HELP! EWD has weird bumps, and losing weight

[mudgudgeon]

I'm after some advice. I have two EWDs, about 18months old. One male, one female.
A few weeks ago I noticed my male had a lump on a joint of a toe on his hind leg, the toe is also floppy. He's been fine otherwise, good appetite and active etc.

About a week ago I noticed he was holding his mouth slightly open most of the time, which is odd.
Tonight I noticed he was holding his mouth open more, and hasn't been very active.
I took him out of his enclosure to check him over.
I noticed a bump on his jaw, a lump on the side of hid head, a lump under his chin, lumps on his tail, a lump on one thigh, the lump in his toe looks bigger.
He's lost a heap of weight, and was fairly subdued while I was handling him.
He also had a teary/ watery eye.

I'm worried by the lumps, and by his weight loss!


They are currently housed in a 4ft glass enclosure, the have a CHE + UVA/B lamp, they can bask within 10cm of the UV lamp and it is about 6months old.
They are fed woodies (I have a colony), meal worms, crickets, earth worms, occasional flies, moths caterpillars etc. I use calcium on their food about once per week. I also feed them fresh fruit and veg about once per week and usually add calcium.

My male had a full shed about 2months ago and was looking in prime shape, great condition, active etc, so his weight loss and change in demeanor are a worry.

Any advice, suggestions etc welcome. I will try to get him to a vet ASAP.

thanks, dave


Will get some pics up ASP

 

[miss_mosher]

With my experience with water dragons, they are vicious little things. I'm not sure about all these bumps, but the initial toe problem sounds like he's been attacked. I noticed that the ones I had were deadly towards each other at dinner time. I'm not to sure what else it could be sorry hope the vet knows what it is and he gets better soon!

 

[Revell13]

Firstly how much water do they have to swim in on a daily basis? My only thought is he has not shed properly and the remaining skin is causing problems, if thats not the case, basking temp? Have you introduced anything new into the enclosure? Are there any pesticides in the garden where you are collecting the worms/moths/flies from? Has anyone in your house started using a fly spray in the house? Or an automatic "bug killer" spray? One of my little guys (hatched this year) started getting some bumps all over him but shed within a week and they all went with the shed, but his activity and weight didn't change.
Hope that gets the ball moving as far as ideas to what could be the cause, and I hope he gets better soon.

The five 8 month old EWDs I have housed together aren't aggressive towards each other at all.

 

[mudgudgeon]

They have ample water, approx 25litres. His recent shed was complete, he spent a lot of time soaking over the 2-3weeks it took to shed fully.
Garden is 100% organic, no insecticide used indoors or outdoors for many years.
They have had periods of aggression as they went through pubity, but now they've grown up, they are good mates he is well and truly dominant.

 

[GeckoJosh]

Take him to a vet, Wyoming Greencross vets has a reptile vet named Peter Nosworthy

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Stella street at long jetty also has a vet with reptile experience

 

[mudgudgeon]

Thanks for tips on local vets guys, much appreciated.

 

[thepythonguy]

could something have fallen on him or him come unstuck whilst jumping somewhere i've seen mine do some deadly dives into the glass and walls chasing each other in the enclosure

 

[Revell13]

Im fresh out of ideas then, absolutely time for a trip to the vet.

 

[mudgudgeon]

could something have fallen on him or him come unstuck whilst jumping somewhere i've seen mine do some deadly dives into the glass and walls chasing each other in the enclosure

Nothing out of the ordinary shenanigans they are crazy kamikaze critters! This one's called 'bomber' because he bombs anything that moves at feeding time.

At the vet now.

Went to the vet yesterday, but the vet wasn't up to speed on reptiles.
Went back today to see a different Dr.
My EWD has an ulcerated sore in his mouth, plus infection in his toe, the vet thinks the other bumps are all the result of a bacterial infection in his blood :-(
He's on anti-biotics and got to back to the vet in about a week.

I was worried that maybe he had Metabolic Bone Disease, but the vet is confident he doesn't and thinks all the bumps etc are a result of the infection.


Big thumbs up for Peter Nosworthy at Wyoming Greencross vet, he was great!

 

[mudgudgeon]

Was pretty stoked to see this guy show interest in some food, he ate some big earth worms, happy to see him eating. He's still pretty quiet though.

 

[Umbral]

That's great news, I'm glad it was a fairly simple fix

 

[mudgudgeon]

He's not fixed yet, still serious, but he's showing good signs.

 

[mudgudgeon]

This guy is all better, 100% fighting fit. He's back to his pre-sickness weight and dominant again (he was getting his butt whipped for a while)
He just had a full shed, and looks better than ever.View attachment 269202

He had a nasty infection, it took a lot of careful cleaning of a couple of wounds and a month of antibiotics!

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

thats awesome hun! what vet did you end up going to?

 

[mad_at_arms]

Pic didn't work.
Good to hear he is recovering well.

 

[mudgudgeon]

thats awesome hun! what vet did you end up going to?

I went to Peter Nosworthy at Wyoming Greencross vet. He was awesome, cannot speak highly enough about him, he was super helpful and really cared about the outcome. BIG thumbs up from me.

- - - Updated - - -



Did this work? This site sux for putting pics up :?

 

[Renenet]

Looking good.

 

[GeckoJosh]

I am stoked for you and your dragon!

 

[mudgudgeon]

Bomber has just had another shed. 2nd in about a month! View attachment 269767