Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As I said before my baby dragons kept throwing up eaten crickets. But now the male's legs keep twiching, and they both seem to be slugish. they just lay there and they wont move.
whats the problem?

Twitching is often a sign of calcium deficiency. What are your temps (basking and cool side)? What is your supplement regime (when and how much calcium do you give and how, what about vitamin supplements)? If you give us some more information we can better advise you. I rally think if you babies are twitching they need to see a vet. They can administer a calcium injection if they think it is needed and get them on a liquid calcium supplement to boost calcium lewvels quicker. But, you need to fix some hubandry problems, so we need to know what you are currently doing.
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Stacey

Currently I have a 75 wat dragon bulb, and a basic 12" uv light on top. I usually feed them dusted crickets every other feeding time. I dont have a thermometer, but I go by feel, Its usually the same as my adults cage.The female is moving around and is fine, but the male is slugish and he had a constant twich yesterday. As far as I know he has stoped.
Please help,what can I do to make my hsbandry better?
My first dragon I got was an adult, wich is pretty easy to take care of, but the babys are just a bit more difficult. how can I take better care of them?

-batman

You should also purchase a digital thermometer or temp gun to accurately test the temperature in the baby dragon's cage. The human hand isn't very good at accurately determining temperature.
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PHLdyPayne

75 watt is pretty small, I have a baby in a 20 gal right now and I use a 160 MVB (mercury vapor bulb, I use T-Rex brand) to get it to a basking site of 110 and a cool side of 80-83. I like the MVB because they are a two for one, heat ans UVB in one bulb. With the fluorescent tubes the dragon has to be within 6 inches to get the UVB. I would change to the MVB bulb as they can be farther away and still get the UVB. Your supplementation with calcium sounds fine, but I think your babies aren't being able to utilize it because of the lack of UVB absorption. So my advice is:

1. Go to the vet for fecal tests and to see if they are suffering from calcium deficiency. They may ned a calcium injection to get them started and possibly Neo Calglucon liquid calcium medication. That would be up to your vet

2. Increase your temps! 110-115 basking and 80-85 cool side.

3. New UVB source (appropriate distance from dragon or MVB)

4. Smaller prey items offered everyday (no bigger than the space between their eyes, unless it is soft bodied silkworms they can be a little bigger). Mixed greens with Rep-cal pellets soaked and offered everyday. I use silkworms in the salad so my babies eat their greens too. You may want to consider silkies. Dust prey items with Rep-cal calcium powder every other day in growing dragons. Use Reptivite vitamin supplement once a week.

5. Warm water soaks a couple times a week as maintenance (everyday if dehydrated or not defecating)

I bought a temp gun from ProExotics for $25. It was really worth it. At least get the dial style thermometers (digital are better). Put one at the basking site and one on the cool side.

Good luck. I am glad you are here looking to help your dragons. It shows you really care about them.
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Stacey

thanks for the advice, I follow it to the T to help my babys,This info will also help me with my adult.

thanks,-batman

be carefull what size crix you are feeding, they will often regurgitate (sp?) if they eat to much to fast, also large food in very young beardies can cause spinal chord damage, i have only seen it a few times in 9 years of dealing with beardies every day, but it can happen. the reguritation thing happens a lot for me with one or two pigs so i have to feed them a little a few times a day vs a bunch once a day
i would get to a vet if its at all possible even if just for a check up!
good luck!

That could be a variety of things - as alrady stated. Get the dragons in for a certified vet checkup. According to your last post, they regurgitated because of the amount of food or size of prey item, so Im leaning toward that theory here. Sounds like you have a possible impaction. Either way, whether calcium deficiency or impaction, get the buggers to the vet ASAP..

Good luck!
David - KDRKreatures
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Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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