Worried Sick!!! Help please....

[juggalette]

I am freakin out here guys!!!! This morning my little beardy, Moses, was sittin on top his enclosure soakin up some sun from through the window and I went to pick him up and put him back into his pen he sort of jumped a bit like if someone gives you a fright. I didn't think anything of it, he jumps alot.
So anyway as I picked him up his back legs were extremely straight and stiff!!!!! His back was kinda bowed a little bit and he was moving his front legs like freestyle swimming. It took a few moments and his legs seemed to relax a bit and I tried to bend them....it was still a bit still and by this time they were twitching.
It was like a cramp...muscle spasm...what the hell is going on? Do lizards cramp up? Is there such a thing as lizard epilepsy? I am really worried about him, it just looked so unnatural...

Umm, some details....he is on crickets coated in his calcium powder, hes not too fond of his veges but eats them occasionally...his fav is grated carrot. He drinks on his own, but I do spray him down occasionally. He is out of his pen pretty much the whole time I am ever home, he explores alot but never leaves my sight so he gets plenty of exercise and excitement. I am just worried sick that I am not doing something properly...

 

[JasonL]

If his stomach is overfull, it's likely that it's pressing on his spine and effecting his nerves, if he hasn't eaten much then your (he) is in big trouble, but it sounds like he has just over eaten, keep him on heat and it will get better with 12 hours or so

 

[Kyro]

It sounds like a calcium deficiency or compaction. I think it's most likely compaction so try soaking him in some luke warm water, not too deep. Hopefully this will help him relax enough to pass whats blocking him up. If he isn't any better in a couple of hours then i'd get to a vet.

 

[lynfrog]

calcium deficiancy may be related to this scenario.
if he is relying on sunlight through glass for uv, he may be deficient. uv has to go direct to him, or through mesh only to be effective. without uv he cant metabilise the calcium effectively.
any insects left running around for a few hours shed thier calcium. so arent as good as him just getting enough to eat on the spot.
hope that helps, let us know how he goes.

 

[junglepython2]

Fed him any big prey items recently?

 

[juggalette]

You really must ensure you add enough detail to these issues huh....umm he does not just get his UV/sunlight through glass alone...That's just in the morning before I head to work...I finish early and take him out of an afternoon for direct sulight when I have more time to sit with him.

As for large prey...the crickets at the moment in the box have been there awhile and have obviously grown a bit...I thought perhaps they may be too big, but Moe chomps them down with great gusto. Is this unwise to let him decide himself whats good for him to eat?

Thanks

 

[Chris1]

watered down juice thru a syringe and heated rice packs help with impactions, along with warm baths.

hopefully Jason is right and its an overful stomach, but it sounds like impaction to me.

 

[juggalette]

Isnt impaction caused when they eat something like sand, or rock, or something just not digestable? Because he does not have access to anything like that...just to note that....

 

[Kyro]

It can be caused from eating prey items that are too large, I dealt with this yesterday with one of my little guys that ate a woodie that was a bit big for him. He got it down no probs but getting it out the other end wasn't so easy.

 

[JasonL]

Impaction can come from eating large food items, or substrates. Dragons that eat to much will often lay with their legs laid out behind them, and as I said, if it's pushing on their spine, they often twitch. It's pretty common.

 

[Chris1]

it can also be from incorrect temps, where the food isnt digested properly and causes a blockage,..

how old is Moses anyway?

its way worse when theyre small.

 

[UrgenNinga]

Is the beardie getting uv from any other lights in the enclosure. It will not get enough from the window as the glass filters the uv out. if it has a uv in the enclosure how old is the bulb.. if older than 12mths replace with a new one.

 

[juggalette]

Hooray!!! He pooped!!! He is not doing any weird stuff anymore for the last 24hrs....so I guess yeah maybe it may have been a bit of an overfull belly with a little impaction. But yes....all is well!!

 

[Chris1]

thats great to hear!