Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last weekend, my 3yr old chameleon died. It's symptoms were in line with low calcium but I sincerely doubt that it was my husbandry because he had calcium dusted food and a proper UV bulb. He started with seizures and twitches. Today, I noticed my very healthy 3yr old beardie having tiny little muscle spasms...one on her back, one on the base of her tail and another behind a front leg. Other than this, she acts normal. is it possible that a virus is causing this? Does anyone know of anything other than low calcium that can cause the twitching? We had taken my cham to the vet before he died but the calcium gluconate did nothing to help him at the time, we just figured it was too late. This to me just seems like too much of a coincidence.

Unless you had a necropsy done on the chameleon after it died, there is no way to know what caused it's death. Twitching can be symtoms of MBD but it also can be due to dificiencies in other nutrients other than calcium and Vitamine D3. The only virus I know that has affected bearded dragons in the past is the adenovirus which is not very easy to detect. It can produce symtoms very much like early MDB, parasite infections etc. Only a liver biopsy or blood test for the virus may detect it. On a good note, I haven't heard anything further about bearded dragons contracting the adenovirus for a good year or more, though this doesn't mean it isn't around, may never have been diagnosed.

My suggestion is to take your bearded dragon to your vet right away, have his blood calcium/bone density checked and get a fecal done to see what could be causing the twitching. Blood work and other tests should be done (as needed) to test for any sort of nutrient deficiency or toxicity (too much of certain nutrients can be as bad if not worse than not enough).
-----
PHLdyPayne

With situations like these time is of the essence. I would get to a vet as soon as possible. Good luck,
J. Marchon Reptiles

Hi
let a vet exame the poop.
if parasites is the case then the parasites wil eat the calsium and then you get a calsium short.
most of the time its the case if you have worms.
byeee
www.dragoncave.nl