Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, I have a female brown anole that I've been keeping with a pair of green anoles and a day gecko in a 40 tall. They seemed to get along fine but about 3 weeks ago I saw the brown constantly hanging out towards the bottom. She has no scars on her so I dont think she was picked on. I would mist the cage daily and I've seen her drink.

She slowly lost her ability to climb and no longer strikes at food. Very quick when try to pick her up, but it seems that she has no control over her fingers because she just flaps her legs to run. I helped her shed and feed her chicken baby food with vitamins/calcium through a cyringe. She bites the cyringe and eats it up and seems to pass it ok as well.

Any suggestions on what this disease might be or any input on how to cure it?

Thanks guys...

Need the other environmental conditions (i.e., temperature, humidity, temperature at basking spot). Also the sizes of the other cagemates would be helpful. Anoles can be injured without visible injury. From the sound of it, it might be neurological but need to have more specifics.

I'm sorry it slipped my mind. I have seperated her just to be sure. She is in a 10 gallon with a cocohut and dish. She seems to prefer the area that stays around 84-88 (hottest is probably 90). I spray her once, sometimes twice a day to keep humidity around 60-70%. She was previously housed with 2 green anoles (the male slightly larger than her, female about the same body size, but greens have bigger heads) and a male day gecko who is the largest (maybe by 2cm at most, but hes bulkier).

It really does seem neurological but I'm not sure where it may have originated...Its been a while since I treated sick reptiles and I forget exactly which vitamin intake is responsible for that. I'm pretty sure its B, can anyone confirm? Any dietary suggestions?

Thanks for the reply!

It may be Metabolic Bone Disease (similar to Osteoporosis in humans). Try dusting her food items with calcium at every feeding and see if there is any improvement. MBD sometimes manifests itself as a neurological disorder before the spine and hip deformity becomes apparent. Incresed calcium intake will sometimes reverse it partially.

Do you suggest calcium with D3 for this?

Andy

Does she have a source of good UVB? With no UVB, she can have plenty of calcium, but be unable to process it.

There is also hypothiaminosis, which I think you were referring to. It's a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine) that can cause symptoms similar to MBD. I don't know if/how it affects insectivores - I'm only familiar with it as it affects omnivores and herbivores. Frozen veggies have their thiamine leached out in the freezing process, and thus plant eaters can have this deficiency if that's a big part of what you feed them.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

With my experience, if this was MBD the bones would become bent and somewhat like cartilage again but she seems like she has plenty of strength, just not feeling. MBD usually doesnt strike this quickly, effects can be seen in bone structure for months before serious movment problems occured (at least with the geckos I've dealt with). I think if it was MBD, at this stage, only a calcium shot would help, and I dont think she can have on since shes so small I will continue mixing the baby food with calc/D3 just in case, if she can only regain feeling, the bones dont seem to be bent.

As for B1, what aside from vegies contains it? I THINK I remember cod liver oil does but I'm not certain. Something (probably natural) to mix with the baby food would be ideal. I would say that this hypothesis is closer to the truth...Any more input?

Thanks so far guys, its great to hear all this input!

While it is true that MBD causes bone deformities over time, it also causes neurological damage which can manifest itself in the short term.
You can easily provide an adequate dose of a range of vitamins by simply crushing a regular human vitamin into powder and either dusting a prey item with the powder or adding a small amount of powder to your baby food supplement.

I really don't know if B1 is ever a problem for insectivores. For my uros, I have B1 in capsules that I break open and dust over frozen veggies. If the calcium doesn't help, maybe you could mix in a little of the B1 powder. It can't hurt, anyway.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

It's a little pricey but RepCal's Herpivite is what I use for vitamins. I mix it with the calcium in a 2:1 ratio (2 parts calcium / 1 part vitamins. The reason why I mix it like that is because too much vitamin A is very bad. I believe that if you use the calcium that has the vitamin D3 you don't have to provide UVB unless you want them to mate. At least that's what we do with day geckos.

There are a number of European Anole breeders that don't use UVB at all -- and haven't for years. They do have to supplement the Anoles' prey items with D3 at every feeding. That isn't the most convenient way to maintain Anoles particularly if you have more than one or two. It is easier to use UVB and supplement about once a week. A varied diet helps immensely as well. Not all prey items have the same proportions of vitamins and nutrients. You can avoid many of the nutritional maladies with a varied diet of insects and weekly calcium/vitamin supplements.

Thanks a lot guys! I am familliar with repcal, I'll go pick the supplements up tomorrow (I've been using slightly different stuff, but I agree that repcal is top notch). I will probably grind up crickets and small meal worms with a mortar and pestel or at least chicken baby food and dump the vitamins 2:1. As always, any further suggestions on this process are welcome.

Once again, thats SO much for your help guys! I'll do my best to bring her out of this mess!