Does MBD hurt bearded dragons?
Metabolic bone disease (MBD), or nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, is a complex disease and is probably the most common health problem of pet bearded dragons.
What to do if your bearded dragon has MBD?
Taking your bearded dragon to the vet while they are struggling is the most important thing you can do to treat MBD or prevent it. Getting your vet’s treatment recommendations is an invaluable asset in keeping your beardie in good health.
How to treat metabolic bone disease in bearded dragons?
It takes a lot of things to ensure that your bearded dragon is managing to fight against MBD. All of the treatment options as well as symptom monitoring and continued attention to care are important to stick with to not only reverse the issues that MBD can cause but keep them well long after their treatment is over.
What kind of diet does a bearded dragon need?
Calcium is important to every creature, but bearded dragons especially need to keep their bones sturdy. They also should be taking in enough D3 and Phosphorous in order to balance out their calcium intake and strengthen their muscles as well. A healthy and balanced diet can make all the difference in keeping your beardie healthy.
Why are my bearded dragons bones so brittle?
It can be a vague term that is used to describe a whole world of deficiencies that the domesticated bearded dragons face explicitly. Most commonly it is related to calcium or Vitamin D3 deficiencies. Bearded dragons face issues with this specifically and their bones can weaken and even become brittle and deformed if it is left long enough.
What causes a bearded dragon to have MBD?
MBD in bearded dragons frequently results from a range of nutrient issues such as a lack of calcium and/or Vitamin D3 or phosphorous. Especially, too little (hypocalcemia) or too much (hypercalcemia) calcium can have a negative impact on both the growth and the strength of a bearded dragon’s bones.
What is metabolic bone disease in bearded dragons?
Maybe you are wondering what Metabolic Bone Disease in Bearded Dragons is. Actually, this is just a relative umbrella term for one of several commonly found conditions seen in 2-year-old or younger beardies. MBD in bearded dragons frequently results from a range of nutrient issues such as a lack of calcium and/or Vitamin D3 or phosphorous.
What to do if your bearded dragon is unresponsive?
If being cool made your bearded dragon become unresponsive, then heat can help bring it back to normal. If you wish to know for sure, a vet will be able to perform a Doppler ultrasound to check for any blood flow in the body. A vet will also check for a pulse and see if pupils react to light at all.
What happens to a bearded dragon when it dies?
Your bearded dragon can die from organ failure and it can sometimes seem as a sudden death. For example, a bearded dragon can suffer from gout or kidney failure – due to old age, too much protein in the diet, toxicity.
Metabolic bone disease (MBD), or nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, is a complex disease and is probably the most common health problem of pet bearded dragons. As the condition progresses, muscle twitching, seizures, loss of appetite, and loss of energy (lethargy) are seen.
