Flame's Tremors

Last year, I posted a picture of Flame (the only bearded dragon fire victim from last April's fire) and how his head tremors and trembles. My vet and I are pretty sure it is a byproduct of sloppy breeding. He's got a lot of "Fancy" genes in him-- translucence and all those other fancy things I never learned-- and I think a lot of those specific genes were mixed by mating beardies who were related too closely to each other. That might not be exactly it, but it's our best guess at this point.

Today, sadly, I noticed the tremors are spreading. Flame's tail is now trembling too. :( And I think the other day I saw some leg tremors. I haven't even had him a year and already the shaking is spreading.

We figured that the neurological causes behind his tremors would most likely shorten his life. I just didn't expect them to spread as fast as they are. :( 

I touched his head to get him to look at my camera and he closed his eyes so I could pet him. Aw, sweet baby boy. I gave him a good head scratch before I took the pic. 

Another example of the bad outcomes of sloppy breeding. Specialty body & eye colors are very trendy and popular in most reptiles, but it significantly limits the gene pool they draw from. A smaller gene pool means that problems get amplified. My last translucent beardie had head tremors too. She only lived 3 years. If you want the healthiest possible beardie, pick a "mutt" beardie that has been been bred from a reputable breeder with a good gene pool. They might not be the brightest or prettiest, but they are more likely to live the longest.