Gilbert is lethargic and is throwing up :(

[mörten]

Hi all!

For the last couple of weeks my first leopard gecko, Gilbert, who I love so dearly has been eating a lot less and has spent most of his time lying in his warm cave. He seems to have trouble getting to his pooping spot as welland the last 2 times I have had to carry him back and forth For a few days now, he has been shaking his head violently and has twiching his body with his mouth wide open and eyes closed. And this evening he threw up a pack of 6 undigested mealworms I freaked out and stupidly flushed them down the toilet...I was not thinking about saving them for fecals at the time However, I did snap a photo of them...Im so stupid

Now I am really afraid because he has been so still ever since and barely not moving, except for the sudden convulsions and queasiness :´( He also seems to be shaking when walking He just lies there with his eyes closed and seems very tired and unwell.

He pooped a few days ago and the poop looked normal to me. Nothing in his setup has changed. He has eaten about 4 mealworms every 3-4 days, and been very lethargic (which is not his normal behaviour at all). I am going to take a fecal sample to the vet asap, and I might even call them tomorrow and make an emergency appointment (its night over here in Sweden, so their phone service is out for the day).

What can I do? I am freaking out and I am so worried! I just cant seem to keep calm on this one because he is my most precious gecko and I love him so much. Maybe I am overreacting - feel free to tell me if I am I really need some advice on what to do right now. Everytime I go to check on him, he lies there motionless with his eyes closed and I am so worried that he is going to die or that something bad is going to happen. He opens one eye and looks at me for a while and then closes it. He does not even react to me opening his terrarium

Please help me with my Gilbert

Care Questionaire:

About your leo:
- Sex: Male
- Age & Weight : 11 months
- Morph (if you know): Normal
- How long have you owned your leo: 8 months
- Where was he/she obtained (Pet store, breeder, wild caught, etc.): Pet store
- Is your leo wild caught or captive bred : captive bred

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo : Every other day.
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how: see above
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe : No
B) Fecals
- Describe-Do they look any different than normal : They seem normal
- When was the last time he/she went : Two days ago
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem/issue you are experiencing and how long it has been going on : See above

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size : 24" * 15" * 18"
- Type (ex. glass tank, screen enclosure, tub kept) : Glass tank
- Type of substrate (sand, vinyl tiles, ceramic/stone tiles, etc.) : reptile carpet (changing to tiles soon)
- Hides (how many, location and type (hothide, humid hide, regular hide etc.) : 3 hides - warm, cool, moist
B) Heating
- What is your main heat source (heat bulbs, under tank heat mat etc) **Please include the brand and size of your UTH if you use one** : UTH Exoterra Heatwave desert mat 8" * 8"
- What are your cage temps (hot side and cool side): Warm side 90-92 F. Cool side 72-74 F
- Method of regulating your heat source (thermostat, rheostat, light dimmer etc.) : Thermostat
- What are you using to measure your temps (probe thermometer, infrared lazer tempo gun, stick on temp gauge, etc): Digital thermometers and analog thermometers (Exoterra)
- Do you have any lights (describe type (red,blue, basking etc) and cycle duration) :
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females) . None
- Describe health, or previous problems of cage mates

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What are you feeding : Mealworms
- How often are you feeding your gecko and how much per feeding? : About 10-12 mealworms
- How are you feeding (hand fed, tongs/tweezers, left in dish, ect) : Hand fed
B) Supplements
- What calcium suppliment are you using (please include brand) : Exoterra calcium
- What multi vitimin are you using (please include brand) : Repashy Calcium Plus
-How are you implimenting your suppliment program (how often do you dust with each suppliment, do you leave calcium in the tank 24/7 etc.) : I dust with Repashy every feeding
- What are you gutloading your feeder insects with: Oatbran, wheat bran, grated carrots, grated potatoes, vegetables

 

[acpart]

I hope you succeed in getting him to the vet soon which is probably your best bet at the moment.

Aliza

 

[Phoenix1115]

I was going to guess old age but then I read he's only 11 months. I don't really know what's going on, I think your only option is a vet trip. Best of luck, I'm so sorry to hear this

 

[mörten]

Thanks to both of you

I'm taking him to a reptile vet tomorrow and hope for the best. He is my first gecko and I love him to death. I will do everything I can for my little boy. I'm giving him a warm soak and drip water on his nose to drink. I'll update you after the vet visit

 

[sausage]

good luck on the vet visit. Iv herd that convulsions and shaking can be caused by a lack of calcium. dose your mix contain D3 and phosphorus among other things?

 

[mörten]

I dust his mealworms with repashy calcium plus each feeding and have a calcium dish in his tank at all times. Although, he mostly uses it as a sofa or couch of some sort...

Thank you! I will let you know what the vet says tomorrow. I just hope he does not get worse or pass away until then

 

[sausage]

yes its good hes got calcium in his tank however the calcium will not be absorbed into the body without the D3 and phosphorus , it will just pass straight out again. would just be the same as not having any in there atall.
check the ingredients.

 

[mörten]

Thank you sausage! Yes, D3 i essential for geckos to absorb their calcium I thought Repashy calcium Plus contain vitamin D3 and phosphorus?

 

[sausage]

Iv just checked their website, here are the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: Calcium Carbonate, Dried Kelp, Brewer’s Yeast, RoseHips, Calendula Flower, Dried Marigold Flower, Paprika Extract, Hibiscus Flower, Chlorella Algae, Turmeric, Rosemary Extract and Tocopherol Extract (as preservatives), Natural Flavoring, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Manganese Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Copper Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Iodide. Vitamins: Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement.

unfortunatly is dosnt say what form the vit D is in, the vitamin needs to be in the right for to be utalised by the body correctly. so i would assume its not D3 in the mix.
there is also no phosphorus either. it dose however have vit A which is good. I would suggest changing brands.

 

[sausage]

as an alternative you can add a UVB light onto your viv. 2% will be more then enough, just put it on for 3 or 4 hours a day to help absorb the calcium.

 

[mörten]

Thank you sausage! I was also pondering what type of vitamin D it contains. I think that I will install the uvb light again actually. I turned them off becuase we have so long summerdays in sweden with the sun setting at 11-12 pm, but it might be time to use them again! Thank you so much sausage!

 

[sausage]

unfortunatly the natural UVB dosnt penetrate through the windows and viv doors ect so the buld is your best bet.
what did the vet say?

 

[mörten]

Yes, of course I will let you know what the vet said, here is an update

The visit at the vet was both good and bad. Gilbert is doing OK. Gilbert is not feeling good but not bad either. He suffers from a respiratory infection and is now treated with antibiotics This will take care of his heavy breathing and lethargy. The vet suspected that he had managed to get some vomit in his airways when licking his nose after he threw up. I have not gotten a fecal sample from him yet (I have given him mineral oil) so we don't know if he suffers from parasites. If he does not pass a poop in the coming days, the vet will give him some anesthesia and take a blood sample from his tail instead. But I'm glad that he is treated for his lethargy and strained breathing at least. He got some fluids and vitamin B12 shots as well.

I am pondering weather the respiratory infection is a result from vomiting getting into his airways, or if the respiratory infection caused him to throw up....Im really hoping for fecals soon and no parasites!

I think I pretty much covered everything now. I am so glad and thankful for all your advice!

I'm hoping he gets better soon <3

 

[acpart]

Since I've been using the Rapashy calcium plus exclusively for 4 years with healthy geckos, healthy eggs and healthy hatchlings, I assume that it does contain the right type and amount of D3.

Aliza

 

[Olympus]

I'm sorry your little guy isn't feeling well!

You NEVER want to use a supplement that contains phosphorous. However, Sausage is right that it is important in calcium absorption. But the ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorous in the body is about 1.5-2:1, and most of our normal feeders have this number skewed, with crickets for example having a ratio of 1:3 calcium to phosphorous. So you never want to add any more of it via supplements, they get enough of this through their diet. And then the idea is to use a plain calcium on feeders with poor ratios to bring up the calcium to where it should be.

And D3 is also important, but giving too much can be equally or more dangerous as not providing any at all. D3 produced naturally in the skin is harmless, as the reptile can regulate how much it produces. But dietary D3 is fat-soluble, which means it accumulates in the body and can reach toxic levels if too much is given (and the symptoms can mimic MBD, because too much D3 will inhibit proper calcium absorption as well, but can end up calcifying the soft tissues, etc.)

Repashy Calcium + does contain moderately high levels of D3 but they seem correct for the needs of leopard geckos (definitely too high for daily use on chameleons however, for example.) I don't know about providing it ALL the time heavily, but for light dusting several times a week it seems like an excellent product.

 

[mörten]

Thanks to both of you! I reallt appreciate you guys sharing your knowledge I have installed uvb light now and keep dusting his food with repashy.

He has eaten 4 mealwomrs since he threw up last Wednesday. He can hold his head up now and walk to his water bowl and drink on his own He did poop last night but it was only an undigested mealworm and not his usual poop. I took it to the vet for analysis and hope they can rule out parasites. Can the antibiotic cause him difficulties digesting his food?

Again, thank you all for tips and comments