Gout in Beardies-- a refresher

This is what I posted on Instagram this morning: 

Gout in bearded dragons is becoming far more common and is a symptom of poorly functioning kidneys. It can be treated, but not cured. Normal beardie kidneys flush out extra proteins and uric acid; defective kidneys allow uric acid crystals into the blood stream where they collect in the joints. Gout causes excruciating pain for beardies because uric acid crystals are like tiny daggers that poke into sensitive joints with every movement. Gout first starts to collect in the lower extremities-- fingers & toes, ankles & wrists. As it overflows those areas, it starts to pool up in shoulders and hips. It essentially freezes the joints in place because it is too agonizing for the beardie to move them! A vet can actually make a tiny incision and squeeze the uric acid paste out (it is similar to beardie pus, but whiter).

This pic is a beardie I took in who could only move his head a slight amount; that was it. 😱 He was euthanized almost immediately to let him escape the pain he'd been living in. If you can catch gout early enough in an adult, you can control it by eliminating all protein from the beardie's diet. Supplements like black cherry and bee pollen can help, but there is only so much you can do for defective kidneys.

If a baby beardie has gout (which I'm seeing more & more), there's very little chance of success. 😔 A baby must have protein even though the protein will kill the weak kidneys. It's a losing battle & I've put down several. Sloppy breeding practices and terrible genes being passed on are creating thousands of baby beardies with early onset kidney disease being sold by national pet store chains.😠 .

To effectively diagnose gout, a vet needs to take a blood test showing diminished kidney function and identify joint stiffness & swelling. Treatment plans are based on the age of the beardie. But PLEASE remember this--- you are NOT doing your beardie any favors by keeping them alive-- It hurts SO bad!!! 

Gout in Beardies

This is what I posted on Instagram this morning: 

Gout in bearded dragons is becoming far more common and is a symptom of poorly functioning kidneys. It can be treated, but not cured. Normal beardie kidneys flush out extra proteins and uric acid; defective kidneys allow uric acid crystals into the blood stream where they collect in the joints. Gout causes excruciating pain for beardies because uric acid crystals are like tiny daggers that poke into sensitive joints with every movement. Gout first starts to collect in the lower extremities-- fingers & toes, ankles & wrists. As it overflows those areas, it starts to pool up in shoulders and hips. It essentially freezes the joints in place because it is too agonizing for the beardie to move them! A vet can actually make a tiny incision and squeeze the uric acid paste out (it is similar to beardie pus, but whiter).

This pic is a beardie I took in who could only move his head a slight amount; that was it. 😱 He was euthanized almost immediately to let him escape the pain he'd been living in. If you can catch gout early enough in an adult, you can control it by eliminating all protein from the beardie's diet. Supplements like black cherry and bee pollen can help, but there is only so much you can do for defective kidneys.

If a baby beardie has gout (which I'm seeing more & more), there's very little chance of success. 😔 A baby must have protein even though the protein will kill the weak kidneys. It's a losing battle & I've put down several. Sloppy breeding practices and terrible genes being passed on are creating thousands of baby beardies with early onset kidney disease being sold by national pet store chains.😠 .

To effectively diagnose gout, a vet needs to take a blood test showing diminished kidney function and identify joint stiffness & swelling. Treatment plans are based on the age of the beardie. But PLEASE remember this--- you are NOT doing your beardie any favors by keeping them alive-- It hurts SO bad!!! 

Darth, rescue 122

This morning's rescue was both quick and horrible. It seemed simple enough-- a 3 month old beardie who isn't eating or gaining weight.

The first picture I received didn't seem too bad: 

A second picture and more of a case history made me hesitate. Maybe this baby had gout. If he did, he'd be the youngest beardie I've ever seen with gout caused by kidney failure. 

This morning I picked up Darth. In one look, I knew that it was gout and that he needed to be put down immediately. 

:( 

Darth had lost all movement in his fingers & toes as well as his wrists & ankles. 

I gently attempted to get his legs and arms to move at the shoulders/hips. Nothing. 

Poor baby. Gout is agony. Uric acid crystals are not processed by the sickly kidneys and begin to collect in the joints. Every movement or touch pushes against the crystals that feel like tiny knives. 

In such a young beardie, there's no real treatment. Gout is a symptom of kidneys that are genetically flawed. Frodo, last month's rescue, had the same issue. Poor breeding practices are causing many genetically messed up beardies to be sold at pet stores. 

I left Darth with my vet to be put down and then had to call his family to explain what I had chosen and why. It was a hard phone call to make. I made sure to emphasize that it was not there fault and no it was NOT calcium deficiency like a vet had told them two weeks before. 

I'm seeing a significant increase in baby beardies sold at pet stores that have significant problems-- failure to thrive, kidney failure, and yellow fungus. More than ever, you need to be careful when choosing a pet from a pet store. There's no way to tell if a baby has genetic abnormalities though. The best you can do is try to find a reputable breeder who take care of their pets. 

Poor baby, Darth. Rest in peace now that you are free from pain. 

Sweet Frodo

With Frodo, I wanted Dr Folland to confirm my belief that Frodo had gout caused by kidney failure before we decided what to do next. It took a thorough examination, but finally he was able to make a small poke in Frodo's foot and squeeze out a glob of pus filled uric acid. :(

Gout is a condition on its own, but with beardies, it's really more of a symptom of kidney failure. The kidneys don't process the protein in their diet and it builds up as uric acid internally instead of being expelled through pooping. 

Frodo's gout came on faster than any Beardie I have ever seen or heard of. He went from fine to mostly paralyzed in less than 3 weeks. Shockingly fast. 

Gout is a horribly painful affliction for beardies. Uric acid crystals are like little razors in their blood and every movement hurts. There is no way to reverse it because it's caused by genetics. Frodo's kidneys were born broken. 

We elected to put him out of his misery. Just like with Sami, I tucked him in his blankie in my shirt and let him go to sleep. 

He and Sami will be buried in my flower bed. 

Crikey, rescue number 57

This is Crikey, a 14 month beardie who, I think, is suffering from severe gout. Poor boy. He's got a vet appt first thing tomorrow morning at 8 am. A friend of mine rescued him from a bad situation in Vegas and has done a good job with him, but his condition continues to worsen.

Gout is a condition where the kidneys fail to work correctly and uric acid is released into the bloodstream where it accumulates in the joints. The acid crystals are sharp and make movement very, very painful. You can see how swollen Crikey's joints are. He's stopped moving almost completely and has very little appetite. 

Gout is very difficult to treat because it's root cause is kidney malfunction. You can often get rid of the symptoms, but you will always have a beardie with poorly functioning kidneys. So you have to have a special diet and continual treatment to keep the beardie's uric acid levels in check. 

Look at his poor feet & knees! Every joint in his body is swollen and so painful to move. Poor little buddy. We'll see if we can get him better. Dr Folland is a rock star (in case you haven't figured that out from my posts already) and offers Crikey the best chance of survival.

I will keep you posted.