My Savannah monitor is twitching and can't walk well. What should I do?

He is likely suffering some degree of nutritional deficiency. He should be examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Blood work may diagnose calcium deficiency. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. Calcium injections, deworming and subcutaneous fluids may all be indicated. He should be eating a varied diet including kingworms, crickets and larger prey such as pinky or fuzzy mice. Adequate heat is necessary for proper digestion. Keep daytime temperature between 85 F and 95 F. Nighttime temps can be set about 10 degrees lower. A UVB light source should also be provided to maximize calcium metabolism and utilization. . You can follow the link for more information regarding care of monitors: http://www.anapsid.org/savannah.html

Thanks for reaching out about Baby and including photos. Could you include the radiograph? The arm does appear swollen. Calcium deficiencies and metabolic bone disease, are the most common. Has the UV bulb been changed in the last 6 months? Neurological problems can also cause twitching, so if the radiographs are normal, a comprehensive reptilian profile is probably the next step, as kidney disease can also cause tremors. Good luck.

Survey the area around the cage for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises, strong vibrations, strong drafts or high traffic. Reduce or eliminate any if found. Confirm proper temperature. If it is too hot up high, he will move to cooler temps. Be sure to gut load prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Dust with a calcium supplement as well as a multivitamin regularly. If the behavior persists, consider an exam with your vet or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat illness or injury. You can review chameleon care a the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Panther-Chameleon/

This may be due to nutritional deficiency or digestive issue (impaction impinging on nerves). If Medusa is defecating normally, it likely is not a digestion issue. If she is having difficulty defecating, soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes. Gently massage her abdomen during the soak to encourage defecation. Feed appropriately sized prey to prevent impaction/constipation. Prey should be no bigger than the space between her eyes. Gut load prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Check temperatures since low temps can affect appetite and digestion. A calcium deficiency is another possible cause. Juvenile beardies need more calcium and vitamin supplementation than adult beardies. Rep-Cal's Herptivite multivitamin powder and Calcium with D3 powder are the gold standards for supplements. Dust prey twice weekly with the multivitamin and 5 days per week with the calcium powder. As your beardies mature, they will require less frequent supplementation. An adequate UVB light source is also required to allow proper utilization of the D3. Change the bulb every 6 months. Make sure it is not blocked by glass or plexiglass and confirm it is not too far from Medusa to be effective. Trauma from a fall may be another cause. Arrange cage furniture to prevent falls from heights. Monitor for other signs of injury (swelling, scrapes, bleeding,etc). If husbandry changes do not improve Medusa's condition, have her examined by your veterinarian or by a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

This sounds like metabolic bone disease. Very common symptom for this is loss of use of the back legs due to calcium deficiency. I doubt it has anything to do with him climbing around on you other than that activity used up the available calcium he had in his body. Are you sure your husbandry is 100% correct? Diet, lighting, temperature, supplements, etc. This is almost always due to improper husbandry. I suggest you review all of your husbandry and get him to a reptile vet for treatment. ( https://mypetchameleon.com/diseases/metabolic-bone-disease/ ) ( https://www.pahvets.com/exotic-animal-vet-albuquerque/ )

An immediate check up at your local veterinarian would be essential to make sure right supplementation of calcium is given to cure MBD. Diagnosis requires often a radiographic study to make sure MBD is affecting him. Generally speaking full-spectrum UVB-producing bulbs should be used within the terrarium and calcium and vitamin D supplements can be given through plant material or insects. I would suggest anyway to have him checked before start any supplement (as toxicity from overdosage of Ca and VitD are quite common as well!). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Check the temperature in his enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. If he isn't eating or not exposed to high quality UVB lighting, he can become calcium deficient which could account for the tremors. If he is less than 30 inches long, confirm a basking temp of around 115 F. If he is bigger, bump basking temp to between 125 F and 135 F. Multiple lower wattage lights over a larger area are recommended over one high intensity light source. Try to get him to eat and offer a calcium supplement. If you can get a liquid supplement, that would be best right now. Zoo Med and Fluker's offer such a supplement.Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. if he doesn't eat or if the tremors worsen, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles as soon as possible.