Hello. This is a long story.
I work at a pet store. Admittingly, our procedures for taking care of the geckos are not up to my standards, and their food is rarely dusted (pretty much by just me), and their heating is usually far to hot.
We got a little guy in who had "leg issues" a week or two after he arrived. I immediately recognized his problems as MBD. His limbs were twisting and he was isolated for a "broken leg" (which was actually a twisted leg). I told everyone what was wrong with him, but the other staff and managers would rather believe the in-store vet that he has a broken leg over me.
Anyway, this guy has been isolated in our back room for around 2 months. He dropped his tail because of the vet handling him, and people continue to say he's "fine" even though he walks and looks exactly like the youtube videos of severe MBD gecko rescues. His legs are all entirely warped and when he stops moving and "smushes" to the ground, his rib cage appears a bit lopsided.
Because he is "defective" he is entirely free to a home who would take him, and I'm interested in doing so but I'm concerned about the special needs a gecko with MBD at the juvenile stage. He is very young, about 3 inches long. He's extremely bright eyed and responsive, he just has trouble going places. Instead of walking he sort of, slithers along the ground in a twisting motion. He also eats like a pig and is extremely chunky.
My main question is what needs does a gecko like this have? I have been a gecko owner (and tile > sand supporter!) for 2 years and am experienced in their keeping. I figured that if I adopted this little one I'd put him in a 10 gallon because he has trouble walking. I'm mostly concerned about longterm care though. Will he need special supplementation, or will my normal routine of calcium+D3 twice a week and Rep-Cal multivitamin once a week be sufficient for his lifespan?
I'm also torn on whether I should adopt him at all, if it's even worth it. Despite his MBD, he is otherwise outwardly healthy. However, I cannot afford an ACTUAL vet visit for him at this current time, though I most likely can in a few months. He obviously does not have any "major" parasites because I have been seeing him myself every morning, and as mentioned above, he's a fat boy. What I'm concerned about with bringing him into my home is the possibility of introducing something that may harm my own gecko who is now 2 years old, even though I would avoid using the same decor and bowls between them.
Advice? Thoughts? It would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.
I work at a pet store. Admittingly, our procedures for taking care of the geckos are not up to my standards, and their food is rarely dusted (pretty much by just me), and their heating is usually far to hot.
We got a little guy in who had "leg issues" a week or two after he arrived. I immediately recognized his problems as MBD. His limbs were twisting and he was isolated for a "broken leg" (which was actually a twisted leg). I told everyone what was wrong with him, but the other staff and managers would rather believe the in-store vet that he has a broken leg over me.
Anyway, this guy has been isolated in our back room for around 2 months. He dropped his tail because of the vet handling him, and people continue to say he's "fine" even though he walks and looks exactly like the youtube videos of severe MBD gecko rescues. His legs are all entirely warped and when he stops moving and "smushes" to the ground, his rib cage appears a bit lopsided.
Because he is "defective" he is entirely free to a home who would take him, and I'm interested in doing so but I'm concerned about the special needs a gecko with MBD at the juvenile stage. He is very young, about 3 inches long. He's extremely bright eyed and responsive, he just has trouble going places. Instead of walking he sort of, slithers along the ground in a twisting motion. He also eats like a pig and is extremely chunky.
My main question is what needs does a gecko like this have? I have been a gecko owner (and tile > sand supporter!) for 2 years and am experienced in their keeping. I figured that if I adopted this little one I'd put him in a 10 gallon because he has trouble walking. I'm mostly concerned about longterm care though. Will he need special supplementation, or will my normal routine of calcium+D3 twice a week and Rep-Cal multivitamin once a week be sufficient for his lifespan?
I'm also torn on whether I should adopt him at all, if it's even worth it. Despite his MBD, he is otherwise outwardly healthy. However, I cannot afford an ACTUAL vet visit for him at this current time, though I most likely can in a few months. He obviously does not have any "major" parasites because I have been seeing him myself every morning, and as mentioned above, he's a fat boy. What I'm concerned about with bringing him into my home is the possibility of introducing something that may harm my own gecko who is now 2 years old, even though I would avoid using the same decor and bowls between them.
Advice? Thoughts? It would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.
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I've rehabbed everything but MBD, however, have read anything I've found for treatment. My vet showed me a chameleon someone gave him with severe MBD but I didn't ask about the course of treatment. It pulled thru (looked like it was literally on it's last leg) and he adopted it out to a loving home. Vets give a calcium injection but I don't know how many times if more than once. Maybe someone else here knows. I have a small bottle of liquid calcium (without D3) from LLLReptile onhand but it's an oral dosage by weight, given once or twice a week in serious cases. I used it on my Blue tongue skink when she injured her leg escaping. It strengthened her and she healed quickly. But severe MBD as far as I know cannot be cured, only some symptoms relieved so that animal can have some quality of life. Phoenix worms and butterworms are very high calci feeders and if I took an animal with such a defiency I would use those. Your dusting schedule is okay if you use the special feeders also. He may not do so well with crickets, but mealworms he could get to. If you do take him in, a 10 gal would be good, furniture he couldn't fall and hurt himself on. Of course the standard quarantine of 2 months minimum, more would be better. He likely wouldn't do well housed with another gecko and could be more easily injured by a tankmate than a healthy gecko. It's good that he's a boy, egg laying could be the end of a female in that condition. I hope you do decide to take him in, before his health worsens and perhaps have a chance to correct some things. He can always be adopted out as a pet only after he recovers a bit 