FarAway9
New Member
- Messages
- 9
Dear all,
I would like to tell you my story, it might help someone. Also any advice on the cause of this is welcomed, as my vet didn't do microscopy.
First of all let me explain that I live in Montenegro, and that vets here don't have many tools to diagnose and cure exotic pets.
So my leopard gecko was a male, chubby, good eater his meals were varied - mealworms, dubia roches, crickets, sometimes super worms, gut loaded. He had Ca without Ds, and vitamin powder. he would go to the dishes and licked the powder himself. UV which I kept on for few hours every day and he sometimes liked to bask sometimes not. Heat pads, warm side 32.2 Celsius, cold 23 Celsius. His substrate was mainly slate tiles, and dry moss. He had a humid hide. He actually had these terraces he could climb on and he used the ramps provided and was very active. I didn't note a single issue with him. He was with me for 5 years, a rescue situation, only once he was sick when I got him, had intestinal parasites, which were cleared.
So on 9th of June he shed. He had a bit of an issue with clogged femoral pores. Once was a bit inflamed so I proceed so give him 2 soaks and cleaned it. He didn't want to eat from the time he shed. I assumed cleaning of the femoral pores was stressful, but when day 6 came with no eating I was moderately worried. Leos sometimes don't eat and then pig out, this was the case with my leo. So I kept an eye on him. On day 7, I could hear him make a sound, it sounded like a sneeze. I never ever heard him make this sound, so I looked and he was normal, just licking his lips. he made just 2 of this sounds and he was OK rest of the day. Day 8, in the morning I heard the sound again and he vomited. In the vomit there was sfagnum moss. I was thinking impaction! He probably ate some moss while shedding, so I gave him 1 drop of olive oil and nice lukewarm soak. But he didn't look right. he kept his eyes mainly closed and head up. He mainly hanged out at moist hide or cold spot - not normal. He proceeded to vomit few more times, clear snot like stuff. I consulted with vet and he told me to give enrofloxacine, maybe the gut is irritated. So I gave dose 1 PO. During the night he vomited again, green mush, and then blood tinged snot again. Kept head high constantly. Day 9, I called the vet and got an appointment. He pooped. Poop was completely normal but with a lot of yellow mucus. Urates were white, chalky. Gave dose of Enrofloxacin. But until 12h that day, this day, he was gone. I brought him to the vet and asked for an autopsy. I wanted to know was it the moss or something else, what I did wrong.
The vet did the autopsy, he noted fat bodies in the belly, large ones. So no wasting away he was chubby. Gut was empty, not irritated, normal feces was waiting in intestine. Kidneys normal, testies normal. Liver normal, ischemic because there is blood in body cavities. He died of heart failure, but the cause of that were lungs. Lungs were angry deep red with many many dots on them, yellowish, like pus pockets. Tiny like grains of salt. Vet said this is a respiratory infection, a bad one. I was completely frozen. Before 9th of June he ate, poops were normal, always, he didn't have mucus around mouth, or in nose, he didn't "blow bubbles", he didn't breathe on open mouth, he was active, moved between warm and cold side. I never noted any issue with him. I must say I couldn't get it, I still can't get it. he is gone in just practically 48 hours.
I don't know which respiratory disease can kill this fast, or which one can have no symptoms...
I was googling all day today trying to figure this out. Mycobacterium causes these granules but they are supposed to start in liver, spleen and intestines' and then move to lungs. Also mycobacterium is supposed to cause waiting away of the animal... Can someone help me understand. I really want to understand what went wrong, and how, and what caused it. At least have a guess.
Thank you.
I would like to tell you my story, it might help someone. Also any advice on the cause of this is welcomed, as my vet didn't do microscopy.
First of all let me explain that I live in Montenegro, and that vets here don't have many tools to diagnose and cure exotic pets.
So my leopard gecko was a male, chubby, good eater his meals were varied - mealworms, dubia roches, crickets, sometimes super worms, gut loaded. He had Ca without Ds, and vitamin powder. he would go to the dishes and licked the powder himself. UV which I kept on for few hours every day and he sometimes liked to bask sometimes not. Heat pads, warm side 32.2 Celsius, cold 23 Celsius. His substrate was mainly slate tiles, and dry moss. He had a humid hide. He actually had these terraces he could climb on and he used the ramps provided and was very active. I didn't note a single issue with him. He was with me for 5 years, a rescue situation, only once he was sick when I got him, had intestinal parasites, which were cleared.
So on 9th of June he shed. He had a bit of an issue with clogged femoral pores. Once was a bit inflamed so I proceed so give him 2 soaks and cleaned it. He didn't want to eat from the time he shed. I assumed cleaning of the femoral pores was stressful, but when day 6 came with no eating I was moderately worried. Leos sometimes don't eat and then pig out, this was the case with my leo. So I kept an eye on him. On day 7, I could hear him make a sound, it sounded like a sneeze. I never ever heard him make this sound, so I looked and he was normal, just licking his lips. he made just 2 of this sounds and he was OK rest of the day. Day 8, in the morning I heard the sound again and he vomited. In the vomit there was sfagnum moss. I was thinking impaction! He probably ate some moss while shedding, so I gave him 1 drop of olive oil and nice lukewarm soak. But he didn't look right. he kept his eyes mainly closed and head up. He mainly hanged out at moist hide or cold spot - not normal. He proceeded to vomit few more times, clear snot like stuff. I consulted with vet and he told me to give enrofloxacine, maybe the gut is irritated. So I gave dose 1 PO. During the night he vomited again, green mush, and then blood tinged snot again. Kept head high constantly. Day 9, I called the vet and got an appointment. He pooped. Poop was completely normal but with a lot of yellow mucus. Urates were white, chalky. Gave dose of Enrofloxacin. But until 12h that day, this day, he was gone. I brought him to the vet and asked for an autopsy. I wanted to know was it the moss or something else, what I did wrong.
The vet did the autopsy, he noted fat bodies in the belly, large ones. So no wasting away he was chubby. Gut was empty, not irritated, normal feces was waiting in intestine. Kidneys normal, testies normal. Liver normal, ischemic because there is blood in body cavities. He died of heart failure, but the cause of that were lungs. Lungs were angry deep red with many many dots on them, yellowish, like pus pockets. Tiny like grains of salt. Vet said this is a respiratory infection, a bad one. I was completely frozen. Before 9th of June he ate, poops were normal, always, he didn't have mucus around mouth, or in nose, he didn't "blow bubbles", he didn't breathe on open mouth, he was active, moved between warm and cold side. I never noted any issue with him. I must say I couldn't get it, I still can't get it. he is gone in just practically 48 hours.
I don't know which respiratory disease can kill this fast, or which one can have no symptoms...
I was googling all day today trying to figure this out. Mycobacterium causes these granules but they are supposed to start in liver, spleen and intestines' and then move to lungs. Also mycobacterium is supposed to cause waiting away of the animal... Can someone help me understand. I really want to understand what went wrong, and how, and what caused it. At least have a guess.
Thank you.
