ALARMING TWITCHING, VID CLIP ADDED

[Drakonia13]

Before I start, it's been a bad month and I cannot afford a vet, and as this is my second dragon, I do have the proper set up thanks to the members on this board so that should save some time. No coil bulbs, I have both uvb and heat, no heat rocks, age is approx 3 months or so. Ash is about 10-11 inches long and I haven't had any problems up until now. He has been eating, crickets and some though few veggies/fruit. He recently had a few wax worms with his crickets as I was hoping to fatten him up a little before winter. He gets his vitamins twice a week and I gut load his crickets.

Now to the problem. :shock:
Today I noticed him moving suddenly and his front left and back right leg were sticking straight out shaking like say a charlie horse in a human. After about a minute, it stopped and he laid there puffed though not black nor stress lines. Afterward, he sat opening his mouth periodically not sure why. He was fine otherwise, looking around, watching me, just with his mouth open. Then about 15 minutes of this, his right front leg went stiff and straight out shaking slightly like another charlie horse and then he was fine again, opening his mouth periodically and that's where we stand now.

UPDATE: Ash didn't eat this morning when I offered crickets at the usual time. Also a couple of times he's done the slight beard puff and act like he's coughing. His back legs are ever so slightly twitching. Toes, arms, and legs to be specific. This hasn't happened before last night. This isn't something that's gradually appeared, it happened out of the blue. I don't get it. I'm going to try to upload a video to show what I mean.

 

[amylee159]

yikes! I have no idea what that could be. Sorry Im no help, but hopefully someone on here will be able to give you some answers

 

[Drakonia13]

It's short and kind of hard to see, but if you can see you'll see what I mean about the twitch. There are two levels hard and easy. This was hard. He also just poo'ed after doing so a lot yesterday. Could this all have been something he ate?

 

[lillybd2008]

Is the object she laying on too hot? mine did this one day and I went to get her to check I noticed her rock was hot moved the rock and she never did it again Coincidence Maybe on mine not sure!  Just a Idea Very cute dragon

 

[Drakonia13]

I thought it might be heat so I cooled the tank a little, even took him out and gave him a bath to let the tank cool down. Still getting the twitch though I notice so far it's stopped since he poo'ed. Thanks lillybd2008. Any ideas are appreciated.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Are the crickets appropriately sized? Are they smaller than the space between the eyes? If not, they could be causing slight impaction problems.
What brand of UVB lighting are you using? How often do you supplement calcium?

Tracie

 

[Drakonia13]

The crickets are small; almost too small for this guy. Because the mediums were too big, the last couple of days I've given him waxworms. I didn't want to risk the hard shell of the meal worms but that's the only thing that's changed. The uvb is not the 10% reptisun, but it is a 7% about 8 inches away and not coil or glo. The power I was using until this started was Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/-/sticky-tongue-minerall-indoor-formula/
I was using that twice a week and nothing else because I had read multivitamins twice a week. I didn't realize I was also supposed to be dusting with calcium 5 days a week so today, fearing mbd, I got some reptile water calcium fortified and Rep-Cal Phosphorous free calcium with vit. d. and combined the two and used a dropper to make him drink some.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

You are going to need to get a new UVB light as well. The 7% UVB light that you have is ESU which does not emit hardly any UVB at all. So, the combination of very little to no UVB exposure & not enough calcium is causing the twitching.
Great that you have gotten some calcium. He does not need vitamins more than 2 times per week, but at his age, he does need calcium 5 times per week right now.
The best UVB light that you can get, is the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb, so try to order that one online. You can get it from:

http://www.petmountain.com

How is he doing today?

Tracie

 

[Drakonia13]

The twitching has stopped and he's shedding now, but the mouth thing continues. He opens his mouth almost like gasping or something, slightly inflates his beard, holds his mouth open a minute and then closes it. Will the reptisun fit in my current fitting or will I need a specific one for that as well?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

The Reptisun 10 should fit the ESU light fixture, yes. Usually T-10 & T-12 should fit the fixture. Just check the diameter of the light to what the fixture states it will allow.
I hope things are going well.

Tracie