shivering

[ashlee1228]

Recently I have noticed Puffs head appeared to be shivering, i first noticed it after a bath and thought it odd but it seemed to stop and start so i just figured she was chilled. I really dont think its a calcium deficiency, but wanted to run it by the forum.

Her head shivers, not continuously, and only for a few seconds then it stops for a few minutes. I seem to be the only person to notice it, she is handled by at least 2 people multiple times daily.

she is about 7 years old, recently (4 mos ago) broke her tail and lost half of it. The vet said she was in excellent health, although a little overweight.

she spends almost everyday, all day outside in her outdoor enclosure. when indoors (on cloudy or rainy days) we use a reptisun 5.0 and a heat lamp, if she stays in more than a day we use a reptisun 10.0.

she eats superworms daily, and also a selection of vegetable organic baby food (she will not eat veggies) both with light dusting of calcium.

we have had this routine for nearly 7 years and never had a problem, any ideas as to why her head is shivering?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

How old is your Reptisun 5 tube bulb UVB? It is an "ok" bulb, but should be replaced every 4-5 months to maintain the maximal UVB exposure.
How often do you supplement calcium for her? Even at 7 years old, she still needs good quality calcium 3 times per week. How did she break her tail? That could indicate bones that are not as strong as they should be. Did the vet do any x-rays or bloodwork?

Tracie

 

[ashlee1228]

blood work and x-rays were great, the bulb is about 3 mos old, we use that brand in the summer because she is rarely inside (we live in sunny florida). she gets a calcium spray on her worms along with powder in her baby food 3-5 times a week, we have to do it more often because she hates it and will stop eating if she tastes any.

she broke her tail in her outdoor enclosure, we suspect it happened when she either fell asleep on her branch and fell off or when she somehow got it caught between the heavy log and the frame of the cage. the log has since been removed. the vet said that the will break their tails like that if they get it caught and cannot free themselves, all we can do is guess at what really happened.

i have a strong suspicion that the head shivering has something to do with her balance, ever since her tail fell off she has had a hard time with her balance, and she acts like she doesnt feel secure on her long or when laying on our arms, sometimes she will slip when climbing something she has climbed a million times before.

i am at a loss and very worried about my little girl

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Ok, great the x-rays & bloodwork were good. Perhaps she has a slight vitamin deficiency which is not unusual for older dragons to get. What vitamins do you give her? Thiamin deficiency can cause muscular & neurological problems which mimic metabolic bone disease. Maybe you could try a B vitamin complex several times per week to see if that will help her out. Also, the calcium spray, how much does she get? Really, it is very hard to monitor the exact calcium intake if it is just "sprayed" on. Is it the zilla liquid calcium? If so, I can dose it for you so that she gets more of the exact amount for her bodyweight.

Tracie

 

[ashlee1228]

yes we do use the zilla spray, she also gets the JurassiCal powder and her feeder insects get a dose of spray, powder and vitamin infused gut load. Im not really sure how much of a dosage she gets due to her pickyness. is there a specific type of vitamin you recommend? do i need to find a special lizard vitamins or will human work?

 

[ashlee1228]

UPDATE: Just ordered Calcium Glubionate and Liquid Vit B complex from BeautifulDragons.com