Metabolic bone disease??? is it reversible?? HELP!!

[cacoonkitty]

hi could anyone tell me if you can reverse the effects of m.b.d in chams? i have just got some new chams from a breeder which are lovely and both are eating and active and look very healthy but i have noticed that there bottom jaws are ever so slightly bowing outwards and one of them looks quite flexable when he was eating ..its quite slight and not awful looking but i know this can be a symptom of m.b.d, the old owner said he never used to dust his insects with a calcium and vit supplements and relied on feeding the crickets up with fresh plants ect ,also he used .merc vap bulbs as a u.v source and heat source which is fine but i have no idea what age these bulbs were as i know they still need to be replaced with time and use.
Can i reverse this possible problem with time as they now have a new arcadia 12% u,v strip bulb(which is in reach of them) and a good basking area and with a good supplement of calcium and vit dusted over there insects and also a good gut loaded insect?? or will it get worse..worried now!!!!

 

[kenya]

Please post some photos or a video of them eating if you can. It sounds like it could be the beginnings of MBD but if you have a good UVB light and are supplementing properly, it should be fine once their calcium levels increase. How do their legs and casques look? Are they bent at all?

 

[sandrachameleon]

...Can i reverse this possible problem with time as they now have a new arcadia 12% u,v strip bulb(which is in reach of them) and a good basking area and with a good supplement of calcium and vit dusted over there insects and also a good gut loaded insect?? or will it get worse..worried now!!!!

So long as you're providing what they need, they wont get worse. If they have only slight problems, it may be corrected, but serious symptoms of MDB are not reversable. but they can recover, in that proper care will mean they dont get worse and can live healthy lives going forward. Dont worry

 

[kinyonga]

You will have to correct the imbalance then maintain the balance so that it won't come back. Chances are that the damage won't be corrected...but I have heard of some being lucky with it.

 

[cacoonkitty]

its only very slight sort of looks like an overbit but on the side instread of the front and i just looked at his jaw the slight bowing is actualy only on one side deformatie perhaps???? i still think that the old breeder should have been giving them supplements too, i was supprized that when i actualy saw them the cages wernt nice or anything ,all dried up and dirty and he seemed so clued up i was expecting a very nice cage but NOOO!! so i guess 300 pounds later i have sort of rescued them as now they have a nice leafy enclosure with lots of hiding areas and a humidifier and a clean viv and extra supplementation !!! there names are fluff the girly (who i think may be gravid!!) and button the boy who isnt quite old enough to have a girl friend yet so fluff will just have to wait a few months to meet him!!iagain any more info guys!!!!!???

 

[Lancecham]

As was mentioned, it may be the beginning signs of MBD. You may or may not be lucky to correct it. If bones are already crooked, that can not be fixed. If they have a soft and pliable jaw, that can possibly be corrected. The bowing may or may not be fixable. The most important thing is to get the calcium levels increased ASAP.

 

[cacoonkitty]

yep i have started to dust the crickets witha good vit/mineral/and calcium supplement 3 times a week now and feed them well gut loaded crickets ectect. appart from the very slight wonky jaw they seem to be spound with regards to there put together...cant see and other disfiguerment.and they are bothe eating and staying nice and high so the u.v can reach them nicly, and so fingures crossed,!!!! i think the female is gravid too!!!!!!!! hard to tell, will ask the vet next week if he can help on this!