Ivyna J. Spyder
New Member
- Messages
- 18
- Location
- USA
This poor stupid animal just can't get a break.
In short:
About your leo:
- Female
- 6 years, 50 grams
- Owned 6 years
- Purchased from Golden Gate Geckos
A) Health/History
- Handled only when needed (medicine, feeing)
- Not acting any weirder than usual except now she refuses to remove her shed skin at all.
- Past health problem include eye issues and shedding issues but never this bad
B) Fecals
- Normal, two days ago
C) Problem
- OH GOD WHERE TO START.
Okay so sometime last year she started having more trouble than usual with eating and shedding. I take her to a vet but I can't get my usual vet. The new vet says 'give her UVB!' and I'm like 'okay you're the boss'.
So I have a Zilla Desert 50 laying around I got on clearance at +++++. My Solarmeter 6.2 clocks it at 50 microwatts which is 'weak morning sunlight' levels and totally safe for a leo, right?
HAHA NO. turns out, as I recently discovered, I had the OLD version of the Desert 50 which has like a 14 UV index. They've since fixed the issue but somehow I ended up with the old model. I've contacted the company and they're going to compensate me a little... joy...
Over the next month or so, she starts getting worse. Her eyes are sealed shut, her skin on her back starts to get weird. I take her to the vet (my usual) again and again
And then I realize... well shit, what if it's the new light? So out that went...
Unfortunately the damage was done, and she went on to develop tumors on her back.
Two surgeries later she's doing better, though she lost a lot of weight. Her feeding response is still good and I give her Carnivore Critical Care each day or so to keep her strength up while her skin grows back. Occasionally she gets soft bodied worms like silkworms or hornworms. She sheds about every 10 days!
But lately, she goes into shed and just... stops. She doesn't attempt to remove it.
She DOES have a humid hide and cage furniture to rub the skin off with! All my geckos have identical set ups and they have no trouble.
So every time, I have to remove all the skin by hand. I try waiting for several days but she just won't do it herself. It's very stressful for all involved.
Thankfully no more tumors have developed and her eyes are healing, but the shedding thing stumps me...
Housing:
A) Enclosure
- 20 gallon tank, slate tile, four hides (cool, middle, hot, humid hide)
B) Heating
- UTH and red bulb controlled by dimmer.
- 94 hot, 78 cool (heat gun)
- NON UVB flourescnt light for illumination
C) Cage mates
- None, ever
Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- Usually crickets, dusted with Repashy Calcium Plus and fed by hand since she's uncoordinated and half-blind. Lately, Oxbow Carnivore care once a day, about 2-3 cc.
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- Normally gut loading with Repashy Superload, dusting with Calcium Plus once a week. Not since starting Critical Care 2 months ago though.
In short:
About your leo:
- Female
- 6 years, 50 grams
- Owned 6 years
- Purchased from Golden Gate Geckos
A) Health/History
- Handled only when needed (medicine, feeing)
- Not acting any weirder than usual except now she refuses to remove her shed skin at all.
- Past health problem include eye issues and shedding issues but never this bad
B) Fecals
- Normal, two days ago
C) Problem
- OH GOD WHERE TO START.
Okay so sometime last year she started having more trouble than usual with eating and shedding. I take her to a vet but I can't get my usual vet. The new vet says 'give her UVB!' and I'm like 'okay you're the boss'.
So I have a Zilla Desert 50 laying around I got on clearance at +++++. My Solarmeter 6.2 clocks it at 50 microwatts which is 'weak morning sunlight' levels and totally safe for a leo, right?
HAHA NO. turns out, as I recently discovered, I had the OLD version of the Desert 50 which has like a 14 UV index. They've since fixed the issue but somehow I ended up with the old model. I've contacted the company and they're going to compensate me a little... joy...
Over the next month or so, she starts getting worse. Her eyes are sealed shut, her skin on her back starts to get weird. I take her to the vet (my usual) again and again
And then I realize... well shit, what if it's the new light? So out that went...
Unfortunately the damage was done, and she went on to develop tumors on her back.
Two surgeries later she's doing better, though she lost a lot of weight. Her feeding response is still good and I give her Carnivore Critical Care each day or so to keep her strength up while her skin grows back. Occasionally she gets soft bodied worms like silkworms or hornworms. She sheds about every 10 days!
But lately, she goes into shed and just... stops. She doesn't attempt to remove it.
She DOES have a humid hide and cage furniture to rub the skin off with! All my geckos have identical set ups and they have no trouble.
So every time, I have to remove all the skin by hand. I try waiting for several days but she just won't do it herself. It's very stressful for all involved.
Thankfully no more tumors have developed and her eyes are healing, but the shedding thing stumps me...
Housing:
A) Enclosure
- 20 gallon tank, slate tile, four hides (cool, middle, hot, humid hide)
B) Heating
- UTH and red bulb controlled by dimmer.
- 94 hot, 78 cool (heat gun)
- NON UVB flourescnt light for illumination
C) Cage mates
- None, ever
Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- Usually crickets, dusted with Repashy Calcium Plus and fed by hand since she's uncoordinated and half-blind. Lately, Oxbow Carnivore care once a day, about 2-3 cc.
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- Normally gut loading with Repashy Superload, dusting with Calcium Plus once a week. Not since starting Critical Care 2 months ago though.
