I have a juvenile leopard gecko that I got in March. I was watching him the other day, and noticed that both his left legs were twitching, rather strongly, for no apparent reason. He's fed regularly, his tank is the right size, and is properly heated. He wasn't shedding, and there was nothing near him that was bothering him. Is this something I should worry about, or is it just one of those fluke things? I don't want to seem paranoid, but I don't want to ignore something that is a sign that there is a bigger issue...
2007-06-10 11:05:52 · 4 answers · asked by singrgrl922 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
You made no mention of mineral supplements, namely calcium. Twitching can be an sign of a condition called tetany which is caused by low blood calcium levels. It can lead to muscle spasms and contractions and progress to fatal seizures. If you have not been dusting his food with a calcium supplement (preferably with Vitamin D3) then I would correct that immediately.
2007-06-10 11:19:33 · answer #1 · answered by Thea 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Thea is on the right track. Twitching can be a symptom of metabolic bone disorder (MBD), which is caused by insufficient calcium in the diet. I would recommend taking your gecko to the vet. They will likely give your gecko some liquid calcium by mouth, and have you give it to them at least once daily for at least a week. Starting now, as Thea said, make sure you use the appropriate supplements - dust your feeder insects with a calcium supplement regularly, and gutload your feeders. The best website I know of on leopard gecko health info is www.drgecko.com - read up there on MBD and supplementation, and please consider taking your pet to the vet.
2007-06-10 11:36:03 · answer #2 · answered by Jessica H 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it's either calcium or crickets possibly both. they both require the proper lighting for absorption and digestion respectively. crickets can become toxic if not fully digested so heat from the right lights is needed to completely digest them and UV, UVA, UVB lights are needed for the absorption of calcium.
2007-06-11 11:38:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
he's writing a symphony in his head and the twitching is just him keeping time withthe imaginary orchestra.
2007-06-10 11:10:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋