Shaky little guy

[pepatt]

I have an issue with Porter today.
I have had him for one week. I believe he is about seven-eight weeks old. He's 5.5" long head to tail.

This morning I turned his light on and let him get up and moving a bit. After a while I sprayed him down a bit and fed him some nice crickets. At some point he took a poop and continued hunting crix. As I sat and watched him, I noticed that after he ate one of the crix he started to shake a bit. Upon further investigation I noticed that he would shake intermittently throughout the day. His belly is not showing stress rings.
I did all the research I could. And here's what I found:

• The lamp sold to me by the pet shop does not emit UVB as I believed it to
• The lamp is a 45w bulb and may not generate temps necessary for him to bask
• I have not been bathing him, as I did not know if it is good to do so with a baby
• He has never liked greens, cantaloupe, things that don't move or crawl!

So here's what I have done:
First I gave him a bath. I used a small bowl with about a 1/2" of warm water in it. He took to it OK, wouldn't say he frollicked in it.
Next I got him a Reptisun 10 lamp and got that on him.
I also up the basking lamp to 50w which raised the temp at least 10°.

When he moves around he is frisky as usual, but when he sits, he gets twitchy - sometimes almost paralyzed .

My guess is he may have gotten ahold of a cricket that was too big for him, but I want to be sure.
Could going without UVB for one week have this effect on him?
Should I leave the UVB lamp on at night tonight to get him going?

Thanks

 

[RioReptiles]

I can't answer everything but maybe help with a few things.

Try to find the Accutemp thermometer from Wal Mart with a wire and probe on the end. They sell a little square model that reads indoor/outdoor temps and humidity. This is a must to monitor your temps all the time and forever. He needs a basking area between 100º and 110ºF. And you might want to let him heat up for at least an hour or two before feeding.

Don't leave lights on at night, they need good sound sleep to rejuvinate and for their well being.

Are you using a calcium supplement? With the Repti-Sun you need calcium with D3, preferably Rep Cal brand. Shaking can be a sign of metabolc bone disease which is caused by lack of calcium so the body takes it from the bones. This is also where you need the UV and D3 so that they metabolize and use the calcium in their bodies.

If you're worried about cricket size, only feed him crickets smaller than the space between his eyes. No bigger! I just lost a baby today due to impaction. He was a rescue that was very undernourished and dehydrated so it made it even worse for him.

Bathing is more important for a baby since they like higher temps and dehydrate easier. Keep up the good practice so he is used to it. It helps them if they are constipated too since they absorb water through their vents.

They won't like greens when they are small but always offer them for when they start liking them. More than likely they will eat one or two pieces when you're not looking. Fruit doesn't have much nutritional value so only feed as a treat. Stick with dark leafy greens like collard, mustard & turnip greens and butternut, acorn type squash. These foods have high calcium to phosphorous ratios which even out with the high phosphorous in the crickets. Also, feed crickets 2 or 3 times a day as many as he can eat in 10 to 15 minutes. This could be 20 to 50 crickets. Also try a variety of insects such as Phoenix worms and other soft body worms or roaches.

You don't know how his care was before you got him do you? Doesn't mean they took care of him as good as you will. Not having UV for a week shouldn't do this unless it is a nutrition/vitamin thing or if his light/heat wasn't good before.

I'm sure many others will have some awesome suggestions as well, we all here have learned from each other.

Take good care of that little guy, next thing you know you'll have 3 of them!!

Cheryl

 

[pepatt]

Are you using a calcium supplement? With the Repti-Sun you need calcium with D3, preferably Rep Cal brand. Shaking can be a sign of metabolc bone disease which is caused by lack of calcium so the body takes it from the bones. This is also where you need the UV and D3 so that they metabolize and use the calcium in their bodies.

That is the Calcium supplement I am using.
How often do you recommend I use it? I get conflicting info. The pet shop said dust every feeding. The bottle says two-three times a week. I've heard others say once a week.

As far as crickets go, I don't really think he's had anything considered too big for him, but he's had some closer to the maximum recommended.

If this is impaction I assume everything will clear up when he clears out!
But how long might it take him to get back to normal if it's the onset of MBD?

His little seizure moments are killing me! They seem to bother me more than they do him!
I never realized that a grown man could get so attached to a reptile - so quickly.

Thanks for your help.

 

[pepatt]

Also, I've heard of some people giving their beardie some applesauce or baby food to help a bowel movement along. Is this an acceptable practice?

 

[RioReptiles]

As for the calcium dosage, about everyone here uses it 5 days a week on 1 feeding each day. Then the Herptivite 2 days per week, 1 time each day.

Do you think he's impacted? Is he pooping or when was the last time? When my guy got impacted he went from normal to lethargic and almost all black in 24 hours. Yes, applesauce or pumpkin is acceptable practice as is a couple drops of vege oil or olive oil mixed in. Lots of fluids if you can get him to lick off his nose using a dropper or something. And lots of warm soaks in 95degree water. And keep him that warm even at night to help metabolize the impaction.

If he is, I suggest getting him to a vet asap. They won't treat the impaction if he gets too weak. They will also give him a shot if he needs fluids or vitamins. Another problem is when they are impacted, the food inside them grows bacteria and parasites ike crazy and then they are weakened even more since their bodies cant fight it as well. This is why its so important to do fecals often even when there not sick. Also, the vet can give him a calcium shot if he has any risk of mbd. If he is young, you can prevent the mbd with the good UV and calcium. I am no way qualified to say he is at risk, but shaking is usually an early sign. Now that you have a good light you can see if it improves. Also, call to find a vet that does fecals in house, some have to send it out and that could take too much time.

If you're that worried don't wait, better to be safe than sorry. Please keep us informed, I hope this helps. Take care, Cheryl

 

[pepatt]

Just wanted to let you know that Porter is doing better.
I bathed him this morning and followed that with a drop of olive oil on his nose (which he licked off).
He also ate some greens today!

Just a bit ago I found some poop. It had a strange substance at the beginning of it. It was light tan in color and had kind of a dry, grainy consistency. Looked like it may be hard to pass.

I haven't noticed him shaking any more so far, so I hope this was the problem. No clue what he may have eaten! I did notice that he ate a couple of dead crickets the other day. Could they have been too dry???

If nothing else, at least this issue forced me to get his lighting right and educate myself a little more!

 

[RioReptiles]

Good news! Sounds like he might have been a little dehydrated, maybe that's why he didn't poop for a while. I don't think the crickets would have done anything but maybe contribute. Try not to let him eat anything that was alive and died. The whitish part of the poop is the urates since they don't pee, totally normal. It should be goey to a little firm yet soft. If it is hard it means dehydration or too much calcium. it dries out fast so you don't really know unless you're right there. I'm so glad he is doing better! You will get to know him better and better and it will be easier to tell if he isn't feeling right.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is what it sounds like, he was a bit dehydrated. Those types of urates are fairly common where they are a little harder or off colored. He could have had a slight urate plug too, especially if it was grainy.
Just try to add some oral fluids into him if possible.
Remember, it does take time for his calcium levels to go back up. I do not think he is impacted unless you are using sand or he ate a cricket larger than the space between his eyes. The seizures are most likely from hypocalcemia.
Not having any UVB really affects his body's ability to absorb calcium & synthesize calcium. The seizures should get less & less prounounced until they just go away altogether. Give him some time. The calcium should be given 5 times per week.
GREAT that you got the Reptisun 10 flourescent tube bulb that should help him out immensely.

Keep us posted on him.

Tracie

 

[pepatt]

Out of curiosity, how long should I use the UVB bulb per day.
The shop I got him from said only 3-4 hours per day.

Seems to me the sun shines all day long. Aren't we trying to replicate that?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[RioReptiles]

I didn't realize hypocalcemia could cause the little seizures, thank you for that information. I have a couple bablies who eat the calcium powder off the tile. I wonder if they do they do this because they need it? I worry they can get too much.

I can't believe the shop told you 3 to 4 hours! Thats crazy! The UV light should be on for 12 to 14 hours per day, just as you said. As long as the sun shines. They are very sensitive to the length of the days, thats how they know winter is coming. I have my timers set at 14 hours on during the day and 10 hours off at night.

 

[pepatt]

I can't believe the shop told you 3 to 4 hours! Thats crazy! The UV light should be on for 12 to 14 hours per day, just as you said.

Yeah, I thought that sounded crazy. If I only got 3 hours of sunlight I'd start shaking too! :?