Head trembling...is my beardie sick?

[Flamingo]

I purchased my beardie, Golly, exactly 3 weeks ago. He's a juvinile, though I'm not sure of his exact age. He's pretty calm and laid back as opposed to what everyone says about juvi's, that they run around like crazy.
Recently, yesturday night and this morning, when I pick him up he will tremble slightly in his forequarters and head. His head trembled harder this morning and I am very worried about him.
His enclosure is 100 degrees farenheit at the hot end and around 70 degrees at the cool end, where he likes to hang out. It's got paper towel on the bottom and greens and water available. He won't drink from the water so I bath him about twice a week and offer him water through a dropper every day. He eats a very small amount of greens.
His main diet consists of small crickets dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement. He enjoys these and eats a couple per meal (I have a feeding box so they aren't let loose with him.) I think he is pooping enough. He pooped yesturday and has done so often before.
I have a reptilux globe, which I was initially concerned about as I didn't know the brand. But the guy in the shop said they'd been seeling them well for 2 years, and I am willing to believe him as all of his animals looked healthy and happy.
Golly has just recently finished shedding. He shedded at the pet shop but had some left over scales on his head and tail which he was scraping off yesturday (I gave him a bath to help out.)
He doesn't have a cave in his enclosure because he would always hide beneath it and I was worried he wasn't getting enough UVB rays. Though he will also bury beneath an old shirt I have in there with him and the paper towel at the cool end. Is he trying to brumate?
Please help as I am very concerned. I want to do my best for him, but I feel like I'm in the deep end a little.
Thank you very much

 

[Gail]

That is the classic symptom of low calcium. I've not heard of a reptilux bulb and I couldn't find anything on google about it.
I would redo his lighting if I was you. A plain house hold bulb for heat and a long fluorescent for UVB, the 2 best brands are reptiSUN 10.0 or if you are in the UK, a Arcadia 12%

I'm also concerned with the amount he is eating, juvies should eat much more then a couple crickets per feeding. Usually you feed all they want for 15 minutes twice a day, for some dragons this can be almost 100 crickets day.
Offer calcium 5 times a week on one meal and vitamins 2 times a week, you don't want to over do it.

 

[Flamingo]

Thanks for the help.
None of the petshops had any globes apart from a brand Reptiglo, which I have read has some problems with it.

He eats roughly 10 or so crickets per feeding and is fed twice a day. I was thinking about getting some woodies to vary his diet. Maybe his appetite will increase if I can fix the globe.

I’m not sure where I can get a globe, I may have to order a repti-sun from overseas. Would that take too long to arrive?

 

[Gail]

Buying online really is the easiest way to get good bulbs. Are you in Australia? I can ask someone on another board what kind of light he uses and where to buy them.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

If you are in the UK, you should easily be able to find an Arcadia D3 12% fluorescent tube bulb which is a great bulb. Arcadia has also made a MVB as well, which from the preliminary tests I have seen, are pretty decent. You should see if you could find one of those, as well. The Reptiglo 10 products are not worth the money right now.
I agree, those symptoms that you described are classic low calcium problems. He is of the age that it is common for that to happen due to the growth rates demanding calcium for bone growth.

Let us know how he is doing.
Tracie

 

[Gail]

Ok, I spoke to my friend in Australia and this is his response.

"I only use one type of UVB in OZ, NEC T10s for a flouro and Aussie Sun MVB. Both are available from the herpshop.com"

 

[Flamingo]

Thanks for all of the help,
I am thinking about getting a tube light from the exotera brand. It seems to be good quality and I've had a couple of people I've spoken to recommend it.

With the calcium dust and vitimins I got a tub which combined them, when I was buying it I wasn't away that they had to be seperate. This is it http://www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/Repti-Cal-220gr-P331C44.aspx
Is it okay? And how often do I dust crickets with it? One meal per day for five days a week or two meals per day five days a week?
Thanks!

 

[Gail]

The exo tera really aren't a very good bulb. Some people have used them with no problems but others have had eye issues develop in their reptiles.
Your calcium is fine, use it one meal a day for 5 days. Make sure you are also using a multivitamin supplement 2 times a week, your calcium only has D3 in it.