brandy101010
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Glad to hear you are doing every thing you can for her. keep us updated.
Golden Gate Geckos
Mean Old Gecko Lady
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I really don't know, but I would treat any infection like that as if it was.
W
WftRight
Guest
Update!
This update is real.
My vet did something to open the gecko's eyes. I haven't given her a close look yet, but at first glance, her eyes appear to be much better. She (my vet) also said to try her (the gecko) on regular food this weekend. If the gecko will eat regular food, a full recovery is likely. She also said to rub an ointment in the gecko's eyes twice a day.
I'm wondering a couple of things.
1. I have some parts of the slurry mixture (squash baby food, vanilla Ensure, generic Pedialyte, herp vitamin powder, meal worms, calcium w/D3). I don't have the special pet food or the milk thistle. I'm an old bachelor, so I certainly don't have a blender. I'm wondering whether there's any benefit or any danger is mixing an ugly version of the slurry using just a little bit of each ingredient at a time and mashing it up with a spoon? I'd offer a little squat cup full of the stuff in addition to the meal worms and crickets. Part of me doesn't want to try something other than what the vet suggested and doesn't want the gecko to focus on anything but regular food. Another part of me thinks that anything that gives her a little boost could be good.
2. Instead of trying to be that fancy with it, is there any harm in offering a little generic Pedialyte in a container separate from her water? Is there any harm in offering a little bit of Ensure in the same way?
3. Are there any tricks to putting ointment in a gecko's eye? The vet assistant told me just to put a little on my fingertip and rub gently over the eye. That process sounds easy, but I have this feeling that it will be tricky. I once had to give my folks' cat an insulin shot, and that was very nerve-wracking. It occurred to me that my friend will return home to a healthy gecko that doesn't remember him as the 280 pound monster that rubs stuff in her eyes.
4. Right now, I have her in the large size of the plastic "Kritter Keeper" animal cages. Is that big enough or would you try to find something bigger. I expected to be able to find a plastic container bigger than the Kritter Keepers but not quite at the size of a 40 quart sweater box. I haven't found anything yet, and I'm wondering whether leaving her in the Kritter Keeper would be okay. I'll take pictures of the setup and post them later.
Again, many thanks to everyone. I'm sure that you'll be seeing more questions as I work through this little adventure.
Thanks,
Bill
This update is real.
My vet did something to open the gecko's eyes. I haven't given her a close look yet, but at first glance, her eyes appear to be much better. She (my vet) also said to try her (the gecko) on regular food this weekend. If the gecko will eat regular food, a full recovery is likely. She also said to rub an ointment in the gecko's eyes twice a day.
I'm wondering a couple of things.
1. I have some parts of the slurry mixture (squash baby food, vanilla Ensure, generic Pedialyte, herp vitamin powder, meal worms, calcium w/D3). I don't have the special pet food or the milk thistle. I'm an old bachelor, so I certainly don't have a blender. I'm wondering whether there's any benefit or any danger is mixing an ugly version of the slurry using just a little bit of each ingredient at a time and mashing it up with a spoon? I'd offer a little squat cup full of the stuff in addition to the meal worms and crickets. Part of me doesn't want to try something other than what the vet suggested and doesn't want the gecko to focus on anything but regular food. Another part of me thinks that anything that gives her a little boost could be good.
2. Instead of trying to be that fancy with it, is there any harm in offering a little generic Pedialyte in a container separate from her water? Is there any harm in offering a little bit of Ensure in the same way?
3. Are there any tricks to putting ointment in a gecko's eye? The vet assistant told me just to put a little on my fingertip and rub gently over the eye. That process sounds easy, but I have this feeling that it will be tricky. I once had to give my folks' cat an insulin shot, and that was very nerve-wracking. It occurred to me that my friend will return home to a healthy gecko that doesn't remember him as the 280 pound monster that rubs stuff in her eyes.
4. Right now, I have her in the large size of the plastic "Kritter Keeper" animal cages. Is that big enough or would you try to find something bigger. I expected to be able to find a plastic container bigger than the Kritter Keepers but not quite at the size of a 40 quart sweater box. I haven't found anything yet, and I'm wondering whether leaving her in the Kritter Keeper would be okay. I'll take pictures of the setup and post them later.
Again, many thanks to everyone. I'm sure that you'll be seeing more questions as I work through this little adventure.
Thanks,
Bill
Scott&Nikki
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Great to hear she fixed that eye. Someone else can answer those questions better, though.
W
WftRight
Guest
Here are the latest pictures.
The first is of the cage where I'm keeping her now. I'm going to try to find something a little bigger, but if this one is good enough, please let me know. The substrate (paper bag) under the cup where she's hiding is about 89°F. The substrate under the other box is about 72°F.
The second one is of one of her eyes. This one still doesn't look great. The one on the other side certainly looks better, but I'm not taking too many eye pictures until she feels better.
Overall, she seems more active. When I pick her up, she doesn't lie there passively. She's not strong, but she's moving. Putting ointment in her eyes isn't too bad. I'm going to empty her cage later to see whether the ate anything that I gave her.
Again, I'd welcome any tips.
Bill
The first is of the cage where I'm keeping her now. I'm going to try to find something a little bigger, but if this one is good enough, please let me know. The substrate (paper bag) under the cup where she's hiding is about 89°F. The substrate under the other box is about 72°F.
The second one is of one of her eyes. This one still doesn't look great. The one on the other side certainly looks better, but I'm not taking too many eye pictures until she feels better.
Overall, she seems more active. When I pick her up, she doesn't lie there passively. She's not strong, but she's moving. Putting ointment in her eyes isn't too bad. I'm going to empty her cage later to see whether the ate anything that I gave her.
Again, I'd welcome any tips.
Bill
BluGnat
Opus
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- 579
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- Westminster, Colorado
Nothing to add because there's far more experienced people with great advice on this board; just wanted to say that in my opinion you're an absolute hero for trying to do the best for this little girl.
(I'm secretly hoping she stays yours after your friend returns.)
(I'm secretly hoping she stays yours after your friend returns.)
brandy101010
New Member
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- N.J.
It is so great that you are helping this little gecko. Keep up the great work.
I'm glad she is doing better already. Keep us updated.
I'm glad she is doing better already. Keep us updated.
Golden Gate Geckos
Mean Old Gecko Lady
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FANTASTIC JOB, BILL!!! I'm soooo glad you took her to the vet! I'll bet she feels a whole lot better without her eyes stuck!
As far as my slurry recipe, if you smash up mealworms in the mixture without a blender, they will most likely not be able to get sucked up in a dropper. Maybe you could just try the other ingredients mixed up, and see if she will eat the mealworms separately? It would probably be better for her digestion anyway. Generic Ensure or Pedialyte is just fine, and the Milk Thistle is optional.
Putting the ointment on the gecko's eyes shouldn't be that complicated... just put a dab on your finger and gently apply it across her eye. Hopefully, the infection will clear up and she will be able to see and eat on her own.
The enclosure may be a little small for a long-term stay, but while she is convalescing but maybe you could find a large shoe-box type enclosure and put some hole in the sides or did for her? Ideally, a sweater box or an inexpensive 10-gal aquarium tank would be your best bet. (Walmart carries them for under $10).
I also 'secretly' hope that you become fond of her enough to convince your buddy to let you keep her!
As far as my slurry recipe, if you smash up mealworms in the mixture without a blender, they will most likely not be able to get sucked up in a dropper. Maybe you could just try the other ingredients mixed up, and see if she will eat the mealworms separately? It would probably be better for her digestion anyway. Generic Ensure or Pedialyte is just fine, and the Milk Thistle is optional.
Putting the ointment on the gecko's eyes shouldn't be that complicated... just put a dab on your finger and gently apply it across her eye. Hopefully, the infection will clear up and she will be able to see and eat on her own.
The enclosure may be a little small for a long-term stay, but while she is convalescing but maybe you could find a large shoe-box type enclosure and put some hole in the sides or did for her? Ideally, a sweater box or an inexpensive 10-gal aquarium tank would be your best bet. (Walmart carries them for under $10).
I also 'secretly' hope that you become fond of her enough to convince your buddy to let you keep her!
KiKi
frustrated mom
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you are that geckos savoir and you should follow marcias advice and get her a 10 gal and keep her and not give her back to your friend because he will not take proper care like he didnt in the first place
lazzara8478
New Member
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- Auburn Hills, MI
YOure awesme! Kudos to you for doing all you can for her...She definatly looks better. She looks pretty skinny and small though...hopefull that changes..
W
WftRight
Guest
Update - not such great news
Okay, I just messed around in her cage a bit, and she hasn't eaten either of the crickets or the mealworm that I gave her yesterday. Her eyes don't look crusty, but they still look a little yellow.
I've mixed a cut down version of the slurry. I used Ensure and some squash baby food. I also mixed the T-Rex Leopard Gecko dust which I figure will have the calcium and herp vitamins that a leopard gecko would need. I tried mashing up a meal worm with a spoon, removing the exoskeleton, and putting the guts into the slurry. Unfortunately, they really didn't mix well. I have the Zoo Med leopard gecko food that I believe is just ground crickets, but I didn't add them yet.
I put this mixture in a shallow cup and left it in her cage. I'll see whether she'll eat some of it tonight on her own. If she doesn't, I may get some of what I didn't use and try to put drops on her nose tomorrow. If she'll lick them and swallow them, I may add a little of the Zoo Med food.
Part of the problem with my setup is that the crickets and mealworms go under the paper substrate that I'm using. I'm thinking about taping the paper to the sides of the cage to keep the meal worms from being able to escape her. I know that tape in any reptile cage carries its own risks, but I feel that something needs to be done to keep the food items near her. Another thought is to go without substrate. Does anyone ever try that? Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Again, I could use any advice that anyone can offer.
Thanks,
Bill
Okay, I just messed around in her cage a bit, and she hasn't eaten either of the crickets or the mealworm that I gave her yesterday. Her eyes don't look crusty, but they still look a little yellow.
I've mixed a cut down version of the slurry. I used Ensure and some squash baby food. I also mixed the T-Rex Leopard Gecko dust which I figure will have the calcium and herp vitamins that a leopard gecko would need. I tried mashing up a meal worm with a spoon, removing the exoskeleton, and putting the guts into the slurry. Unfortunately, they really didn't mix well. I have the Zoo Med leopard gecko food that I believe is just ground crickets, but I didn't add them yet.
I put this mixture in a shallow cup and left it in her cage. I'll see whether she'll eat some of it tonight on her own. If she doesn't, I may get some of what I didn't use and try to put drops on her nose tomorrow. If she'll lick them and swallow them, I may add a little of the Zoo Med food.
Part of the problem with my setup is that the crickets and mealworms go under the paper substrate that I'm using. I'm thinking about taping the paper to the sides of the cage to keep the meal worms from being able to escape her. I know that tape in any reptile cage carries its own risks, but I feel that something needs to be done to keep the food items near her. Another thought is to go without substrate. Does anyone ever try that? Does anyone have any other suggestions?
Again, I could use any advice that anyone can offer.
Thanks,
Bill
W
WftRight
Guest
PS. Putting the ointment in her eyes isn't too bad. She doesn't like it, but she doesn't protest too much. Right now, the big problem is getting her to eat.
Scott&Nikki
New Member
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- DeKalb/Wheeling IL
I would give you one of my extra 10 gallons if you were closer.
W
WftRight
Guest
Thanks, I really appreciate the thought.
I might have another option for a cage. I bought a 35 quart Sterilite container tonight. It's 23 inches long by 15 inches wide by 7 inches deep. A 10 gallon aquarium would be 40 quarts, and some of those quarts are height that I don't think a leopard gecko would need. A ten gallon aquarium is what, 24 x 12? That would be 288 square inches. This container will have 345 square inches. I'm thinking that this container will have the right amount of area. It's a little more real estate than a 10 gallon but not so much that she can't know the whole area. What do you think?
Thanks,
Bill
I might have another option for a cage. I bought a 35 quart Sterilite container tonight. It's 23 inches long by 15 inches wide by 7 inches deep. A 10 gallon aquarium would be 40 quarts, and some of those quarts are height that I don't think a leopard gecko would need. A ten gallon aquarium is what, 24 x 12? That would be 288 square inches. This container will have 345 square inches. I'm thinking that this container will have the right amount of area. It's a little more real estate than a 10 gallon but not so much that she can't know the whole area. What do you think?
Thanks,
Bill
BluGnat
Opus
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- 579
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- Westminster, Colorado
I would give it a shot - as far as substrate, paper towels would be best. However, keep an eye (paw?) on the temps - you don't want the hot spot to burn her. I use 100% cotton white washcloths on the floor of my cages over the tile to maintain the temps at the 90-92 or so that they need to be. The worms don't go under the cloth for some reason, so it works out well.
Scott&Nikki
New Member
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- DeKalb/Wheeling IL
WftRight said:
A 10 gallons actual floor space is really closer to 19.5x11. So that should be good. Give us another update when you get that done!
Golden Gate Geckos
Mean Old Gecko Lady
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It's likely that the gecko won't start eating on her own until her eye infection clears up and she can see better. I'm not a vet, but if it were me I would concentrate on getting her eyes treated before worrying to much about her trying to hunt down crickets. You may want to consider mixing some baby food meat (protein) in the Ensure/squash as well, and keep trying to get a little down her in the meantime.
I think the 35 qt. container will be just fine, and you and always tape the corners of the paper towel substrate down so the feeders don't get underneath. Keep in mind that in the event she is blind, she was familiar with her old enclosure and may be a little stressed in a new one until she finds her way around and feels safe.
I think the 35 qt. container will be just fine, and you and always tape the corners of the paper towel substrate down so the feeders don't get underneath. Keep in mind that in the event she is blind, she was familiar with her old enclosure and may be a little stressed in a new one until she finds her way around and feels safe.
W
WftRight
Guest
Update
She still hasn't eaten any normal food. The mealworm is still crawling around the cage, and two crickets were still hopping around. I decided to give the slurry a try. I started with just the Ensure/squash baby food/T-Rex dust mixture. I was going to try to get her to take one of the little pieces of Zoo Med Leopard Gecko Food, but I found that they crumble very well. I soon started crumbling the Zoo Med food into my mixture. I didn't add enough to make the stuff into a real slurry. It was still very runny, but she seemed to take some of it. At times, I seemed to get more of the mixture on her and on me than in her, but I think she took some of it. At one point, when I stopped offering, she'd open her mouth very wide as she seemed to be working the mixture in her mouth. Towards the end, she became comfortable enough that I didn't need to constrain her to give her the slurry. She stood on my hand, and I'd put a drop on the side of her mouth. She'd open her mouth and drink the stuff with tiny smacking noises. I'd be happier if she'd eaten something, but I'm happy to think that I got some sort of nutrition into her system. Tomorrow, I may get some protein baby food to add to the mixture.
At this point, I still have her in the same cage. She seems very comfortable under the warm hide. When I pick her up, she feels warm. I'm still moving towards preparing the 35 quart container, but I'm in no hurry to make the move. If she can sit comfortably under the little warm hide and rest, I'm going to let her rest rather than learn her way around a new cage.
Tomorrow, I may try grinding more stuff into the mixture. I may even buy some dried mealworms and try crushing them. If they are already dehydrated, they may crush more easily and mix into the slurry.
I vaguely remember someone saying that crickets can irritate the geckos if they are left in the cage for very long. Maybe I'm remembering something about crested geckos, but I decided to remove the crickets from her cage and give them to the healthy gecko. I saw that one take down a mealworm the other night.
Any thoughts?
Bill
She still hasn't eaten any normal food. The mealworm is still crawling around the cage, and two crickets were still hopping around. I decided to give the slurry a try. I started with just the Ensure/squash baby food/T-Rex dust mixture. I was going to try to get her to take one of the little pieces of Zoo Med Leopard Gecko Food, but I found that they crumble very well. I soon started crumbling the Zoo Med food into my mixture. I didn't add enough to make the stuff into a real slurry. It was still very runny, but she seemed to take some of it. At times, I seemed to get more of the mixture on her and on me than in her, but I think she took some of it. At one point, when I stopped offering, she'd open her mouth very wide as she seemed to be working the mixture in her mouth. Towards the end, she became comfortable enough that I didn't need to constrain her to give her the slurry. She stood on my hand, and I'd put a drop on the side of her mouth. She'd open her mouth and drink the stuff with tiny smacking noises. I'd be happier if she'd eaten something, but I'm happy to think that I got some sort of nutrition into her system. Tomorrow, I may get some protein baby food to add to the mixture.
At this point, I still have her in the same cage. She seems very comfortable under the warm hide. When I pick her up, she feels warm. I'm still moving towards preparing the 35 quart container, but I'm in no hurry to make the move. If she can sit comfortably under the little warm hide and rest, I'm going to let her rest rather than learn her way around a new cage.
Tomorrow, I may try grinding more stuff into the mixture. I may even buy some dried mealworms and try crushing them. If they are already dehydrated, they may crush more easily and mix into the slurry.
I vaguely remember someone saying that crickets can irritate the geckos if they are left in the cage for very long. Maybe I'm remembering something about crested geckos, but I decided to remove the crickets from her cage and give them to the healthy gecko. I saw that one take down a mealworm the other night.
Any thoughts?
Bill
Scott&Nikki
New Member
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Bill, yes you should remove the crickets. If they get hungry (and they will), they could bite at the leo.You should take them out after 20 minutes or so. I would not take crickets from her cage and give them to the healthy gecko though. If she has anything contagious, it will transfer to the other by the cricket. It is also a good idea to put the mealworm in an escape-proof dish if she does not eat it right away. They will also bite at the leo and have been known to bite off toes.
Would you try squeezing the mealworms guts (from live worms) in front of her to see if she would like that? It may trigger something to get her to eat them. I'm not sure if you have tried that, and Marcia is the best to ask about slurry questions. If you are going to be transfering her to the other cage, I would do it ASAP. If she is blind, the last thing you want is her to start getting used to the current cage and then be switched again. Just try to keep things similar between the cages.
On a side note, it is great that she had some slurry and was cooperative! Good sign... keep up the good work!
Would you try squeezing the mealworms guts (from live worms) in front of her to see if she would like that? It may trigger something to get her to eat them. I'm not sure if you have tried that, and Marcia is the best to ask about slurry questions. If you are going to be transfering her to the other cage, I would do it ASAP. If she is blind, the last thing you want is her to start getting used to the current cage and then be switched again. Just try to keep things similar between the cages.
On a side note, it is great that she had some slurry and was cooperative! Good sign... keep up the good work!
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