Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Yesterday my beardie was fine. Active. Alert. Ate quite a bit. This morning when I woke up he was immobile. So I took him out of his cage to see if he would eat and he started twitching then appeared to have seizures. I've been searching the forums and from what I've read he has the symptoms of MBD or calcium defiiciency. How can this be? I have his cage set up properly. Basking temps 110 - 115. Ambient temperature 80 - 85 on the cool side and 90 - 95 on the warm side. He has a UVB bulb and gets his food coated with calcium powder once a day. Seeing as today is Sunday, there are no vets open around here. I can't stand to sit around and watch him suffer. Is there anything I can do? I've tried keeping him warm, but his body tightens up and he appears to have a seizure when this happens. Yesterday fine. Today this. I just don't see anything that I could be doing wrong.

Twitching can also be caused from eating too large of prey, or eating too much and not digesting (impaction). The food or undigested item can press against their spinal nerves. Was he able to bask at least 90 min. before lights out?
Try giving him a warm soak to try to make him poop. If that doesn't work, give him a few drops of mineral oil. Keep him warm and under the basking light.
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TheClassyLizard

and how much do I give him? how often?

Any drug store should have it..
Only give 2-3 drops per day.
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TheClassyLizard

how big is your beardie? This happened to mine about a month ago from feeding him mealworms. If the food that your giving him is to large, it can get stuk in his spine and cause seizures. First try to find a vet. I would try giving him a bath. That will help him go to the bathroom and hopefully make him feel a little bit better. The food that you give him should be no larger than the space between his eyes. Hope he is okay.

I'm watching him really closely. A few minutes ago he had what seemed to be a HUGE seizure and I thought he had passed away. I've been giving him water and baby juice and keeping a close eye on him. I tried soaking him in warm water and wrapping him in a warm cloth, but every time he had a seizure like reaction. I do't know what else to do at this point. No vets are open. I'm worried sick. Here I was thinking I was doing everything right and he appeared to be a healthy, thriving BD and now this.

It can be that severe and even deadly.
What did he eat yesterday? What substrate is he on?
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TheClassyLizard

yesterday he ate mealworms, but I picked out the ones that were molted so he could easily digest them. He's on playsand but yesterday I fed him outside his cage.

Mickey, The Lizard King was the first one that showed me what mealworms can do that to young dragons. Since then we have heard of it several times in young dragons. I don;t know how old yours is but I have seen it in dragons 2-4 months old.

I also agree with christy that he could be impacted from them but also there is something, I think it was so type of acid in them that can give young dragons shakes and seizures.

He's only about 11 or 12 weeks old.
Do you remember where you read this at? I'm worried to death about it. He looks to be in serious pain and I don't want him out of my site because he fell off his rock earlier.

Secure him as best you can. I would also do what christyj said and use the mineral oil and soak him in case he is impacted from the mealworms.

The information about the shakes was TOLD to me by very a knowledgable man with baby bearded dragons called Mickey, The Lizard King that use to be on KS a lot prior to last year. He first noticed it sloghtly on my female 4 month old I had showed him at a show. He showed me a dragon that had not traveled well to a show and he was not eating who had been fed some mealworms to try and give him strength and the little dragons was shaking. Mickey explained that it often happens to dragons fed mealworms too young.

Several months after that we had a 5 month old female prolapse the day after she was fed mealworms for the first time. Since then, seeing something happen to dragons 3 times follwoing feeding mealworms we do nto fed any to the dragons anymore. When they are 6 months old, they start getting 1-2 fresh shed supersworms twice a week until they are adults and they increase.

I also remember Mickey said they would stop shaking when the mealworms left their systems and not to fed them to dragons unless dire situation like the one he fed some too who was ill.

Ive tried the soaking and wrapping him in a warm rag, but that seems to bring on the seizure like reactions? what should I do? should I continue to try the soaks or give him the mineral oil and hope it passes?

n/p
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TheClassyLizard

when this happened to mine we all thought he was dead. I held him up and his head would just flop down, and he kept opening and closing his mouth and turning his head all weird positions. I put mine back in his cage to warm up. Soon after he started to move around again and get alittle bit better. What did you feed him before?

I've been feeding him mealworms. I pick through them and find ones that are molted. He's really picky and shows little interest in crickets. I figured the molted mealworms would be easy to digest.

how long did it take for yours to pass it? I tried the baths but it seems to increase the seizures. After passing, how long before your beardie was healthy again?

When you bathe him what temperature is the water? If it is too cold or warm it may be causing him to tense up which could aggrivate his condition (ie causing the seizures). However if the temperature of the water is mid 80's F I would recommend skipping the baths altogether.

If he does eat, try feeding him pureed carrots or squash, the extra water in these vegetables should help losing things up. Deffinitely keep him warm and since he tends to fall off his log (I think it was you who mentioned trying to put him on the basking log but he promptly fell off), lower his basking light so he gets warm while on the floor of the tank. Just make sure he doesn't get too hot.

Finally, take him to the vet asap if you haven't already today.