3 dead geckos in a month...

frost1375

New Member
Messages
113
Location
Wilmington, MA
I am so sad to have to be posting this. I have had a tough month with my leos. The Winter has been brutal in Mass and Ive been struggling to keep my geckos warm. I added another heat lamp, put plastic on the windows, but I think their tank was too cold for too long. My first gecko, Tiki, died suddenly. He hadn't stopped eating and he had been acting fine up until the night I found him barely moving. I know he wouldn't have made it to the vet for a euthanasia so he passed away within an hour or so.

Then I noticed one of my other geckos had stopped eating within a week after Tiki passed. I started hand feeding her critical care and giving her warm soaks. All of Gobi's sypmtoms pointed to obstruction even though I knew there was nothing she could have eaten. I read that when temps get too low, their digestive system slows, and they can become impacted because of that. I soaked her muulitple times daily, fed her critical care, I was giving her a laxative called Lactulose, and giving her belly massages. She ended up getting too sick that I had to euthanize her.

Then just to be safe I started feeding my other 3 geckos critical care and making sure they were okay. My other guy, Falkor, was eating the critical care and loving the soaks. I had to go away for a day so I fed him right before I left and when I came home. At his nightly feeding/soaking last night, he was barely struggling with me, and seemed really lethargic. He didn't want to eat for me. I also noticed a bulge at the base of his tail which I thought was from weight loss then after some research I wonder if he could have had an intestinal parasite.

I am so sad and so upset that I don't know what to do. I have lost 3 geckos in about a month. I have two left who seem healthy, but from all this that has just happened, I know they can go downhill quickly. Can anyone tell me from experience what this seems like? After the first two passed, I thought I cleaned their tank very well. I washed all their tiles, houses, bowls, and disinfected their tank. It's one tank but separated into 4 sections. If it is a parasite or virus, I can see how it could be spread. But after getting the tanks to warm levels, it's hard to think they all died from impaction or from being too cold. Please help. I'm desperate. :(
 

queso

New Member
Messages
26
Location
NC
First of all I'm very sorry for your loss and would like to send you my condolences. You mentioned it being cold..is the temperature inside your house cold? Are you monitoring the temperatures in your terrarium? And also, are you using under tank heaters?
 

frost1375

New Member
Messages
113
Location
Wilmington, MA
Thank you. Yes, I'm using under tank heaters. Boston had a rough Winter so my house is colder than usual but I've gone through 8 Winters with these guys without a problem. I've moved the two I have now into the main part of the house where it's warmer. By the time I realized it was too cold in the gecko room, the damage was already done. I put plastic on the windows, added an extra heat lamp, and made sure all the heating vents had been cleared.
 

queso

New Member
Messages
26
Location
NC
If you've been through 8 winter with them with no problems before I do not think the temperature would have been the problem, especially since you use under tank heaters and an extra heat lamp, unless it was just brutally cold. It sounds to me more like a parasite, however I'm not expert. I hope the best for your remaining leo's and once again I'm very sorry for your loss
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,250
Location
Somerville, MA
I think it would be a good idea to take your remaining 2 geckos and at least one fecal sample to the reptile vet. I think there's a vet clinic in Lynn that has an exotics vet. Otherwise, you'll have to come down to Belmont to the Fresh Pond Animal Hospital. That way you can find out if there's another problem. I live not far away from you and so far (fortunately) my geckos have been OK due to the under tank heat mats.

Aliza
 

Tongue Flicker

Hardcore Animal Lover
Messages
608
Location
Madina't Isa, Bahrain
Hello and welcome aboard!

Dude, 3 deaths in one month is definitely bothering. You should clean out everything that your geckos have come into contact with and reassess your husbandry and equipment. Hopefully everyone here can help you out with your concerns :)
 

Visit our friends

Top