a twitchy bearded dragon

Question
Hi Sandra,
Help! This morning I turned on my BD's heat and UV-B lights and put some more crickets in his cage, 2 of them crawled up on his head and his back right leg began to spasm slightly, then his front right. After approx 2 min. he stood raised his upper body and shook his head (I assume to get them off) and the leapt away. He immediately tried to turn around on his branch and fell off and his body locked up (almost the way that someone who was having a seizure would.) This lasted about a min. I quickly did an internet search and found this site. By reading some of the other posted Q & A's I found that the most likely cause was lack of calcium, UV-B or greens, so I moved his tank outside and put some mustard greens lightly coated in calcium powder in his tank. While transporting him he was hiding in his cage, after I got him settled outside he came out, but didn't move for about 20 min. I moved him over to his greens dish and as usual, he wanted nothing to do with them. He stood there for a min then ran over to the top of his fountain (which coincidentally is located under the UV lamp) I let him stay there for another 20 min then moved him over to his worm bowl and he repeated his seizure like behavior for a min. then ran back over to the top of his fountain. Is he trying to say that he needs the sunlight? I'm also worried that he never touches his greens. Also I'm just now noticing 2 black spots on his shoulders, I've never noticed them before, but thats not to say that they havn't always been there.
He's about 3 or 4 months old, loves cricket (which I coat in calcium powder,) will eat about 5 phoenix or meal worms a day and spends VERY little time under the UV lamp.
Also, brace yourself because this may sound dumb, I was wondering if it might be Myotonia Congenita (stress related "fainting") like the "fainting sheep" (paste the below web address into your browser) any thoughts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxKUYhu4-Vw

Answer
HI Scott

Seizures in Bearded Dragons can be related to lack of calcium or the inability to properly absorb calcium or they can be an unknown neurological disorder

Another thought-have you checked the temps in the tank lately?

Extremely hot temps can have the same effect on both animals and people
Make sure that there is a good temperature gradient from the side that has the heat/basking bulb to the side of the tank that has no bulb on it-which should be much cooler


Seizures and paralysis can also result from ingesting prey items/insects that are too large for them to eat

If he will not eat greens make sure that you get load his insects with fresh greens
Crickets will happily munch on collard-turnip etc. greens and the nutrition will be passed on to your beardie when they eat the crickets or what ever insects that you feed

I would like to suggest that you continue to offer him finely chopped greens and eventually he will start eating them


If you bring him outdoors in a screen enclosure that will give him plenty of natural UV rays
Just make sure that the enclosure has a shady spot-a mini-temp gradient in it-so that he can move out of the sun to cool off

A towel draped over part of the top of a screened enclosure will work to provide some shade

Do not put a glass tank in the sunlight-it will get too hot inside for him

The two black spots on his shoulder pads are normal markings

If he continues to have seizures then your best option would be to take him to see a vet

I hope that he improves for you

Sandy aka LadyGecko