Gecko Dying?

[coreyegan7]

My gecko hasnt eaten for like 3 weeks and he started shedding 3 days ago and yesterday he got all his body stuff off and now whats left is his skin on the head and I woke up this morning and noticed he hasnt barely moved since last night and he was slightly spinning/moving his tail around and barley moving his head but the dead skin is like over his eyes/ mouth but you cant really tell but he just went the bathroom after 2/3 weeks yesterday but we did put some calcium in the cage to see if it would help but could someone please give me suggestions i dont want him to die

Edit: When I spray him/her with water he starts to barley move his head and I think his tongue comes out but im not 100% sure. B4 he was in bad condition we used to spray the tank and he would come out and he would put his tongue out and lick the water

Edit2: I saw a pic of someone else gecko but this time the skin is like blocking his eyes, I dont know if he cant see so hes not moving must but
HERE A PIC OF SOMEONE ELSE GECKO BUT THE EYES ARE KINDA THE SAME

Edit3: I put a small index card under his head and barley lifted it up and his tounge is out a little, I did spray him with water a few times and he started to breathe rapidly but he hasnt moved his throat where its usally going up and down

 

[coreyegan7]

Ive had him for 3months, I bought him from peco and 1 side of the tank is 75 and the other is 80 and he is laying in the middle, he about 4-5 inches long with one of those kinda rough pad things

 

[scm133]

Temp is too low for him to digest anything. There is a care sheet somewhere in this forum..read it quickly!! Bump his warm side up to 90-92 ASAP. Put his humid hide on the warm side. Good Luck!!!

 

[coreyegan7]

He has a heating pad and a red light but I dont think theres any way to bump up heat Please stay on this thread and help me I dont want him to die

 

[coreyegan7]

Him last night:

Him right now:

Temp on coldside: (Hot is around 81)

His shedded skin/calcium

 

[coreyegan7]

anyone?

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Is your substrate dirt? If it is, that is dangerous for them. Try this. Take the gecko out very gently and put him somewhere where he won't get hurt, say a shoebox lined with papertowels. Try to take out all the sand and rinse down the decor, and line the bottom with papertowels. Use fewer layers on the hot side if you need to, to bump the temp up. Make sure that when you press your hands down on the paper towel on the hot side with the UTH it is warm. Put the decor back and place the gecko in gently on the hot side. Leave him alone for a few hours, see if there is any improvement. If not, call a local herp vet and ask for advice. Okay? But try that first. Getting rid of the substrate and heating up the hot side should help some.

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Also, for the stuck shed, you can try to give him a warm bath in the sink, and take a wet q-tip and gently dap at the skin in all areas until it is very moist. Then scrape very, very gently at it with the q-tip and see if you can gently peel it away from his eyes.

 

[coreyegan7]

Also, for the stuck shed, you can try to give him a warm bath in the sink, and take a wet q-tip and gently dap at the skin in all areas until it is very moist. Then scrape very, very gently at it with the q-tip and see if you can gently peel it away from his eyes.

alright the old prob is he hasnt been breathing for about 2 hours and hasnt moved at all, Ill try and give him a bath but do you think its even worth a shot?

 

[geckoluver4evr]

He hasn't been breathing? Erm, is he still alive? I'm very, very sorry. That's terrible, I didn't realize that. :'(

 

[coreyegan7]

Yeah its very bad, I got him/her up on a index card and check it out and nothing is happening so im pretty sure its sadly dead, I wanna get another one but I wanna have multiple geckos/reptiles in the same cafe that is easy for them to get togather but I really did like the leopard geckos because it was very beutiful and wasnt hard to take care of. Looking back at it I would have got better supplies/Held it more and really make it alot better but I really wanna know cause of death. Im not sure if it was the temp or like the shedding but I wanna know what caused it not to eat for like 2-3 weeks or go the bathroom

edit: Do any of you have like a chat we can go into and I can ask some questions or w/e cause this is kinda long communicating

 

[geckoluver4evr]

I'm so sorry. :/ Sadly it will be very difficult to find the COD. You could try again with another gecko but before you do, you must be positive you will be responsible enough to take care of it and give it a proper environment. For example, the sand is a big no-no. Paper towel or newspaper is best, and tile is great. Also, the temps need a big change. Aim for 90-96 degrees on the hot side. 80 is much to cold. Make sure you have 3 hides (but that looked fine in the pics) and that calcium and water are available all of the time in the tank. It's better to keep it in dishes, instead of just put on the ground. What size tank was it?
1 more thing - In case something like this ever happens again, it is best to call a herp vet - a vet specializing in the care and treatment of reptiles. They can usually diagnose and treat almost anything.
Start with just one leo for a few months, and if you still want more and think you can properly care for more, you can try for another. Best of luck!

 

[coreyegan7]

We have some type of rough pad we got from petco but the tank is a 6 sided weirdly shaped tank but its prob 2 feet tall, Its more of a fish tank. Also im pretty sure i did alot of things wrong but is petco the best place to buy them? Can they be like shipped from better places or something? Cause i wanna get the best I can and try the best I can. Before this one died he was very difficult to take out because he would try and run away or he would hid in his rock and try and get away from me. Will holding them more make them happier?

 

[pussmunky]

makes them alot tamer, i handle mine everyday and now if i sit on the sofa theyre at the glass trying.to climb out and only stop when i open the tank/get them out

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[LeopardShade]

I'm very, very sorry for your loss

That gecko appeared, to me, to have MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease), along with the other problems he was having. MBD is caused by a lack of calcium in the bones, hence the splayed-out legs in the pictures. I cannot make a confirmation of what the gecko died from, could've been parasites, could've been impaction from the loose substrate. It definitely needed vet care, there's no doubt about that. The only way you could confirm the cause of death is by an autopsy done by a vet.

There was also a myriad of things incorrect with your care that could have contributed to the gecko's death.

First off, like some others mentioned, your temperatures were way too low. Leopard geckos need a warm side temp of at least 90 F (preferably around 92-94). Sub-optimal temperatures like your's can lead to poor health, difficult digestion, suppressed immunity, and respiratory infections for the reptile.

Second, it seems you have some loose substrate in the enclosure. Any type of loose substrate such as sand, bark, eco earth, aspen, calci-sand, etc. etc. is extremely dangerous and can cause impaction, which can be fatal. Your gecko may have accidentally ingested some of the loose material, which creates an obstruction in the intestinal tract. It cannot be digested. The gecko cannot defecate and will lose its appetite, essentially wasting away until death ensues. Stick to paper towels or slate tile.

Third, you mentioned spraying the tank with water. There is no need to do this to provide humidity. Instead, you should provide humidity in the form of a moist hiding place. The combination of heat and moisture creates humidity, which helps facilitate shedding. Directly spraying the gecko with water is no good either, and will only add unneeded stress to the poor thing.

I wanna get another one but I wanna have multiple geckos/reptiles in the same cafe that is easy for them to get togather

Excuse my frankness, but you need to do a lot more research before you even consider getting another gecko, let alone multiple geckos. These are not disposable objects, they are living, breathing creatures that depend on you for their every need. When you make the commitment of owning an animal, it is entirely your job to provide for it to ensure proper health. The animal cannot do that itself.

EDIT -

Will holding them more make them happier?

No. They are reptiles. They do not have the mental complexity to feel the emotions we do, happiness, sadness, love, anger. They may tolerate handling, but will never enjoy it.

 

[coreyegan7]

I'm watching your youtube videos and I have alot of questions
Can you please join this chat im in ?

http://us5.chatzy.com/32163576580699

 

[sausage]

sorry for you loss. I came to this too late but i agree with what's just been said that gecko had MBD which is the most probable case of death.

 

[animeavatar]

You should really bump up the temps of a leopard gecko's tank to at least 88 degrees farenheit.Did you supplement the feeders? Have you even researched?

 

[endrien]

I don't think you guys realize that it looks like he/she was measuring the ambient temp? Not the ground temp.

 

[VeeDubLove]

Everything LeopardShade said.

I think it may have been impaction. Strange that the head shed stayed on, since that normally is the first to be peeled away. Normally the shed would have been eaten during the process... I think it wasn't hungry because of the loose substrate in the tank. EDIT: Looking closer at the gecko it does seem to have MBD. Most prominent in the right front leg... wow.

REMEMBER ~ Geckos lick things in their environment relatively frequently, as well as lunge at prey which may or may not be on the ground. If the prey item is on loose substrate it is likely that it will be ingested with the prey.

Definitely RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!!! People need to do this BEFORE they buy any pet. Do not rely on the pet store employee to tell you all you need to know. If anything, they will likely lead you slightly astray (ex: "you need a UVB bulb" or "I would recommend you use sand").

As far as illnesses and health problems are concerned, research the crap out of them too. You may run into the beginning of a health problem and if you already know the symptoms of many, you can diagnose the issue with an educated guess by the first exhibited symptoms. You hopefully can catch it before its too late.

PS: I've had leopard geckos for about 2 weeks, and I have done a fair share of research on them! Many hours, in fact. That is the best way to keep their little lives going strong!!