I'm worried

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 3:52 am Post subject: I'm worried

I'm worried.This morning I took Zeus ( my baby b/w arg.Tegu ) out of his enclosure and put him on the ground and both front legs were shaking.He just started doing this today.I don't know what could be wrong with him.I give him the calcium and vitamine powder.His poop is good.He is eating really good ( he even eats fruits and veggies not like Leonidas he doesn't like any of that stuff ) and he even just finished a nice shed

.Does your Tegu shake his legs some times ? any info would be great.Thanks.

tupinambis · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 5:25 am Post subject:

That certainly sounds like the beginning of calcium deficiency in your tegu. I see it frequently enough in lots of animals that I know the owners are "properly" supplementing their diet with calcium that I think tegus have greater needs than we give them credit for. First, check into the strength of UVB your tegu has access to. Secondly, and I fully admit I have no concrete evidence to back this hypothesis up, but I think most tegus have a hard time absorbing certain types of calcium. Calcium can actually come in different forms (no, I don't mean liquid vs. powder) - bioactive and elemental. Bioactive forms of calcium are that which they will encounter from eating other vertebrates (in their bones) or certain invertebrates such as crustaceans (in their shell) and tegus seem to do best with this. Elemental calcium comes from such sources as mineral rock or crushed oyster shell (which is primarily what makes up the calcium source in most reptile supplements) and I think a lot of tegus have a problem absorbing this form. When preparing diets for tegus, bone meal is a much better source of calcium than the average calcium powder.

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 5:40 am Post subject:

I just bought all new bulbs for all of my reptiles.So I don't think that it is the UVB.I do the same things to him that I do to my other b/w arg. Tegu baby for except he eats the fruit and veggies.I give them on Monday,Tuesday the calcium on Wednesday when they eat Rodents ( rats or mice ) I give them the crickets with vitamine powder on it first,Thursday and Friday the calcium powder,Saturday the vitamine and so on.I also take him out side to bask in the sun.Do you think it could be stress because 2 days ago we took him to a pet store ( for socializing ) for the first time ? thanks for your help.

tupinambis · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 6:38 am Post subject:

Well, the other thing to keep in mind is the metabolic pathway of calcium utilization in the body doesn't just stop with whether they get enough UVB for proper Vit.D3 synthesis or enough calcium in their diet. Vitamin D3 is produced through several steps: the first precursor is synthesized from 7-dehydrocholesterol via photolyzation in the skin and this produces pre-vitamin D3. This then gets hydroxylated in the liver to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, which then further gets hydroxylated in the kidneys to 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol which is the main biologically active form. Diseases of any of these organs (skin, liver or kidney) can contribute to MBD.

However, we can't exactly diagnose over the internet, what you describe may indeed just be stress related and not true muscle tremors. It would be best to take the lizard to a properly experienced veterinarian.

Dragonfyre · Member Joined: Sep 16, 2007 Posts: 29 Location: Florida

I hope your tegu gets better. I send u the best of wishes.

~Dragon~

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:06 am Post subject:

Thank you so much Dragon for the comforting words.I'll keep you all posted on how he is doing.Right now he is still sleeping but I'll know more later.

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:16 pm Post subject:

Yea,I'm SOOOOO.I got him out this morning and he didn't do it any more.I'm still wondering why he did it yesterday

but I'm just so relieved that it stoped

.I still will keep a eye on him just in case.

Ben3233 · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 6:32 pm Post subject:

that is awesome news!

_________________
Ben3233
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon (Uresaii)

txrepgirl · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject:

thank you Ben.

greentriple · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject:

So I just transfered Sancho to his outdoor home on Thursday afternoon. Yesterday and today I noted that he first comes out of his hide he basks in the sun and will shake his front legs. I was concerned as you can imagine. I called a local "expert" and they voiced some of the same concerns Tupinambis mentioned, but said it could also be a reaction to a new environment and the drastic change in climate and temperature he's now exposed to. I do not that this only lasts while he's "warming up" and once "heated" the shaking stops. I never noticed this before. I'll keep an eye and keep you all posted. Tupinabis any thoughts on the aforementioned?

Texrepgirl, any changes in your situation?

txrepgirl · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject:

Hi Ricardo.Congrats on getting your enclosure done.Thank God Zeus did that just for one day.I think it was just stress because he hasn't been out of the house before because he was hibernating.The day before he started shaking I took him to a pet store so he gets to socialize but I guess it was to much for him.When we were in the car he looked out the window ( with the window up ) the hole time and at the store he just sat on my shoulders.He didn't seem to be scared and try to hide under my shirt like Leonidas used to do.He is doing great,too.Good luck with yours.Please keep us posted on how Sancho is doing.Thanks.

i0r · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 3:21 pm Post subject:

Boy reading your first post got me really worried there Sam. But concidering the great care you give your pets i couldnt imagine it being a health issue. Glad to hear it was nothing to worry about

_________________
0.1.0 Argentine B&W, Juancha

txrepgirl · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 12:58 am Post subject:

Thank you Chris for the kind words.Yea,he is doing great now.I was very surprised,too,because I try really hard to do every thing right.How is your beautiful Juancha doing ?