I hope someone on here can help me please. My Crestie has started shaking. It's almost as if he's hesitating when trying to move, and this morning he has dropped his tail. He's been really healthy up until now, and has been a really good feeder and grown well. Nothing in his enviroment has been changed. Have any of you ever heard of this happening before? Not sure what to do. I'm unable to get to a vet until tomorrow. Please help.

[Olivine]

What sort of diet does the littlun have? Do his limbs look swollen / bent at all? Shaking / trembling can be associated with a range of problems, including MBD, so the littlun really does need to be seen by a vet so that a proper diagnosis can be made. Until you can get an appointment, I'd recommend keeping him in a lower enclosure the normal if you can, just to reduce the risk of him falling if he tries to climb.

Good luck at the vet's; keep us posted on how he gets on.

Heya

My cresties get some baby food mixed with food supliment and every 3 days I give them some crickets/locus or wax worms with calcium suppliment on it. The little one is a bit better today. He is not shaking as bad and ate half the live food I gave him last night. I got the day off work tomorrow so if he hasnt improved I am taking him to vet then. Thanks for your advice. I just got a big fright. Seeing that he was fine on monday morning and when I came home monday night he was little legs was shaking. He is the fat and healthy one so dont know what caused this. Hope you have a nice day. Thanks again.

[Olivine]

Personally, I'd try to switch the littlun from baby food to a proprietary CGD (I've found Repashy 2-part diet works well); in spite of the advice frequently offered by pet shops, baby food really isn't the best choice for cresties. It can be difficult to get the correct level of supplementation when using it and this can lead to problems such as MBD (this thread gives a case study of the sort of problems that can occur). I'd also be wary about using too many wax worm as, due to their high fat content, they can also cause health problems. If you want an alternative, try using dubia roaches; not only are the more nutritious, but all of my Rhacs love them.

It might still be worth getting the littlun checked by the vet; if the shaking was caused by something like MBD, then it may be at a relatively early stage and therefore easier to treat. If I was in your position, I think I'd be making an appointment, just for my own peace of mind.

Hey,
Recently my little crestie Fluffy started behaving oddly.... He kinda looked like he was chasing his tail....fell outta his plants & was really light sensitive..... I got in touch with the guys in the shop I got him from..... They told me it could be a calcium deficiency (caused by "overdosing" his mineral supplements).... So told me I should stop the minerals.... just give him pure calcium powder for a little while..... Might be a good idea to get him looked at by a vet..... But I would advise asking the breeder which herp vet they'd reccfommend..... I also feed my crestie a fruit mix..... they love banana & mango (as I've discovered by seeing how quickly he'll tear into it).... & generally, i'd dust this with a combination of mineral powder & pure calcium).....almost like I would shake salt onto my own food..... Then mix it in.....This is basically what the guys in the shop've told me to do.... As they're the ones that actually bred him & all other young snakes/reptiles they sell..... I'd be inclined to take their word for it..... I'd still say get him checked over.... just to be safe.....cos you never can tell
Best of luck..... Hope yer little man's feelin much better soon
Stell x x

[Olivine]

Originally Posted by Fluffy's mummy

Hey,
Recently my little crestie Fluffy started behaving oddly.... He kinda looked like he was chasing his tail....fell outta his plants & was really light sensitive..... I got in touch with the guys in the shop I got him from..... They told me it could be a calcium deficiency (caused by "overdosing" his mineral supplements).... So told me I should stop the minerals.... just give him pure calcium powder for a little while..... )
To be honest, I'm not quite sure why they offered that advice. Geckos require a vitamin / mineral supplement containing D3 as, without that vitamin, they can't process the calcium in their diet. Withdrawing the vitamin supplement would therefore actually make a calcium deficiency (hypocalcemia) worse. Limiting the mineral supplements would only be required if the crestie was suffering from hypercalcemia (i.e. an excess of calcium); however, this should be done with caution as, obviously, D3 isn't the only vitamin contained in the supplement. Limiting the supplements too much can therefore cause other health problems. However, as it can be very difficult to distinguish between hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia, it's essential that any calcium metabolism problem is assessed by a vet (who can, if required, take a blood test to measure the level of blood calcium so that an accurate diagnosis can be made).

Might be a good idea to get him looked at by a vet..... But I would advise asking the breeder which herp vet they'd reccfommend..... I also feed my crestie a fruit mix..... they love banana & mango (as I've discovered by seeing how quickly he'll tear into it)....
Just a word of caution about offering too much banana; it contains high levels of potassium, which can actual inhibit calcium absorption. It's therefore best to offer it only very sparingly as a treat, rather than using it as a staple.

& generally, i'd dust this with a combination of mineral powder & pure calcium).....almost like I would shake salt onto my own food..... Then mix it in.....This is basically what the guys in the shop've told me to do.... As they're the ones that actually bred him & all other young snakes/reptiles they sell..... I'd be inclined to take their word for it.....
The problem is, it can be very difficult to get the correct balance of vitamins and minerals required; as you've said yourself, your littlun has experienced apparent calcium metabolism problems. I've come across a large number of cresties that have experienced health problems due to being fed the incorrect diet; unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, the diet consisted of either fruit or baby food, being used with or without supplements (frequently the diet being offered has been recommended by a pet shop). In contrast, I've come across relatively few problems with animals who've been fed CGD.

I'd still say get him checked over.... just to be safe.....cos you never can tell
Best of luck..... Hope yer little man's feelin much better soon
Stell x x

Sorry, I don't mean to be picky; I just wanted to clarify a few points. I must say though, I'm not entirely sure that your pet shop is offering you the best advice.

Heya guys.

I tried to get him to vet and the only vet that deals with him in Wales can see him on the 15th May. I been keeping a close eye on him. Been putting more calcium into his mixed supplements over past couple of days. He is nearly his old self again. No more shakes, very sad because he lost his tail. But he is moving about like he use to more now. Got the weekend coming off and might pop to London to see vet there if I need to. Thanks for all the adviced. Jean x