impaction

[thegeckoguy]

Ok today i got a message from someone and they said about 2 months ago they switched their leos onto sand. They said just today they found one of their geckos back legs totally limp and not capable of moving and sand near the geckos butt. She took her gecko to the vet and all they gave her was a syringe for giving it water....do you think its impaction?

 

[Halley]

It could be… if the belly is hard it most likely is.

 

[Bling_my_leo]

Not trying to copy your answer Halley, but if the tummy is hard then he may be impacted. Just make sure that he does not cheak his belly right after his leo eats... after my leos eat their tummy's are hard because they are really full! Why in the heck did your friend even switch their leos onto sand, have they gone mad?!

 

[thegeckoguy]

i have no clue why they switched...ill ask her if the stomach is hard or not. Thanks for the help guys

 

[Bling_my_leo]

No problem. You should give a whole speech about how sand is really bad for leos...

 

[Sammag]

i really do hate the topic of Impaction. I have kep all my adult geckos on sand since the time they were 5 inches with no problems whatsoever and some have been on it for years. Honestly I think leos get impacted because they eat the sand in search of calcium. This is why I always have a calcium dish in all of my tanks. Also if the leos ingest sand when hunting they actually spit it out before eating the prey item. Or at least I have observed. I really dislike this topic.

 

[thegeckoguy]

I dont want to start an argument or anything. Do not like this topic because it discredits sand?

 

[Sammag]

Ya it does discredit sand. I am fully aware of umpaction and respect your guys choices but sand is not all that bad. In fact one of the main reason I love it is because it is so much easier too clean. In the end though the choice is yours.

I didn't want to start an argument either just stating my side of the story.

Thanks

 

[Arctic16]

Well a few people's anecdotal evidence of sand being usable doesn't really stand up, in my opinion, to many people's proven evidence that sand causes impaction. I've seen what happens to impacted geckos and if there's even a slight, tiny increase in the risk of impaction, I, and any other responsible owner, will pass.

 

[brad.a.c]

Well a few people's anecdotal evidence of sand being usable doesn't really stand up, in my opinion, to many people's proven evidence that sand causes impaction. I've seen what happens to impacted geckos and if there's even a slight, tiny increase in the risk of impaction, I, and any other responsible owner, will pass.

Well said. Of-course we all know that sand can cause impaction but still some people decide they want to use it. There are probably hundreds of threads on this site and lots of other sites on this subject. The truth of the matter is that people will do what they think is best for they're Leo, and you can't stop them. All you can do is try to advise them to make a safer choice. I'm not trying to start a arguement though.

 

[ReptileMan27]

From different things I have read about impaction and from some people I have talked to that have seen impaction first hand, most have said loss of being able to use back legs. It wouldnt suprise me at all if it was another case of impaction. The sad part is when are people going to learn?, how many more leos need to die from it before people smarten up?. O well I am so tired of the whole sand debate crap.

 

[thegeckoguy]

Unfortunately i dont think some people will ever learn....im not trying to be rude, i respect all peoples opinions, and everyone has their own, but i really do think some people need to wake up and realize. If you know theres risks and you still chose to use sand, its your decision and your choice if you are going to use it. But when people use sand and think impaction is "just a myth" thats sort of upsetting...and i get that alot from people...then their geckos end up in the vets and alot of the times dead and they want me to feel sorry for them. Im not going to say anymore as i dont want to start something. Im just voicing my opinion.

 

[LadyGecko]

Ya it does discredit sand. I am fully aware of impaction and respect your guys choices but sand is not all that bad. In fact one of the main reason I love it is because it is so much easier too clean. In the end though the choice is yours.

I didn't want to start an argument either just stating my side of the story.

Thanks

Not to be rude-but it really isn't all that clean when you just sift out the poop
Bacteria is left behind that would not be present with a removable or a wipe able substrate and unless you clean the tank completely out on a regular (replace all of the sand) basis-it just builds up in the sand

However- it is your Leo and your choice and I do not want to start an argument either-this is my side of the story