I feel my gecko may have crypto

[tgecko]

Hey everyone, I have been noticing some signs in my baby leopard gecko that point to crypto. I first received this gecko over states in the mail a few months back, and since then, this gecko has not gained weight at all. Ever since I got him, he has looked unhealthily skinny.

He almost never eats despite how extremely skinny he is. He has always avoided mealworms, so I tried waxworms, and I have only witnessed him eating a single one. I honestly think this gecko has only eaten.. twice at most on his own, and other times I force feed him. I know force feeding can be viewed as harsh, but I believe a very small baby gecko not eating for up to a month is an extreme circumstance. I fed him three wax worms and he has thrown up two of the three. His "poop" is yellow in color and very runny.

I have also seen red spots on his belly, and then a red bump on his butt. Those spots have since gone away, thankfully, but last night I saw a bigger blue spot on his side/belly. At first I freaked out because I thought it was some sort of impaction (which it very well could be), but could it be his organs showing since he is so skinny?

At first, I was using an above light to heat the tank, but after seeing this I immediately switched to an under tank heater. He avoids this thing like the plague. He refuses to even go near it, and he began staying in his cool hide. So, I took the cool hide out, thinking this would force him to get some belly heat in the warm hide. No luck. He slept outside of the hide.

I have honestly no idea what to do. I am worried he is slowly dying. I am planning on giving him a warm bath soon. I really do not want to resort to a vet, because just making an appointment is costly. What steps can I take before it is too late?

 

[wicked gecko]

Do you have the uth on a thermostat? I tested one of my ugh and it went to 120° without the thermostat hooked up. Without belly heat the Lil guy wouldn't have been able to properly digest his food. How long has it been off the lights and with belly heat? If you think it's a possibility of crypto your best bet really is a vet because if it tests positive you'll want to get rid of anything that's been in contact with it or you risk any other reptiles also getting crypto. Not sure on crypto tests but I took in my 2 pet only leos for fecal exams earlier this year before getting one froma breeder even though the new one is quarantined and all 3 are in seperate tanks. It was only $70 for the 2 of them. I know it varies by region though.

 

[tgecko]

Because I was in a rush, the heater I have does not have a thermostat. It is made by ZooMed. It is not the lowest watt, but the next level higher. I want to say 8 watt? I am really not sure. It definitely doesn't go to 120º, but I can still feel a significant difference in warmth in that spot compared to the cool side of the tank. And yes, I agree he needs to digest food, but he avoids the heater completely. Maybe a warm bath?

I got the heater about one week ago once the gecko began to look especially meager.

On a side note, I just looked at some pictures of this gecko when I first got him. His tail, in the images, is much much larger. In body length, he has not grown.

One thing I do not understand is why he is not eating. I feel he should instinctively know he is hungry and will want to eat. I always have plenty of food and water for him but nothing gets him to even look at the food.

 

[wicked gecko]

If it feels warm to the touch it's most likely to warm. You want the floor in the warm hide around 92 which won't feel all that warm to us seeing our body tempos run at about 98°. That may be why he's avoiding the warm side. Also I can't say for sure but without the proper belly heat he may have been refusing food because of something going on inside to do with improper digestion. I'm bye no means an expert or in a place to properly diagnose just giving some ideas. You for sure want to make sure the floor tempos are correct for a start then if he still refuses to eat and is very skinny try something like the Golden gate gecko slurry. If it's in really rough shape I'd call around and talk to some exotic vets to see if you could work something out with one of them.

 

[tgecko]

Hey there, our gecko unfortunately passed away this morning. We dug up a hole for him just now and buried him by some flowers. My little brother is absolutely crushed, as it was his little friend he loved so dearly. It's hard enough for me seeing him like this.

I believe he may have had crypto before we bought him, and the time change, humidity difference, and all the stress that came with it just didn't agree with the gecko. We have tried absolutely everything besides visiting a vet to bring him back to health (we actually went to the vet various times, but apparently she was never there). He had all the symptoms of crypto, but my question is, how did he get this disease? We always cleaned the tank properly, gave him plenty of food (tried repti-boost) and water and hides and correct temperatures and it feels like these exhausting and stressful weeks have gone to waste since his passing. I do not understand how this disease is picked up, so if you could explain its basics, that'd be appreciated. I am sure you understand my frustration.

How should I clean the tank if crypto was present? How much ammonia?

Thank you.

 

[Neon Aurora]

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that is passed from animal to animal by contamination of food, water, or other surfaces contaminated with infected feces. Guaranteed, if your gecko did indeed have it, it was contracted at whatever place you bought the gecko from and not while he was in your care. Likely he was kept in a group setting with other hatchlings that were sick. My advise to you is to let this place know what happened and what you suspect (possibly get a refund), and never buy from there again. There are many reputable sources to get geckos from. Many reputable breeders have geckos up for adoption as "pet only" for much cheaper than they sell the breeding stock for for various reasons. Another option is to find a local reptile shop (NOT a chain) that has a good reputation and check out their animals. It's rather easy to determined if you should buy a gecko if you get to see it in person. Look for proper husbandry and fat tails. Ask to handle the geckos so you can get a feel for how active they are (sick geckos will be lethargic and weak). You want to see bright colors, soft skin, clear eyes, nose and mouth, etc.

As for the tank, honestly, cleaning it can be risky. Cryptosporidium is able to form these extremely durable oocysts that can survive incredibly conditions. If you don't want to risk getting your new gecko sick, you should get rid of everything the sick one touched and buy new equipment. However, if you really want to keep what you have, hydrogen peroxide has proven much more effective at killing this parasite.