Does this look like MBD?

[wermy]

Wah! My little guy has been pre-shedding-cranky and refusing food so I've left him alone for the past 3 days. Today he finally shed so I took him out for a toe and ear bag check. And I see a dent in his hip! It's especially obvious when he sits a certain way (first pic). MBD?

He gets no natural light, just a uvb bulb and I supplement his meals twice a week with Zoomed Repti-Calcium with D3.

[NickBrahz]

From my understanding if it was MDB it would be above the hind legs, they store fat in the tails so im pretty sure it's just that where it drops down is where the tail connects to the body and then where it gets fatter again is where the fat reserves start up though i would wait for a response from somebody that knows more then i do.

[wermy]

From my understanding if it was MDB it would be above the hind legs, they store fat in the tails so im pretty sure it's just that where it drops down is where the tail connects to the body and then where it gets fatter again is where the fat reserves start up though i would wait for a response from somebody that knows more then i do.

But in the caresheet's MBD section, the second-to-last pic (would post it here but the site doesn't let you copy-paste it) seems to show a hump right where the hind legs are, then a big dip below it, sort of like a more extreme version of Titus's. And I'm racking my brain but I can't recall ever noticing it on him before today...

[NickBrahz]

A lot of people use powder with no UVA/UVB bulb and they say they have had no issues after decades so im hoping it is just to do with fat reserves or something fingers cross, he has a nice brown coming through, very pale colour though mines like a dark gold.

[jdheff1982]

I use the ZooMed supplements myself w/o a UV bulb and have not had any issues and I feed once a week. I supplement each time, too.

The dip behind the hip is bizarre looking.

[wermy]

I use the ZooMed supplements myself w/o a UV bulb and have not had any issues and I feed once a week. I supplement each time, too.

The dip behind the hip is bizarre looking.

Gah I wonder what I'm doing wrong then! I hope I'm not oversupplementing...I dust the food with a couple of pinches twice a week but he doesn't seem to get very much, a lot of it falls off the food when he picks it up.

A lot of people use powder with no UVA/UVB bulb and they say they have had no issues after decades so im hoping it is just to do with fat reserves or something fingers cross, he has a nice brown coming through, very pale colour though mines like a dark gold.

I hope so too. Yeah he is slowly getting lighter with age! I tried to do a photoshoot but it was too late in the evening to get a good picture of his colours.

[Richard.C]

mbd u will usually get tail kinks,your guy looks fine to me,another thing they can get is a back divet when uoung from climbing at sides of cage,it results from them not by climbing but the fact some lean back wau to much, putting stress on lower back,over extending against the natural back bending,when taht happens they often get an odd raised area on back berween back legs but usually that behind a divet in thwre back where the over bending occured,your guy doesnt appear to have that either,so possably just a good sized stomach but tail isnt over stocket with fat storage yet

[NickBrahz]

mbd u will usually get tail kinks,your guy looks fine to me,another thing they can get is a back divet when uoung from climbing at sides of cage,it results from them not by climbing but the fact some lean back wau to much, putting stress on lower back,over extending against the natural back bending,when taht happens they often get an odd raised area on back berween back legs but usually that behind a divet in thwre back where the over bending occured,your guy doesnt appear to have that either,so possably just a good sized stomach but tail isnt over stocket with fat storage yet

So where it dips down is that where the fat storage starts?

[wermy]

mbd u will usually get tail kinks,your guy looks fine to me,another thing they can get is a back divet when uoung from climbing at sides of cage,it results from them not by climbing but the fact some lean back wau to much, putting stress on lower back,over extending against the natural back bending,when taht happens they often get an odd raised area on back berween back legs but usually that behind a divet in thwre back where the over bending occured,your guy doesnt appear to have that either,so possably just a good sized stomach but tail isnt over stocket with fat storage yet

You think so? That would be a huge relief! He doesn't have tail kinks, just the sudden dip behind his hip bones. I will continue monitoring it, hopefully you are right and it disappears once his tail starts filling out!

[wermy]

Ok I feel stupid. It's gone now.



But there is a weird thinness where his tail meets his body. I found the pic below in an older thread (credit to member ID JeffC, from thread: http://www.bluetongueskinks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=24128). Comparing it to Titus (bottom-most pic), the tail fattens out after a brief constriction by the hip, like a gecko tail. On the JeffC thread it was suggested it is a hemipenal bulge, could that be what it is on Titus?

JeffC:


Titus:

[Susann]

Even in the picture where it was more obvious I don't see anything that would lead me to think MBD. It's certainly possible; if you're worried about it there's nothing wrong with getting an x-ray to check bone density. That's really the only way of ruling it out ...or adjusting diet/supplements if there are concerns.

[mywave]

Hi Wermy , I have just got a new Bluey called Poppy, I will post her an intro tomorrow! But poppy sure looks like she might be a sister or brother of titus. I got her/him from a breeder in the Wanganui district on monday, Anyway, my poppy has hips like that. My 2 year old Charlie was from the same breeder, and he looked like that as a juvie also, same hip thingy. I dont think it is any thing to worry about as he has a back staight as an arrow now... well a slightly chubby arrow Such cute colours I look forward to seeing these bubbys grow!!

[wermy]

Hi Wermy , I have just got a new Bluey called Poppy, I will post her an intro tomorrow! But poppy sure looks like she might be a sister or brother of titus. I got her/him from a breeder in the Wanganui district on monday, Anyway, my poppy has hips like that. My 2 year old Charlie was from the same breeder, and he looked like that as a juvie also, same hip thingy. I dont think it is any thing to worry about as he has a back staight as an arrow now... well a slightly chubby arrow Such cute colours I look forward to seeing these bubbys grow!!

Hey there fellow kiwi!

I wonder if the hip thing is a weird NZ bluey characteristic lol! Your blueys are almost certainly related to Titus, NZ has a very limited stock of Easterns and now that imports are banned all babies would have been captive bred from the same few lines. Titus came from a breeder in Levin, is that the one you got Poppy from? It's the only NZ breeder I can find. I'd love to see pics of Poppy and Charlie!

[wermy]

Even in the picture where it was more obvious I don't see anything that would lead me to think MBD. It's certainly possible; if you're worried about it there's nothing wrong with getting an x-ray to check bone density. That's really the only way of ruling it out ...or adjusting diet/supplements if there are concerns.

Thanks Susann, it seems like no one thinks it's a sign of impending MBD so I'm mightily relieved. Any thoughts on the possible hemipenal bulge?

[Dood]

Looks like a fat bulge to me too - just like Leopard geckos get