Does a sick gecko ever just get better?

[samthebigkid]

I'm just curious, how capable are they of fighting bacteria/parasites on their own?
in other words, can they get better without medicine?

 

[HepCatMoe]

its possible. if you keep them in perfect conditions, and 100% clean, then yes its possible.

not very likely though. best to get a sick gecko some vet help.

 

[Baoh]

I'm just curious, how capable are they of fighting bacteria/parasites on their own?
in other words, can they get better without medicine?

Significantly capable, however, they are also significantly capable of getting worse and dying.

 

[BGalloway]

Capable of fighting bacteria and parasites on their own? Yes, that is what the immune system is for, but the fact that they are showing signs of infection means they are having a bit of trouble winning the fight.

In the wild any animal that got a parasite load it couldn't handle would become a "poor doer" and just not grow as well, get as much food and so on. Those would usually die. But in captivity they have us to take care of feeding them and the multitude of little critters hanging out in their GI tract. The best thing for them is to deworm them and get them back to health.

As for bacterial infections, its pretty much the same. A wild animal will get sick and then fight it off or get worse and die, probably by being eaten. The animals that don't get sick in the first place will have a better chance of surviving and reproducing and thus the world goes merrily on.

Veterinary medicine was created for a reason, if an animal is sick or full of parasites, get it treatment so it can get back doing gecko stuff. On that note, depending on the condition, some vets will take the "wait and see" approach before giving medications.