Anyone that can help me???

[GekkoGalaksen]

I have a question that I have been thinking about...

Some years ago a vet told me that it was completly safe to force feed a Leopardgecko...beacuse they haven´t separate "channels" down the throat, only one. So they can´t get fluid or food down in a trachea or in the lungs...

I have tried to find something written about this...but so far nothing

Is there anybody here that knows if the facts I got is true???

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Reptiles do have a windpipe, or trachea, called the glottis. It is in their mouth, right at the base of the tongue. It is possible to cause a gecko to choke or drown from aspirating debris and especially fluids if they are forced into their mouths.

I know this for a fact. I accidently killed one of my geckos several years ago by giving liquid calcium without letting her lick it herself, and she aspirated it into her glottis. Forcing anything into the mouth of a reptile is dangerous... that's why it's sometime better to tube-feed them directly into the stomach. Or better yet, put drops on their noses and allow them to lick it by themselves.

 

[GekkoGalaksen]

Marcia...thank you :heart:
It´s priceless to have a source like you!

I had a feeling that I shoulden´t trust the info I got...now I know!

I would so much like to have a book about Leopardgecko anatomy...is there any?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I would LOVE to see a good diagram of gecko anatomy, too... I haven't been able to find anything!

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Actually, I found this on Google Scholar (notice where it explains how the glottis works):

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.anapsid.org/images/igmouthmap.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/mouth.html&h=1869&w=1419&sz=55&hl=en&start=151&tbnid=bwQ3rxTDbpUj_M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlizard%2Banatomy%26start%3D140%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

 

[Ccrashca069]

My Reptile Vet Dr C is on vacation right now. When she comes back, I will ask her about some good books about Gecko Anatomy. Even if she makes me some photocopies I will scan them and share the info

 

[GekkoGalaksen]

Thank you again Marcia for that info
And I if you can get any more info John and share it with us...it would be fantastic!

 

[Ccrashca069]

Dr C won't be back untill Tuesday but the other Reptile vet, Dr Flowers found me a diagram of a green iguana this morning. It starts as 1 tube but then you see where the other tube starts. I will have it scaned and post it in here later today.