Metabolic Bone Disease Awareness

[GeneticProject]

In my Opinion metabolic bone disease is a leading cause of injury and death of many reptiles. Alot of new people ask for help when it come to MBD how to reconise it and how to prevent it from happening. So i have lifted the following information from an article written by Lianne Mcleod. The following in not in my own words and im not in anyway taking any credit for it but i thought it was important to have this information in the help section so that people that need help with can read this rather than have to ask and be ridiculed by older and more experienced herpers about there husbandry.

Metabolic Bone Disease


Metabolic bone disease (MBD) is a well recognized and all too common disease of reptiles. Other terms which may be used include fibrous osteodystrophy, osteomalacia, secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, and rickets. There is no single cause and the disease is not as simple a calcium deficiency. However, the primary problem is a disruption of calcium metabolism which causes a host of related problems. MBD is almost always a result of poor husbandry, but generally preventable by providing a proper environment and diet. This is not always easy or inexpensive, but is vital to the health of pet reptiles.
Discussions of this disease often involve Bearded dragons. Because Bearded dragons are very popular and are susceptible to MBD due to their specific diet/light/environment needs, there are a large number of cases seen in Bearded dragons



Causes
MBD is complex disease. In it's simplest terms, MBD results from an improper calcium to phophorus ratio in the body. Normally this ratio should be around 2:1 calciumhosphorus (in the range of 1:1 to 2:1). When the calcium level is relatively low the body tries to compensate by taking calcium from wherever it can, for example the bones. This leads to a softening of the bones, making them susceptible to fractures and also leading to a deposition of fibrous tissue as the body tries to strengthen the bone in an absence of available calcium. Calcium also impacts a number of other physiological systems including muscle contraction (including the heart) and blood clotting. The 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus that is ideal in the diet, but calcium metabolism is not that simple. Vitamin D (especially D3) is also vital to calcium metabolism, and because some reptiles do not absorb vitamin D that well (much like humans) they need ultraviolet light exposure to manufacture their own vitamin D.
A full discussion of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D metabolism is beyond the scope of this article, but the basic factors that can skew the calciumhosphorus ratio include:

• too little calcium or too much phosphorus (i.e. improper ratio) in the diet
• presence of substances in the diet that impair the absorption of calcium (e.g. oxalates)
• a deficiency of vitamin D
• lack of exposure to UVA and UVB (necessary for the reptile to produce it's own vitamin D)
• inadequate protein
• kidney or liver disease (which impair conversion of vitamin D to it's active from), small intestinal disease (disrupts absorption), and disease of the thyroid or parathyroid glands (produce hormones which affect calcium metabolism). These are minor contributors - most cases are nutritionally based.
• cool temperatures impair digestion and therefore calcium absorption

Signs and Symptoms:
Vary depending on the severity and length of time over which the condition has developed. Due to the importance of calcium in bone formation and muscle function, most of the signs and symptoms are related to bone and muscle effects. These include:

• bowed, or swollen legs, or bumps on the long bones of the legs
• arched spine or bumps along bones of spine
• softening and swelling of the jaw (bilateral) - sometimes called "rubber jaw"
• receded lower jaw
• in turtles, softening of the carapace or plastron (the shell)
• tremors
• jerky movements-twitching in the muscles of the legs and toes
• lameness
• anorexia
• constipation
• fractures of the bones due to bone weakness
• lethargy
• weakness and even partial paralysis (sometimes unable to lift body off ground)

The disease is distinctive enough that diagnosis is usually made based on the symptoms, physical exam, and discussion of husbandry. Radiographs (X-rays) may be taken to confirm the diagnosis and monitor treatment. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease. For very mild cases a switch to a balanced diet and proper husbandry may be enough, but many cases require intensive calcium and vitamin supplementation under a veterinarian's care.
Prevention
Proper husbandry is more than just the right diet. The following are important in both prevention and treatment:

• diet balanced in calcium and phosphorus, protein, energy and other nutrients
• exposure to UVA/UVB for diurnal reptiles - need fluorescent bulbs that are rated to provide UVA and UVB
• proper heat gradients (day and night)
• proper light/dark cycles
• adequate enclosure/room to exercis

Sourced from Dianne Mcleod.

Cheers Barf

 

[jewfish1]

very interesting. thanks for that

 

[chickensnake]

Awesome info
How do you care for an animal that has MBD?
Could someone plz explain this.

 

[Chris1]

great info there,...thanks!!

 

[Chris1]

Awesome info
How do you care for an animal that has MBD?
Could someone plz explain this.

lots of sun and calcium supplements, the damage wont be reversed, but will stop getting worse,....

 

[chickensnake]

So, pretty much just the proper care but doubled up?.....and heaps of sun

 

[GeckoJosh]

Thanks for posting, this should be a sticky!!!!!

 

[giggle]

Thank you SO MUCH for this Just this week someone posted regarding their beardie who turned out to have MBD. Hopefully more awareness will help its prevention.

I find a lot of the time newer keepers don't understand the very delicate balance and the need for appropriate lighting and supplements.