My bearded dragon I've had for 10 years (aged 12+) showed signs of stress this morning. His beard went black and he arched his tail and threw his head back. Then he suddenly started throwing his front legs out, waving them around. It looked like he was having a seizure. He did this several times. It has happened very suddenly. He is elderly now and has slowed down over the years due to his age but has not been showing signs of illness. He ate like usual yesterday, behaved as he always had. I'm not sure if it's just his time or has something gone wrong. It's not MBD, he's always had uvb changed within 6 months, food regularly dusted with calcium powder, nothing in the tank to cause impaction, proper temperatures. He has been to the vets over the years, poo samples tested for parasites etc nothing ever came back wrong. There's no vet anywhere near that has knowledge of reptiles beyong fecal tests. Anyone experience anything like this before?
I'm sorry that he had this experience . Like you said it sounds like a seizure, might have been a stroke or something similar. Might just be a one time thing but these are just guesses. How is he doing today ?
He's still here today but has not moved from the spot he settled in after what happened yesterday. Whatever it was seems to have affected him. When he moves his head now it seems he has a twitch and his head moves from the side back to the centre again. When he doesn't move he has no twitching. It seems like he can't focus. Showed no interest in his food. Has spent most of the day asleep.
Aw, it is possibly a stroke then, something neurological. I don't know if any type of MRI/scan could give a diagnosis but if you don't have access to a reptile vet your choices are limited. If that's the case just wait and see and keep him comfortable.
Sorry to hear this.
I'm currently going through something similar with my 10 year old. I posted another thread about it earlier this evening with videos of his tremor. I'd be interested to see if the tremor is similar in presentation with yours?
How is your beardie today? Still got an appetite? If it continues, I would consider trying a vet nearby to you who may at least be able to take samples. Ask if anyone at the practice has an interest in exotics or would be willing to see your beardie. Bloods from the tail vein are relatively simple for a trained vet to do, it's the interpretation and treatment options that can be difficult depending on the field of study. Even if that means you then send those results to a specialist in exotics elsewhere, you'd at least have a basis for discussion and a potential head start on them treatment if appropriate.
Failing the vet check, closely monitor and your beardie will tell you if the time is right to seek veterinary help. Keep an eye on the weight daily. Maybe purchase some critical care formula in case the appetite drops suddenly (sucks to wait for delivery/ find a shop nearby which likely won't have it anyway) but as yours is eating well, that's a good sign. Keep checking temps and hydration too. Any change or lack of improvement - get help.
Sorry I can't offer many ideas. Hopefully someone else more familiar in this area may offer something more helpful. Either way, it's good to talk about it. Hoping your beardie gets well soon!
I've spoke with one of the veterinary nurses at my local vets. Both her and the vet think it was a TIA based on his condition after what happened. He's being syringe fed baby food mixed with a little Aktivat as he can't feed himself at the moment. Aktivat is prescribed for older pets who are displaying symptoms of confusion or coordination problems. It's also shown some success in helping pets after suffering a stroke. Its experimental but it can't do any harm as it's just amino acids etc for nutritional benefits.