Showing Signs of MBD at 1 month old

[Lena]

While doing routine checks I took out my first hatchling to examine her.. And she is showing definite signs of MBD.. Totally out of the blue. Just before this, the only abnormal thing I noticed was that she had a bad shed that still hasn't come all the way off.

I'm so heart broken.. And I've no idea what could have caused it. She's got bowed front legs and crawls on her stomach.. I swear I saw her two days ago and she was fine.

What do I do? I'm so upset..

 

[Lena]

I've just read that liquid calcium is a viable solution for the problem.. I really want to nip this in the bud and make sure she pulls through...

Could someone advise me on how much I should give her? What product I should buy?

I'm frantic.. I have a lot of love for this little girl..

 

[Bellalee]

I hope someone can help you..

 

[Lena]

Please, someone. I want to act on this a.s.a.p.

 

[lindy]

calcium

i had the same problem but my gecko was older. All i did was up the calcium to every feeder the little gecko got, it worked to, before i was just giving calcium every other day. The funny thing is I have two that are the same age, only one showed mbd other didnt and they were fed the exact same thing.
So i suggest adding some more calcium to the feeders. I feed dubias so just put half of the dubia in calcium and the gecko just tasted the non calcium half and ate it right up.

Sorry i dont know about the liquid calcium

 

[Lena]

The mealworms are now drowning in calcium. I've also upped the calcium of my second hatchling just to be safe..

I don't think this was a complication from birth, as the mother has plenty of access to calcium and the egg was healthy. This developed nearly a month after she hatched.

 

[bitterbeauty]

I am currently treating one of my geckos for MBD (more severe than your baby leo I believe) with Zilla liquid spray on calcium. I got it at the petstore (pet co) for around 10 bucks. On the back it has instructions for calcium deficiency (3 drops each day) I use a oral syringe. A main ingredient is calcium gluconate which is what a vet would prescribe. Good luck.

It may be just an overreaction because when they are really young their bones are still kinda flexible.

 

[shadowx362]

You can buy calcium gluconate online in big bottles for about $20 shipped or you can buy the small bottle in a pet store.
Also spontaneous MBD can be brought on by high temps. I would check on your temps as well just to make sure.

 

[snowgyre]

I had this problem with a baby when I first started breeding leopard geckos years ago, and I've solved the problem by keeping a bottle cap filled with calcium powder in the cage at all times. They lap it up as they need it, so it's a low maintenance system. Also, I noticed that using excess calcium powder on feeders kills them because it gets clogged in their spiracles (the holes in the abdomen used for breathing), so I just gut load my feeders now and don't bother putting powder on them since there's powder already in the tank.

The good news is that hatchlings tend to recover really quick from MBD once they get calcium in their diet. Even babies with significant bowing to their legs tend to straighten out as they grow. The skeleton will be deformed throughout life, but not as bad as you might think based upon what you're seeing now.

Good luck!

 

[Lena]

Thanks guys.

Her appetite is almost non-existant right now, and I haven't seen any evidence that she's been eating her calcium.. So I've been mixing a small amount of the powder with water and giving her some by syringe-dripping every night. Temps are not the cause of this problem, as they never exceed 93, and are almost always exactly 90 in the rack.

No improvement yet.. But I'll keep you guys updated.

It may be just an overreaction because when they are really young their bones are still kinda flexible.

Definitely MBD, she's walking on her elbows..

 

[JordanAng420]

Also spontaneous MBD can be brought on by high temps.

Good point. It can be initiated by extreme low temps as well...
I just wanted to point out that there are several different types of metabolic bone disorders...MBD is not a disease, but rather a term used to describe a group of disorders. Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism is only one of several...I need to do a little research, but I can tell you about others if you'd like.

 

[Lena]

Good point. It can be initiated by extreme low temps as well...
I just wanted to point out that there are several different types of metabolic bone disorders...MBD is not a disease, but rather a term used to describe a group of disorders. Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism is only one of several...I need to do a little research, but I can tell you about others if you'd like.

Please.

I have looked into nutritional deficiencies but my mealies are well gutloaded. Also, temps have not gone below 89. I guess I should have mentioned that.

 

[JordanAng420]

Well, I had to break out the textbooks for this one! Thanks to a great mentor and Dr. Doug Mader! Some metabolic bone diseases of non-nutitional origin include:
Renal Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
-consequence of kidney disease. When the kidney's can't function and filter Phosphorus from the GI tract, it leads to phosphorus retention. The elevated phosphorus results then lead to a decreased production of calcitrol...which in turn limits calcium absorption from the GI tract.

Hypertrophic Osteopathy
-Not common in reptiles, but has been reported recently...characterized by lameness, painful limbs, and reluctance to move. Like most bone disorders, diagnosed by Radiographs

Paget's Disease
-results from repeated cycles of resorption and deposition, the bone eventually becomes dense & brittle. Pain and fractures of the limbs are characteristics of this condition.

Osteopetrosis
-Very rare in reptiles, however has been seen. Opposite of osteoperosis in humans. Two forms have been seen: autosomal recessive & autosomal dominant...both cause excessive thickening of the bones. Cause is believed to be an inability of resorb bone normally.

As you can see, a lot of these symptoms are similar to each other. I'm sure if you googled these terms and then just added "reptile" at the beginning, there's more to read...Usually to confirm a dianosis of a specific bone disease an X-Ray is needed. IMO, even if I WASN'T a veterinary technician with access to wonderful vets, I would STILL get an opinion from an herp vet. We could all be wrong, and there could be something compleatly different wrong with this little one. I wouldn't take the "wait and see" approach for this, as your idea of "nipping it in the butt" is much healthier (and cheaper!) in the long run. Good luck...please feel free to PM me anytime!

 

[Lena]

I meant "Nipping it in the bud". Ha.

Unfortunately.. In these economic times, and my being jobless.. Vet attention isn't a viable option. The only herp vet around is extremely expensive. When I took my beardie in for parasites, I ended up paying around $400 in vet bills.

What I'm doing is dripping calcium+water twice a day, one of those has some food mixture in it (Liquid diet from when my beardie wouldn't eat during deworming) since she won't eat.

I know it's very frowned upon to take things into your own hands, and I love my animals, but I simply cannot afford such a large bill right now.

 

[stephw]

This is exactly what just happened to my lizard. I took her to the vet today because she lost alot of weight and refuses to eat. I swear she was fine just a couple weeks ago and all of a sudden this. I feed her calcium with her meals and keep some in her cage. I was told by my vet that i need a UV light for her to be able to absorb the calcium but according to EVERYONE i talk to that is not true. I feel so hopeless and she can barely walk and wont even let me try to feed her. If anyone has suggestion for me that would help. Thanx and i am sorry you have to go through this too.

 

[zoe]

I rescued a baby leo from my job.She was about a month with severe MBD from being exposed to temp over 120F.I had to start her on a routine of liquid calcium gluconate 3 times a day,plus phoenix worms,a calcium bowl and whatever i could convince her to eat.She also had two injections of calcium,which are only done when needed because they hurt.
The liquid calcium comes in different percentages depending on where you get it from i.e. internet vrs. DVM.The amount you give to her will depend on that.If possible you should have someone confirm MBD because she may also need an injection of calcium to kick start treatment.I hope the best for her and you!