Beardie Having Seizures

I've already PMed Tracie about this, but I was wanting to see other thoughts are on this.

I'm very worried about my bearded dragon, Squirrel. I have already PMed Drache, but I was wondering if anyone else my have any thoughts.

This morning around 9:00 am cst, Squirrel, was hunting for breakfast and was doing just fine. Then, around 11:00 am cst, my fiancee Austin noticed Squirrel, having a seizure. She starts by twitching her legs and tail, trying to run around, only to end up with her head bent fully over her back, gaping. Then she just collapses.

Between 11:00 am until around 3:40 pm cst, she has had upwards of a dozen seizures, some very severe but also a few milder ones. As he is unemployed, he has been and will be home for the next few days to keep an eye on her, just as he was able to discover something wrong with her today.

Squirrel was hatched around June 24th, 2008. She is currently 7 inches and 45 grams last we weighed her mon 10-13-08.

We were using a Repti Glo 10.0 UVB compact bulb alongside a Sun Glo 75 watt Basking bulb. After speaking with her breeder, it sounds as though the issue is mainly our lighting and the effect it's having in her calcium absorption.

To fix this, we got her a Repti-Sun 10.0 today and have put it on her already and we have gotten a little liquid calcium in her. She seems to have brightened a little in color, but- due to a full day of seizures- I am very worried about her energy levels. If she is handled or she moves around too much, she goes into one. Due to the frequency of her seizures and the fact that her energy seems to be getting less and less, I'm worried she might not be able to rest and that she will eventually not have the strength to recover from them in order to get better.

What temperature should she be kept at while she is recovering? Should we keep her on the rice sock and cover her or should we keep the night bulb on her while she sleeps?

Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions on how I can help her aside from how I already have?

Hey,
I'm sorry that your baby isn't doing so well. Could you answer some questions please?
How many times a week do you use a calcium supplement and what kind specifically?
Do you offer any vitamin supplements?
What do you feed your dragon?
How long did you have the Reptiglo and compact bulb for?
Mel

How many times a week do you use a calcium supplement and what kind specifically? 5 x a week, T-Rex Dragon Dust
Do you offer any vitamin supplements? Liquid supliment in her water
What do you feed your dragon? Crickets, collard greens, carrots, starberries (won't touch any salad/fruit piece)
How long did you have the Reptiglo and compact bulb for? We've had it since we got Squirrel in Sept.

Hey,
Since you PMed Tracie, make sure you see what she has to say before you go to sleep. I'm thinking though, it was having those lights for so long. Have you read the thread leann had about Willy? If not you might want to check it out. Bless that woman's soul she went through so much with her beardie.
Is your calcium dust phosphorous free?
Mel

Oh, the poor thing. It must be awful watching something like that. I think it would be a good idea to turn the Repti-Sun off for a few days. Since she had a compact bulb before, the new bulb now may be causing some neurological disturbances. A few day without any UVB won't do any harm at all. Just to be sure, the Repti-Sun is a strip fluorescent, right? How close was she to the compact & what is the distance to the new bulb?

Any idea what the humidity level is in the tank? Do you mist inside the tank? Are you using either a temperature gun or a digital thermometer that has a probe end? What are the temps?

Menolly> Thanks for the heads up! I'm trying to learn all I can right now, just to make sure there isn't anything else I can do for her. As of right now, I am waiting a reply from Tracie tho.

And yes, it is phosphorous free. I was planning on chaning to the dust that her breeder used once we run out of this stuff tho. Why? Is it supposed to be? *making sure to double-check everything she's told*

Diamc> It is. It tears my heart everytime I see her convulse. Thankfully, she's resting peacefully in the dark with a blanket over her viv and a nighttime heat lamp on.

Yes, that's what the Repti-Sun 10.0 is. She could get within 6 inches of the compact and she can get 6 inches away from the new bulb.
So you suggest no UVB for a few days then? Should I still give her some liquid calcium despite not having the UVB bulb on?

As for the humidity in the tank, it is 43%. I don't mist the tank because I was told that it was at a good level right now. As for temperature taking, I have a digital with a probe. The temps one the hot side normally are about 100*F while the cool side is around 80*F. That's about right, yes?

I would make sure that she can't do any climbing tomorrow. Would probably be a good idea to remove her basking log & replace with a bunch of fluffy towels or something similar to help raise her to the basking bulb. She really doesn't need any night heating as long as the room temp doesn't drop below 65. If you feel you need to use the light tonight though, make sure she is facing the opposite direction from the light so as not to disturb her sleep. Also, make sure the bulb isn't right over her, they do need to have it cooler at night.

Yes, I do suggest turning off the UVB for a few days. You could continue to give her a drop of liquid calcium on those days though. The humidity sounds fine along with the temps and it's good that you're using a digital with probe end. How do you hydrate her, baths, misting, drinks? Just trying to cover all bases. :wink:

Already have her on fluffy pillows and a rice sock for a cushiony perch as she was very unhappy without something to climb up onto. Figured it'd be the safest, softest alternative. She's nestled down asleep as happy as a clam right now, thankfully. The seizures have stopped since the lights have gone out, so I'm hoping she'll be able to rest, sleep and regain her strength.

When I hydrate her, I give her a bath every other day or so, I mist her or put water droplets on her nose at least every day. But she is cared for during the day by my fiancee, Austin, and I think Austin mists her in the mornings normally.

She sounds like a very spoiled beardie. :love5: It's great that Austin pitches in & helps out.

So, you already thought of the pillows, etc. that's good. Hopefully the rest tonight will help. You don't want it too warm in the tank though, so make sure the light isn't directly over her or glowing in her face, ok?

How long have you been using the liquid calcium? How much do you give her in a day? That's good that you're bathing every other day, no concerns about dehydration then. Make sure her vent (where she poos) is right down in the water each time as that helps to properly hydrate them. You might want to mention to Austin to make sure that he doesn't ever mist inside the tank or it can raise the humidity too high which can sometimes bring on an upper respiratory infection.

I hope you see her acting & feeling much better tomorrow. Be sure to update us, ok?

*chuckles* Yes, she is very spoiled, but very much a Mama's Girl. And yes, if Austin wasn't home today, I don't even want to think what we could have come home to! And yup! The nightlight is on the completel opposite end and she has always slept with her head buried in her towel, so I'm pretty positive it's not bothering her.

We got some liquid calcium today and read the instructions. It said if calcium deficient, offer three drops daily. And she always gets sprayed outside her cage because it lets us bond with her better. (She likes to climb all over our shirt to dry off. Go figure. :roll: )

And yes, I shall keep you all updated!

So, if the seizures just started today, you just got the new Repti-Sun today & you just started using the calcium drops today, it sounds like an overload of ultra violet rays and/or calcium. It may have something to do with the compact from before & now with the stronger bulb & the strong calcium, it's too much for her. I still suggest leaving the new UVB off for a few days & either not giving any calcium for a few days or only just 1 drop a day. I asked Vicky (Vickson) to have a look here too, let's see what her thoughts are.

Thanks so much for all the help! I'll have Austin take a look at this thread (and any PMs) tomorrow before he decides to do anything.

Since Squirrel is sleeping soundly, now so should I as work calls way too early tomorrow. I shall post tomorrow after everything settles down tomorrow after I get home!

Ok & good luck. :wink:

Hello,

We have been Pm'ing too. I am just now looking at the thread!
So you have the new Reptisun 10 on her now?
Was she experiencing any eye problems, or just lethargic behavior up to now?
I would continue the calcium, but slowly. Can you tell me the strength of the liquid calcium per ml? Such as x amount of mg/ml? Where did you get it from?
Go slowly on the protein too, but do try to continue getting fluids into her right now, & maybe as I suggested, make some food into some thicker paste as well.
As far as the UVB light, I think you should still try to keep the Reptisun 10 on her, but for limited time per day to see how she does, UNLESS she was having eye problems. If she was having eye problems, then do not turn on the UVB light for at least 1-2 weeks. As I had suggested you can start out for 6 hours per day, maybe 4 minimum, just to help get her metabolism of calcium started. The problem is, if you are giving calcium, & not allowing any UVB exposure, her body will not absorb it or even metabolize it as it will just sit in her body & do nothing basically but be excreted. It wont really be stored much at all.
Start slowly with her & let us know how she is doing.

Tracie

Yes, we have her on the Repti-Sun 10.0 right now. We turned the Repti-Glo off as soon as the seizures started asnd immediately went out and replaced it with the Repti-Sun when I got off work. She didn't have any eye trouble nor was she lethargic. She was acting completely normal until the seizures began.

The only stuff we could find was at Petco. It's Zilla food spray calcium supplement in an 8 fl oz bottle. It recommends spraying food and then waiting 15 seconds before feeding them to your beardie. If giving just the suppliment, it recommended using 3 drops per day.

Today after I got home, we got her to eat a little bit of squash baby food (since Tracie recommended going easy on the protein for now) and she took her calcium drops and some water with no problem. Then she let out a mighty poo, even for her. (Austin was so taken back by the smell he immediately air freshened the room after we put her away.)

We have her on a warm rice sock right now, atop a bed of towels, with the Repti-Sun 10.0 on her right now. So far, we haven't had any seizures yet today!