Creeping paralysis in Blue Tongue

[Scalygirl]

Hey guys,

my five year old Centralian Bluetongue is showing strong signs of increasing paralysis/complete loss of muscle-tone on the right side of his body - he is housed outdoors, is getting lots of sun, appears fat (potentially bloated??) and perfect otherwise, seems unusually sleepy, although he is newly out of Brumation. I have not been able to persuade him to eat from my hand yet (although there will be lots of snails and insects available to him in his bushy courtyard) I am concerned about Calcium deficiency and will source a supplement today, but will he recover from this? or is there permanent damage done? What other conditions could cause this sort of paralysis?

Very concerned.

Scalygirl :{

 

[Mr.James]

He could be constipated, this can cause paralysis if bad enough. Give him a warm bath in some sugar water and feel its belly.

 

[Poggle]

He could be constipated, this can cause paralysis if bad enough. Give him a warm bath in some sugar water and feel its belly.

Yes i have experienced this before and it did resolve the problem, although if it does persist may be work have achat to your local herp vet

 

[Scalygirl]

Saddest news;

Today Stripey died.

He was more or less comatose this morning, and I placed him in the sun, where he began to lift his head and tail and strain to pass a poo. Eventually he did - somewhat violently, an odd looking pale plug of faecal matter and a dark rather dry peice in a flood of clear fluid. He was very limp and poorly, and acting strangely, but I hoped that he would improve having finally passed some poo. But this afternoon he died.

Maybe you are both right and he was constipated following his brumation. I wish I had had your advice earlier. Or maybe he had something else, a germ, or blockage, or poisoning. He has no contact with other lizards, so I am very very sad, and very perplexed, and I've lost a lovely pet who has given us real pleasure for the last five years.

If anyone has any ideas what could have been the problem please let me know. It seemed rather sudden, and probably painful for him.

RIP Stripe

Scalygirl - pretty devastated this evening

 

[Mr.James]

Sorry to hear..

 

[r3ptilian]

Sorry to hear you lost your little Stripey. :cry:

 

[Megzz]

Sorry to hear that Its the saddest feeling.

 

[Ambush]

Sorry to hear.

 

[Scalygirl]

Thanks for your kind words, Folks.

I'm still keen to hear a few quick suggestions regarding the possible causes of Stripey's death - because I am thinking of replacing him, but am concerned that there may now be a germ or parasite?? in the soil in his enclosure, for instance.

Scalygirl - Bereft and Lizardless

 

[Megzz]

Well you'd replace the substrate and clean the enclosure thoroughly before putting another reptile in there anyway, right? ...