now since the first vet visits and forced water daily. It hasn't gotten any better. Before that I think my brother soaked every other week.

He's gotten worse over the last several days. He barely moves and just does not look good. Yesterday my brother noticed he was having trouble breathing for a bit. He went back to the vet today and the vet advised that the time has come to put him down. Sucks. I feel bad for the little guy and for my brother.

[Sauzo]

Sorry to hear that. Always hard to have to let go of our little scaly kids

[jclaiborne]

First thought that came to my mind was gout as well, but hard to be certain without seeing it. Lizards gain little to no hydration through soaking. They gain most of their hydration through drinking, the greens they eat, and having a humid burrow, this allows them to breathe in moisture. Gout develops over a long period of time and symptoms can be sunken eyes and swollen joints. There is a strong association between gout and liver failure so there is a link there.

If you are up for some reading: http://www.savannahmonitor.net/ Click on the "click here tab" under the first paragraph of "Temperatures and Humidity", while this is in relation to a Sav, it does explain gout incredibly well and the care overall should be applied to all lizards not just monitors.