80 dollar leopard gecko rescue ? i think so what do yall think?

[blueangel817]

a guy on craigslist listed these for sale for 10 dollars each wont say name on here but they seem like they are starving i just got them home into a temp home and got them food water and stuff like that once i put crickets in there they went straight for them i weighed them all the smallest of them all is like 2-3 grams........my newly hatched baby that was 1 gram born now weighs 4grams and is smaller then these guys/gals are i got all 10 for 80 but worth it seems like they would have died seeing as it seems like he didnt feed them. should i just try and feed them like i normally do or is there something i should give them? any help would be great and thanks oh also on some of them the mealies and crickets are coming back up like they eat it and then puke it back up what should i do?

 

[Coby78]

Oh my those tails.

You can't feed them too much right now, they won't be able to take it. For animals that were starved, you have to feed them very slowly back to normal weight. If you gave them too many mealworms than their emaciated bodies can handle, that was probably the reason they regurgitated. I would reduce the amount you feed drastically until you know their bodies are handling it and then you can slowly increase the amount.

If there's any medical thing you can do for them, someone else might be able to help.

 

[blueangel817]

i have them in a 10 gallon fish tank right now the bigger ones are in a 10 gallon and the smaller ones are in another 10 gallon

 

[blueangel817]

yes i feel so bad for them but glad he doesnt have them anymore and im doing what i can dont seem like they have any health problem besides him not feeding them

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Wow.

First, be sure you do not cross contaminate in any way, to your own healthy animals. Dishes, feeding implements, hands. anything. STRICT quarantine. Even though the gex have lived together, they should be separated, not just to monitor each one's individual issues, but also to avoid any food aggression. Shoebox tubs would be fine for quarantine. If you don't have any heat mats available, human heating pads will work in a pinch. As others have said, feed small amounts and gradually increase. If they over-eat and regurge, it could cause them discomfort to the point of going off food, and you don't want that. Since their previous care was so poor, I would think there is a parasite issue as well. I would suggest arranging a qualified herp vet to get a fecal float and the correct medication/instruction for a couple of them. Especially the skinny one. If one has parasites, they all need the medication. It should be given AFTER they are eating regular, so they don't get weak from the treatment.

Good luck with them, it's going to be some work and could cost a bit to get them straightened out.

 

[blueangel817]

yes i dont have them around my other collection just in case they do have other problems ....and this weekend i will be making a rack from them to go into so they will be in there own tubs so i can monitor how each of them are doing and how there feeding is doing as well will keep everyone updated and just hoping the little ones will be ok the bigger ones in the other tank is doing good the main ones that worry me are the tiny tiny babies. but will keep an eye on all of them

 

[T-ReXx]

Take stool samples to a vet ASAP. Regurgitation and weight loss are possible signs of Crypto. Other parasites are a possibility as well. They need to be vet checked NOW, at that size they won't last long if there's parasitical or pathalogical issues gong on.

 

[TokayKeeper]

at that size I don't even know if their internal organs will handle meds

 

[T-ReXx]

If it's Crypto there's nothing to do, they'll just have to be put down. If it's other parasites, they MIGHT survive treatment, though I wouldn't bet on it. If it's simple starvation then they will probably need subcu fluids to rehydrate them and be fed small, frequent meals and even then I'd only give them a 50/50 chance. Geckos that small and that far gone don't usually recover, it can happen, but the odds are not in their favor. And there may come a point where quality of life needs to be considered.

One more thing: everytime someone "rescues" a sick animal by paying for it they are validating the seller. An exchange of money is not a rescue, it is a purchase. I feel for mistreated reptiles as much as the next herper however I'm not going to hand over cash for an obviously sick animal. All that does is encourage the seller to possibly do it again as they can get away with it. I personally wouldn't even take a gecko that looks like that for free, unless I planned to just put it out of it's misery, the risk to an established collection is just too great.

 

[blueangel817]

yea you are right and i dont have them any where near my healthy geckos when i mess with the any of my reptiles after wards its wash and germ-x hands

 

[Wowoklol]

You'd think starvation would depress the immune systems and hasten any sort of illness. Crypto would have them on deaths door by now. Either way, proceed with caution. They Definitely are in need of large doses of TLC. You should be commended for helping these animals out. It would have been hard for me to bite my tongue while picking these guys up.............. Prev owner might have got an earful. AFTER i secured the lizards

 

[blueangel817]

Yes I hate seeing animals or reptiles being mistreated I don't think crypto either they want to eat and yes all.g way to recovery but atleast they are no longer with him

 

[T-ReXx]

Cryptosporidium can lie completely undetected in visibly healthy geckos for YEARS. You cannot say it is or isn't parasitical or pathological without fecals and exams by a qualified reptile vet. And leaving them unexamined and tested when they show obvious signs of potential parasites or infection is like playing russian roulette with your other animals.

Get those animals veterinary care.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Don't be fooled by thinking these animals are just starved and will be okay if they gain weight. That's hardly ever the case in otherwise healthy animals. Very rarely. Very. Otherwise they would have been more than $10 each.

 

[blueangel817]

Yes I will be getting a hold of my vet to see if they deal with reptiles and see about getting them in anyway as they need to be seen and checked out I don't disagree with that if my vet doesn't ill look around and find one that will. Will let everyone know what they say when I find out .

 

[fl_orchidslave]

is there an update on these animals?