Wierd hatchie central bearded behaviour?? HELP!!!

[Guest]

Hi all,
Sorry im not in the herp help area but i feel i wont get read there.

Everymorning i handle my Bearded hatchies. One of them is growing well and eating crickets like they are going out of fashion. The other, seems like it isnt eating, its ribs are showing when it breaths, and sometimes when i pick it up, it goes into stiffness along with spasms, is this a defense mechanism? And when i put it back in its home, it runs off draging both its hind legs. The poor little fella is so cute im getting worried about him and from advice here, i will do what is recommended.
But the thing is, he/she sometimes runs on all fours as though nothing is wrong? it seems that the rear leg sleepiness and spasms are only a part time thing.
Please help as i have grown quite fond of these little guys and i dont want to lose one like i did with the E.W.D's.

Cheers, Alan.

 

[Matty_2004]

Hind Leg Extension / Hind Leg Paralysis.

Usually it is caused by insufficient UVA/UVB rays and or natural sunlight, or the animal being fed too big prey items (this includes rocks and other non-digestable items). Most of the time this problem is proven to be fatal, however, if he is sometimes using his back legs than he maybe in luck.

Immediatly stop handling him!!! Give him access to as much natural sunlight as possible, and get to a herp specific vet ASAP. Make sure he is getting enough fluid, and keep trying to feed him. It sounds as if he is probably stressed, so stop all the handling, make sure the temperatures are right, and i'd get him in his own enclosure with newspaper as the substrate.

When my beardie had this, i was given some form of steroid from the vet that could be given to him by an eye droper in his mouth. Get to the vet straight away and get some food into him! if he won't naturally take food than see the vet and force feeding will most likely be the best thing to do. When force feeding i used water melon, half crickets (small ones), and there was some certain type of fruit yogurt with no preservatives and that also.

Check his temperatures, DO NOT HANDLE AT ALL, keep his conditions as least stressful as possible, get to the vet ASAP ie: TOMORROW!!!

Best of luck, don't give up and keep at it.

 

[Tommo]

the same thing happened to me. get that beardie to the vet. your other beardies are probably goind to need natural sunlight and more calcium powder on the crickets. i managed to save one of my beardies but the other one was put down by the vet. if you do save it and get it the right uv and calcium it should be ok. but it may be a stunted adult. my one should be full grown by now but is smaller than other beardies his age.

 

[nuthn2do]

Check his temperatures, DO NOT HANDLE AT ALL, keep his conditions as least stressful as possible,

Sensible move, however I would try a warm soak first (10-20mins) to see if any chunks pass through, it may work out to be less stressfull than a trip to the vet in the long run.
You housing these hatchies together TS. The smaller is not being bullied away from the heat source by chance?

 

[Guest]

Nuthn2do, the little one in question isnt being bullied at all, they both sit together on the heat rock i have (exo-terra) and above that i have a exo-terra 60w day glo basking lamp aswell. I just think it is the uvb/eating problem. I will get a bulb tonight for them. Should it be uvb 5.0 or should i get a uvb 8.0? And as for force feeding, what foods should i use? i have all the items necessary to blend/liquidise foods, but i just need to know what to use.
And i dont think it would be a blockage as i havent seen the little guy eat at all.
Cheers, Alan.

 

[Greg]

It needs more sun and calcium Alan.
If you are gonna force feed it, use some of them baby beardie pellets soaked in water. I had great success using them once. Some calcium dusted Crickets can be used as well.

 

[Guest]

thanks Greg, i have some of that at home so i shall give it a go tonight. I might mash up a cricket with some pellets and calcium powder all in one tasty morsel.

 

[Guest]

Also, can someone tell me if i should get a reptisun 8.0 or a sylvania reptistar 5.0???
cheers for all the help guys, im sure the little guy will be greatful, i know i am.
Alan.

 

[AGAMIDAE]

with all agamids it is importent to allow them to recieve plenty of TRUE UV and calcium powder from the time the start to eat, not alot of people do this and the fault may not have been yours (was it a petshop dragon?). These defiencies can be irriversable if caught early. Seperate the little bugger from the rest and every day put it in the sun for at least an hour but watch him so he doesnt overheat and safe from preditors, and every feed dust with calcium. You also may not have a calcium problem but a streesed vittie can display the same, they are real buggers to each othe specially when growing.

 

[Greg]

Save your money Al. Just get it out in the sun a few times a week. Do you have a balcony you can do that?

 

[nuthn2do]

If it's not eating, suffering from paralysis and other neurotic problems, I (not questioning anyones input here) personally would not feed it anything until impaction was ruled out first.
I've always used the Sylania reptistars with no problem, but still give an hr or so a week sunlight.

 

[AGAMIDAE]

Being only a juv I would still offer food, as it wouldnt last long with out it, couple of small crickets a day would be fine

 

[Guest]

Yep, i can put it on the balcony in a mesh enclosure before i leave for work. Will the cold affect it in anyway? Cause it gets a bit chilly in the morning in the city. But from about 10am onwards it will be in sunlight.

nuthn2do, can you explain the warm water treatment for me? im assuming i just hold the little guy in some warm water for a few minutes? is this right?

 

[nuthn2do]

Has it pooed lately? If not try a warm soak at about 30C for 15mins or so, it can sometimes get things moving. Had exactly the same symptoms in a juvie Lawsons a couple of years ago, my vet did a free ultrasound out of curiosity and there were a few blockages. The soaking method got 2 smaller ones moving but the last and largest got the better of him.
Anyway give it a try, it can't hurt.

 

[Guest]

I dont know if its pooed lately, there is poo i have cleaned out of the enclosure, but i dont know which one it is from.

Also, should i change from desert sand to newspaper?

 

[Matty_2004]

The water temperature should be the same temperature as your normal body temp, to work this out put your wrist under the tap to test it, if it feels the same temperature as you (ie: not hot or cold), than it's fine.

Get to the vet.

 

[Guest]

ok, thanks

 

[Guest]

I did the soak thing, no poo.
I mashed up some pellets and crickets with calcium powder and water to feed with a syringe, worked well.
This morning i also gave the guy 2 little crickets, it took a bit of coaxing but he chewed them down ok. He is now in a mesh type enlosure on my balcony awaiting the sun.
I have also put in a heat rock for until the sun gets to them.

 

[Matty_2004]

Have you seen a vet at all yet?!?!?!??

 

[Guest]

No not yet, im waiting to see how he goes with some food and sunlight over the weekend. If there are any dramatic changes for the worst, the vet is my first port of call.