Emergency, Please Help!

[Vatalanii]

Hello.

I work in a pet store and take care of many animals. I have recently taken in a Quaker Parrot to socialize and groom her, and I just took in a leopard gecko because we are certain he is going to die...I am in dire need of help.

At the store, we noticed he was having a terrible time shedding. We had taken him out of his tank when we noticed the problem, but it was too late. His shed would stick to his skin and we could only get it off with tweezers, but the shed on his toes was terrible. It ended up taking off most of his fingertips. We believe the sand substrate dehydrated his feet.

About the same time, I noticed he wasn't eating well. I put him in a separate container so we wouldn't sell him and I started force feeding wax worms, meal worms, and crickets. He started getting skinner and skinner, now his tail is virtually fat less, and he is beyond skinny. We noticed that a few hours after, he would regurgitate whatever he had eaten, whole. A woman I work with suggested feeding baby bird formula via syringe, which is what he's been on, along with a calcium supplement. A lot of the time, he throws it up as well, and sometimes poops it out, but it's hard to tell.

Recently, he's spent a lot of time sitting in his water bowl as well.

This is what scares me the most...Tonight, about ten minutes ago, I got the little guy out (I named him Cronus) and kept him in my bed as I watched television. Then he made a sharp shrieking noise, like a little cry, so I watched him and then he started...well, I don't know. Seizing, convulsing? You know when a dog is wet and they shake and shake to get it off, well his whole body started doing in, 3 times in about 10 second intervals. The last time, a bunch of something, (bird formula and water?) exploded from his mouth and got everywhere. Normally when he pukes, it's in a pile, not everywhere. This is the first time I've seen him throw up. RIGHT AFTER, he pooped the same stuff....

I have no idea what's wrong with him. If anyone can give me any information, facts, suggestions, it would help. I'm aware I should take him to the vet, but I can't until next week because of the holidays, and I'm not sure if it's even going to help. He might be too far along in his illness.

I'm not sure of his age, but all of this started at least 2 months ago.

PLEASE HELP

Thank you all!

 

[acpart]

I'm not a vet, so I can't be sure, but you should search this site for all information relating to "crypto" or "cryptosporidiosis". I'm not saying he has crypto; I'm not a vet and the only way to tell for sure is to get him to a vet. There is also a recipe on the forum (I think it's on a sticky here) for "slurry" which is a nutritious mixture. He does sound pretty far gone but at this point I think the only way to save him is to take him to a vet. If you have any other reptiles, you need to read carefully about disinfecting his area so you don't pass along anything to your other reptiles.

Aliza

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

Sounds like he's impacted, I think he is too far gone. I'm terribly sorry but this is why Leos shouldn't be put on sand.

He is sitting in his water dish because he is in severe pain. Poor thing, he needs to stay on his heating pad to maybe help him digest, not in your bed. I'm really sorry but I don't think he'll make it.

Especially if this is been going on for 2 months, I've read a lot of stories on here of situations like these and most did not make it.

I hope you the best of luck for the little guy, It's cool that you tried to help him.

 

[Geck-O]

There was a thread something like this a few weeks ago. The gecko had lipidosis/fatty liver.
Take a look at the thread. http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=28383&highlight=bad+weight+loss

 

[Vatalanii]

Update

Cronus passed today. I have been reading a lot on what people have told me, including Crypto, impaction, and hepatic lipidosis. They all seem to fit.

Possible he had all three?

I have a few questions if anyone can answer...

His under belly was turning bluer and bigger almost every day. I've read impaction turns their stomach blue, and so does hepatic lipidosis in their liver. Is there a way to tell if it's the stomach or liver that was blue?

Also, I've read a lot that they sit in their water bowl to relieve pain. Is there any reason behind that? Any information anyone can give me.

Next, if he was impacted, how would I have reversed that? Is it possible?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'd like to be more educated on the little creatures. I'm going to work tomorrow to check the other geckos and remove them all from sand substrate and put down reptile carpet.

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

you could dissect him or give him to a vet to dissect.


if he was impacted there isn't a whole lot you can do after that

 

[JordanAng420]

I'm so sorry about little Cronus. You did your best, and your heart was in the right spot.

One of the things that can prevent this from happening in the future is to change the substrate to carpet or paper towels. Sand is appealing to the eye, which is why most pet stores use it, but even the so called "Calci-Sand" causes impactions which eventually lead to painful symptoms and most of the time, death. Make sure you explain what happened to your store manager, and stress the fact that it's going to KEEP happening if all your store's reptiles are on sand...

A lot of herp vets are so interested in reptile medicine that they would probabbly do a necropsy at a reduced rate, or even for free if you still have the body in the freezer. If not, forget it. The vet would look in the stomach/intestines for signs of impaction and check the liver for hepatic lipadosis, as well as all the other organs for signs of disease.

Oh, and BTW just for future reference, the sand did not dehydrate his feet. He needs an adequate moist hide with sphagnum moss, not the man made kind of moss like Flukers sells, it doesn't hold enough moisture.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss. Hopefully something good can come out of the situation, and you can help prevent this from happening for the other reptiles in the store. Good luck!

 

[Bert-N-Sheila]

What did his limbs look like? Were his joints rubbery? Just another alternative. I read you were giving him Calcium supplements, but if he had a proggressive state of MBD it maybe had been too late. Sometimes those Petstore geckos still do not get enough of anything (even though you work there and may have been the caregiver because there's just too many.) Just assumptions, so please take no offense. Oh and in no way am I ruling out impaction. It's just anytime sand is brought up no matter the cause of death it's always impaction as the main culprit. I dislike sand as much as the next person, but have to explore other causes also.

 

[Bert-N-Sheila]

Oh, and to answer your question. I had a rescue that I gave mineral oil to twice a day for four or five days. I gave two (sometimes three because of that extra runoff) eyedropper drops. Worked for me.