Leopard Gecko Impaction Problem

[mayyam]

Hi everyone,
I am an owner of 3 beautiful, healthy leos. This Friday I took in an impacted leo from someone on campus. The poor thing was a mess. She had shedding problems and is now missing the majority of her toes. needless to say she is a wreck. I’ve managed to take care of the majority of her shedding problems and am now working on the impaction.

I will start off by saying that I do not at all have the money to take her to the vet. I have taken all the pets I purchased to the vet for checkups, and took this case on because she is in better hands with me than the ignorant jerk who abused her. If this is a problem I cannot fix I may have to find her a home with someone who can afford to take her to the vet.

anyways, I’m not sure how old she is but she looks older than a year but only weighs 27.3g. She is so thin! I have been giving her baths, massaging her belly, and giving her oil. Tomorrow I will buy some baby food.
She has not pooped since Friday.
here are the good signs though, she is REALLY active, trusting, and she has been drinking a lot!
Also, I just fed her three molted mealworms and she ate them up really quickly! now she has gone to the edge of her tank and she is starring me down to feed her some more. I’m really afraid to exacerbate her condition by feeding her.

So I would like to know whether I should feed her if she keeps eating. If I should still give her baby food if she is eating regular food.
Whether her impaction looks severe and whether there is something else I should be doing.
Thanks!

 

[Dog Shrink]

It sounds to me that you're doing everything right so far as to alleviate the impaction. I'd keep doing what you've been but that pic looks horrid! She's stem to stern what... sand? I'd keep her on a regimented feeding schedule prob. daily. If it's not going in it can't come out. I know my healthy 7 mos old leo can eat upwards of 15 mealies in one sitting, maybe try her on super worms insted and only give her like 1-2 a feeding. I think having good food in her GI is going to help push out what ever is impacting her. Keep up with the oil, massages and warm baths for 20-ish minutes once or twice a day. As long as her attitude and appatite stay good I don't think there's much else a vet can do that you're not already doing for her.

 

[monkeytechahoo]

Good luck with her. I'd keep her food down to as minimum as possible, as you haven't seen anything come out yet, no need to put anymore pressure on her system than it all ready has.

 

[mayyam]

thanks for the advice and encouragement guys!
I'm relieved that the vet wouldn't be able to do much more since I feel so guilty for not being able to take this girl to the vet.

As of right now my main concern is whether she is allowed to eat solid foods. She seems so hungry and is just ready to eat anything but i do not want to worsen the impaction. As of right now I'm giving her a mix of baby food, pedialyte and calcium and then once a day some mealworms. hopefully if I do half and half it will be less harsh on her stomach.

Bad news is that she still hasn't used the bathroom since Friday, and when shes in her bath you can really see her straining to push it out. I've been giving her oil but i'm worried about the effects if i give her too much.

 

[Dog Shrink]

What I would do is if you see her straining in the warm soaks, increase the amount of warm soaks you're giving her (maybe 2-3 a day for 20-30 minutes each). Make sure to keep the water consistantly warm (I tell my son to soak his snake at a temp he would take his showers at or just a tick cooler) I think the worst that would happen with the oil is she gets runny poo or may vomit, neither imo are earth shattering. I would continue to feed her maybe smaller meals 'cause if there's nothign to digest you slow down GI motility and that's not what you want to happen here. Constipation is already a slow down in GI motility, last thing you want to do it add to it. Another way to increase GI motility is make her more active, take her out and handle her more (I had Eros out last night watching TV for about an hour and a half and eventually he pee'd on me frmo allt he activity) movement makes movements is what I tell my dog clients. If this were a dog I'd be suggesting increased fiber intake but I don't know if there's a way to do that with leos seeing as how they're insect eaters and don't ingest fruit matter. Any imput from the pros on this one??? Maybe a meal ot 2 of leo slurry could help.

 

[mayyam]

Hey,
so the gecko still hasn't pooped.
Ive been giving her baths over 4 times a day. sometimes 6. Ive been letting her run around for about half an hour a day, sometimes more. Ive stopped feeding her solid foods since she hasn't passed anything i've previously given her.
shes still eating the mix of baby food, pedyalite and oil

She is definitely blind in one eye, and when I got her she had shed covering it and couldn't open it. Even now after the shed is gone she keeps the eye closed more often, and has trouble hunting food down.

She still seems in high spirits although her impaction has not gotten any better.
I'm really worried for her and may have to Euthanize her because I just don't want her to suffer.

I'm so upset and really don't know what else to do. I wish she would just poop so she can give me a bit of peace of mind that shes making some sort of progress.

do you know if a vet can write out a prescription for a reptile laxative? what would it cost?

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Pharmacy grade mineral oil is a safe laxative to use. A couple bucks at wally world.

 

[bebetee]

Hey are you sure she's impacted ? maybe ...something is damaged inside her body ? bruised or erupted ? ..cause she is still eating and I know many leo's don't eat when impacted.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

She might not actually be blind but just hasn't had enough time to recover from her previous shed issues. Plain artifical tears can be used for a short time, to lubricate her eye area. Plain drops only! No additional additives! She was in bad shape, it's going to take some time for her to get sorted back out. Good luck

 

[mayyam]

thanks for all the suggestions!
I'll definitely try those eye drops out.
i'm not sure if shes going permanently blind but her eye has gotten a bluish pigment to it
also, i'm not definite on it being impaction but thats what it seems like. She cannot use the bathroom, has the discoloration seen through her belly, her body got a weird shape, and I can feel it on her back as well

she just shed and had a successful shed.

beebeet- do you think that if it was something other than impaction she would have the same bathroom problems? Theres very limited information online about the subject so I wasn't aware that it could be something else.

 

[mayyam]

hi everyone!
The gecko took its first poop since last friday. so six days. (yes I get up at 3 in the morning to give it a bath, which clearly paid off)
the poop was orange colored (color of the baby food) and the only solid part was the urate. The geckos privates now look slightly swollen and kinda bruised (bluish).
Has anyone seen this before or know what it is. I'm kinda assuming its like a gecko hemorrhoid. but if anyone knows if its serious or not let me know.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Can you post a picture? It could be irritation, it could be solid waste making its way out, it could be prolapsed. With out a pic hard to say

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I hope you have a qualified herp vet in case you need it to be seen a hurry.

 

[mayyam]

I don't have a picture. but it went away. I have a feeling its an irritation
the gecko went to the bathroom again just now!
So, there is hope.
about the eye, would multi-purpose contact lens solution work?

 

[Dog Shrink]

No you need plain saline solution.

 

[GeckoGurl]

Glad to hear it went to the bathroom finally... hopefully the little thing will start to feel better now... Im no professional but lets hope its just some sort of irritation from trying to relieve itself. From the pic it looked really backed up!

 

[mayyam]

Ok, this seems like a dumb question but how would i put eye drops in the geckos eyes?
it just seems so difficult. and this poor gecko is already fed up with me.

 

[mayyam]

Update: the gecko has gained vision and its eye looks clear for the most part. This has made feedings a lot less stressful for the both of us. Its been going to the bathroom but not on a regular basis. We're still working on that. It had a shed, and it didn't go that well but I was able to take off whatever the gecko missed. It ate its shed.
Overall, the gecko is in good spirits and seems like shes in less pain.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Ok, this seems like a dumb question but how would i put eye drops in the geckos eyes?
it just seems so difficult. and this poor gecko is already fed up with me.

I missed this post before but were you able to get the drops in? Glad to hear things are going better now

 

[mayyam]

a gecko update: this sweet girl is eating well and pooping every other day.
She still has a ton of impaction left to go, but her chances of recovery are very good.

her eyes have been very good.
unfortunately she probably has no more than 3 whole toes left so she has difficulty climbing on my clothes, and doing things "normal" geckos can do but overall I'm seeing great improvement!!!!

I will be looking for a permanent home for her so if anyone from the Connecticut/Massachusetts area is looking for a gecko they should contact me!