Early MBD?

[melissamott124]

Hi everyone,

I have a 4-year old boy named Lazlo, previously very healthy aside from an episode or two of pinworms. Recently over the last couple of days, I have noticed that he is walking with his fingers curled under his hands. It sort of looks like he's walking on closed fists. Since I noticed this, I've been paying very close attention to his movements and he does seem clumsier to me. I'm very worried that he's developing MBD.

His diet consists of crickets and collard greens, which we alternate every other day. Collard greens get covered in bee pollen every time, and we inconsistently dust his crickets. If I'm being honest, he hates the taste of the calcium and often refuses his food when dusted in calcium, so I've just gotten complacent with his calcium supplements and thought that he was getting enough calcium through the collard greens and bee pollen. Now that I'm seeing early signs of MBD, I'm horrified and realize that this is not enough calcium supplementation. In regard to basking, Lazlo really doesn't take it upon himself to bask. I put him on his basking platform everyday after he eats, but he usually hops down within a couple of mins and goes to the cool side of his tank (that's where his hammock is - he loves his hammock).

His enclosure is 4x2x2 ft with a UVB bulb mounted inside the tank. I use the 10.0 HO T5 ReptiSun 22 inch bulb, which has been changed out 3 months ago. His basking platform gets to 95 degrees, and the cool side of his tank is 80 degrees.

Today, I mixed a spoonful of calcium powder with D3 into baby food which I then syringe-fed to him. I bought high-calcium cricket food to start gut-loading the crickets. I also bought a liquid calcium supplement which should arrive to my house by 5/13. Until the liquid calcium gets here, I'm planning on continuing with the baby food mixed with calcium, and will continue to dust his salads with bee pollen as well since he likes the bee pollen. I'm looking into new basking platforms that Lazlo might like better, and am thinking of putting a hammock under his basking lamp too since he loves his hammock so much. Does anyone else have experience with this or other recommendations? I'm not sure if this warrants a trip to the vet and/or x-rays, should I try my current plan first or should I just take him to the vet ASAP? I'm not sure how quickly MBD progresses. Any input would be helpful, I'm so worried about my little guy and just want to get him better as quickly as possible. Thanks in advance!

Melissa

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Do you have pictures of Lazlo you could post, along with the tank setup we could see?
The Reptisun 10 T5 tube is a great bulb. If he isn't sitting underneath of it for very long then
you might have to consider moving it to an area where he spends more of his time. As you
had mentioned putting a hammock under his basking light & tube UVB would be a great idea
if he likes his hammock so much!
You can give the plan a little time, & start using the liquid calcium for him. What brand is it that
you bought? If he is just developing metabolic bone disease then you may be able to reverse
most if not all of the weakness or symptoms that might be showing.
If you wanted to get a blood test or x-rays done on him, that is definitely up to you, it's helpful to
know the baseline of their calcium levels.
Let us know how things are going.

Tracie

 

[SkittlesK]

Hi everyone,

I have a 4-year old boy named Lazlo, previously very healthy aside from an episode or two of pinworms. Recently over the last couple of days, I have noticed that he is walking with his fingers curled under his hands. It sort of looks like he's walking on closed fists. Since I noticed this, I've been paying very close attention to his movements and he does seem clumsier to me. I'm very worried that he's developing MBD.

His diet consists of crickets and collard greens, which we alternate every other day. Collard greens get covered in bee pollen every time, and we inconsistently dust his crickets. If I'm being honest, he hates the taste of the calcium and often refuses his food when dusted in calcium, so I've just gotten complacent with his calcium supplements and thought that he was getting enough calcium through the collard greens and bee pollen. Now that I'm seeing early signs of MBD, I'm horrified and realize that this is not enough calcium supplementation. In regard to basking, Lazlo really doesn't take it upon himself to bask. I put him on his basking platform everyday after he eats, but he usually hops down within a couple of mins and goes to the cool side of his tank (that's where his hammock is - he loves his hammock).

His enclosure is 4x2x2 ft with a UVB bulb mounted inside the tank. I use the 10.0 HO T5 ReptiSun 22 inch bulb, which has been changed out 3 months ago. His basking platform gets to 95 degrees, and the cool side of his tank is 80 degrees.

Today, I mixed a spoonful of calcium powder with D3 into baby food which I then syringe-fed to him. I bought high-calcium cricket food to start gut-loading the crickets. I also bought a liquid calcium supplement which should arrive to my house by 5/13. Until the liquid calcium gets here, I'm planning on continuing with the baby food mixed with calcium, and will continue to dust his salads with bee pollen as well since he likes the bee pollen. I'm looking into new basking platforms that Lazlo might like better, and am thinking of putting a hammock under his basking lamp too since he loves his hammock so much. Does anyone else have experience with this or other recommendations? I'm not sure if this warrants a trip to the vet and/or x-rays, should I try my current plan first or should I just take him to the vet ASAP? I'm not sure how quickly MBD progresses. Any input would be helpful, I'm so worried about my little guy and just want to get him better as quickly as possible. Thanks in advance!

Melissa

I recommend Tracie's website.
Possibly a product like this:
Calci-blast

Get flavored if he doesn't like the taste of the powder.
Tracie has all sorts of flavors.
-Taylor

 

[Axil]

Are you using a digital probe to get surface temps on the basking decor? If not it's possible the basking surface may be hotter than you think leading him to avoid it.

 

[xp29]

I know it sounds silly, but taste the liquid calcium yourself. I use it some and have found sometimes it taste BAD . My guys refuse it if it had a bad taste.

 

[melissamott124]

Thank you so much to everyone for all of the replies! I'm attaching some pictures of his enclosure, and a quick video of him walking. I ended up putting a hammock under his heat lamp and he basked for an hour and a half yesterday - I can't believe the solution to get him to bask was that simple! I'm so happy to have found a way to encourage him to bask.

You can give the plan a little time, & start using the liquid calcium for him. What brand is it that
you bought? If he is just developing metabolic bone disease then you may be able to reverse
most if not all of the weakness or symptoms that might be showing.

I recommend Tracie's website.
Possibly a product like this:
Calci-blast

Get flavored if he doesn't like the taste of the powder.
Tracie has all sorts of flavors.

I actually did buy the Calci-blast the other day, both unflavored and blueberry flavor. Tracie, I had no idea this was your website when I made the purchase! Knowing that makes me all the more confident in the product, I'm looking forward to getting it.

Are you using a digital probe to get surface temps on the basking decor? If not it's possible the basking surface may be hotter than you think leading him to avoid it.

Good point! I have been using a digital probe to get the surface temps, so I feel pretty confident that the temps I'm getting are accurate.

I know it sounds silly, but taste the liquid calcium yourself. I use it some and have found sometimes it taste BAD . My guys refuse it if it had a bad taste.

This is great advice, I will definitely do that!


Thanks again to everyone for the responses. I'm feeling really encouraged that I got him to bask yesterday, and that I was able to get him to take in some of the calcium powder with the baby food. I'm looking forward to getting the liquid calcium this weekend.

Melissa

 

[xp29]

Keep us posted we all get invested in every beardie and love knowing they are doing well