Day gecko twitching

[slavaken]

Hi, I have a 13 month old giant day gecko (female).
the problem that I have is that she has started twitching recently. She will be sat on her bamboo and then flick her head to the left down to her back leg and then her head will twitch slightly.

I feed her multi-vitamins once every three days and she has a diet of crickets, mealworms, honey and sometimes waxworms.

She is on the larger side, and I am cutting back on the honey and waxworms.

I recently bought a male for her as well, but they aren't mating nor fighting. He will go to her and she turns her nose up at him, which I am wondering if it is because something is not right with her.

If you need any pics of her or more info then I will be glad to give it as I am worried and I am quite new to the gecko industry.

 

[windeindoiel]

Which multivitamin do you use? Do you feed her a calcium specific supplement?

 

[slavaken]

It is Exo terra multi vitamin powder supplement, kind of a brown colouration.
It has bits of everything in it

 

[Aimless]

do you gutload or dust her feeder bugs?

can you post a clear photo? how do her calcium sacs look?

 

[slavaken]

 

[Aimless]

can you please answer the question about gutloading?

and yes, she's definitely a little plump. I would expect that girls' calcium sacs to be bigger, but she DOES have them.

can you please go into exhaustive detail about her diet, and also her overall husbandry? how long has it been since her UV bulb has been replaced?

 

[slavaken]

Yes I gutload her crickets 48hrs before feeding them to her as well as the meal worms. I have around a month left on the UV bulb though I am replacing that next week.

Food terms they have a bowl of mealworms in there 24/7 changed every week. I feed them gutloaded locust once every four days, also small crickets (what I use for the house gecko) sometimes for a variation.
Also I give them honey once a week as a treat and to hand train them as well as two waxworms each.

Husbandry? if ur referring to Mushu the male then its very odd.
They don't fight each other, they sit next to each other and eat near each other but when it comes to Mushu trying his moves on her she shakes her head very fast and snaps at him.
Poor thing goes off in a sulk but he doesn't stop trying.

Hope I answered everything

 

[Aimless]

husbandry: specific cage setup (with photos), what type of light source, what type of heat source, what are actual measured temperatures, how do you humidify the cage, do you have a water bowl, etc.

what sort of UV bulb? and what do you mean by "a month left"? UV bulbs have a varying lifespan, regardless of what they say on the box.

the more specific details you can give, the more likely we are to be able to help pinpoint the problem.

I'm going to say, first, to get rid of the mealworms. they're cheap and easy, but very unhealthy

the reason I'm hunting for all this detail is because neurological symptoms are pretty often due to a nutritional problem.

 

[slavaken]

It is a glass vivarium big enough for two. Light sources are three 25 watt sun glow bulbs, and one UV which lasts 6 months at a time.
Heat sources are one large heat mat and two medium mats. all turned on when the room is cold.
recorded temps vary. if hot outside tank reaches 35C and on a norm day reaches 30C.
Humidity is never below 60% and is helped with moss, a water fountain and spraying three times a day, also so they can drink from the leaves.

I use five inches of pebbles then an inch or two of reptile tropical soil, layer of bark and then large patches of moss.
Feeding wise, I ended up over feeding Nibbles being inexperienced but now I am controlling her diet. I am limited to what I can buy her as I only have three reptile shops and they all sell the same, mealworms, crickets, locust and waxworms.

If there is anything they can eat then I will be happy to know but she is very fussy and does not touch anything like crested gecko diet, gecko fruit or any fruit, sometimes she might have crushed apple, but that is on a good day.
I finger feed her multi vitamin twice a week, seeming its the only way she takes it.

I have had her for nearly two to three months now and she does not show stress, though I don't know if the twitching would be because Mushu keeps harassing her for sex.

 

[Aimless]

her color is good. extreme stress in these guys is coupled to dark/grayish color, and she's not doing that.

hmph. I got nothin, although I suspect she might need a little more in the way of supplementation. hopefully someone will see this later that has more ideas. for me, if you can't pinpoint a specific problem with the diet, I'd be concerned about illness.

 

[slavaken]

thanks for ur imput, and I have a feeling it could be a lack of vitamins, as I have noticed that she hadn't been eating due to a new companion and a clean out in the tank. I think if she continues for more than a month then I will seek further advice, but I think it could just be the lack of UV and vitamins.

 

[mkschaefer]

Invertebrate diet consisting primarily of crickets is best. Just keep offering prepared diets, she will eat them if she wants to. She looks healthy, but if she is 13 months, I would not pair her for breeding. She is too young. I pair larger Phelsuma at 2-3 years. Both males and females will twitch their heads back and forth at one another, males will do it more frequently, in agonistic behaviors. Males do it quite commonly when approaching a female for breeding or displaying throughout the enclosure. You may even hear vocalizations. She looks to be in good condition and your husbandry sounds great. Are you sure she is 13 months? She looks rather large. Again, she looks healthy!

 

[ankan333]

Just checking.. did the twitching start when you introduced the male? It *might* be that she's telling him to f**k off, kind of...

 

[slavaken]

She was a big girl when I bought her though her being plump doesn't help.

I don't think the twitching is towards the male as she seems to twitch when she moves around and just after. When she has settled her head starts twitching or her front legs.

 

[mkschaefer]

It could be calcium deficiency. I'll check on the multi-vitamin you mentioned. Not all are equivalent and not all have the calcium she needs. What brand of bulb? Again, not all are equivalent and the most reliable method is to measure the UV output.

 

[slavaken]

My Movie - YouTube

Here is a video just now which I recorded of Nibble and her twitching. Quite bad at the moment but she still wanders around and feeds.
Mushu had a nose at the camera at the end so my apologies

 

[Aimless]

hmph. that doesn't quite look like convulsions, but it's definitely not normal. I'd replace the UV stat. if at all possible, get her to a vet for a blood panel.

it could be calcium, it could be Vitamin A or B...there are so many nutrients that they need. if you up the supplements you won't necessarily solve the problem. geckos can also overdose. from what you've shared I don't think that's the problem.

honestly, with something this complicated, in order to get her health back on track I really think you will need a vet's help.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Yes I gutload her crickets 48hrs before feeding them to her as well as the meal worms. I have around a month left on the UV bulb though I am replacing that next week.

Food terms they have a bowl of mealworms in there 24/7 changed every week. I feed them gutloaded locust once every four days, also small crickets (what I use for the house gecko) sometimes for a variation.
Also I give them honey once a week as a treat and to hand train them as well as two waxworms each.

Husbandry? if ur referring to Mushu the male then its very odd.
They don't fight each other, they sit next to each other and eat near each other but when it comes to Mushu trying his moves on her she shakes her head very fast and snaps at him.
Poor thing goes off in a sulk but he doesn't stop trying.

Hope I answered everything

thanks for ur imput, and I have a feeling it could be a lack of vitamins, as I have noticed that she hadn't been eating due to a new companion and a clean out in the tank. I think if she continues for more than a month then I will seek further advice, but I think it could just be the lack of UV and vitamins.

My Movie - YouTube

Here is a video just now which I recorded of Nibble and her twitching. Quite bad at the moment but she still wanders around and feeds.
Mushu had a nose at the camera at the end so my apologies

slavaken ~

My concern is that you mention using both Exo-Terra multivitamins and UVB. Does your multivitamin contain vitamin D3? If so, she could be getting too much D3 since that is what the overhead UVB light is all about. Both too much vitamin D3 and a lack of vitamin D3 cause similar symptoms.

This one: http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/powder_multi_vitamin.php If so, no D3 and the vitamin A is from beta carotene.

However, you say your UVB (bulb ?) is 5/6 months "old" and that she has not been eating lately.

Brand of UVB...strip fluorescent or bulb?

I only use Zoo Med's Reptisun 5.0 UVB tube fluorescents on the horizontally oriented 12 inch high enclosures I keep my few Phelsuma in. However, my Phelsuma require different habitats than yours do.

What do you use as a gutload 48 hours prior to feeding?

I would skip the wax worms altogether. Those are extremely high in fat :-(.

 

[cricket4u]

It will be best to take her to the vet and have blood work to check her calcium level, kidney and liver function. I would also highly suggest buying a UVB meter so that you know if enough rays are coming through the mesh. Do post a link to the supplements that you're using.


A UVB meter is very important for these sun worshiping geckos. There's always a chance that not enough UVB is reaching the gecko. Yes, you'll pay between $200- $300 for a meter, however it can prevent problems from occurring; most importantly unnecessary death. You can end up paying a lot more in vet fees and diagnostics without one. Read where it says mesh test.

http://www.uvguide.co.uk/uvinnature.htm

 

[BryanF]

I watched the movie. My guess is that she's got mites or some other ectoparasite. She looks agitated, and seems itchy - you can see her using her hind leg to scratch her face, and also rubbing her face on the wall.

I've attached a couple photos of a chigger mite (Eutrombicula sp.) on an anole. These mites are commonly found on reptiles but can be hard to see because they're so small, and would be particularly difficult to see on a grandis since they may appear as normal red coloration. Can you find any mites? Is it possible that the male brought them with him? If yes, you can find information on ridding mites on these forums, but beware they're really hard to get rid of without harming your animals.

In any case, all the advice you've gotten so far is good, and this is a good time to review all your husbandry practices!

Good luck!