Looking for ANY ideas at all. Help?

[Khrysty]

My APTOR, Leyna, is having a really tough time this season. She's been holding onto an egg for a month now. It's one egg as far as I can tell. This is her second clutch, and she passed the first just fine. The egg is huge and hard and she doesn't seem to be trying to pass it. I've been doing daily warm soaks but they don't seem to be helping any. She hasn't eaten in about that time, either, but began losing weight at the beginning of the season. She's very thin. She will not take slurry or jump-start (she shakes her head and spits it out). Yesterday she showed a little bit of a feeding response to a live pinkie, but she has no real fight in her so once it started fighting back, she was uninterested. Once the pinkie was killed, she was remained uninterested. She's starting to get sluggish. She's up for adoption in the adoption forum. If there's anyone in the area that can get her to a vet and get her healthy again, they can have her and any possible future eggs she may lay. But, in case no one can take her, I would really like to do all I can to help her. If anyone has ANY suggestions at all about what I could do to help her please let me know.

 

[Khrysty]

..anyone?

 

[acpart]

I'm not a vet tech, so I hesitate to respond. Based on what I've read, minimally the gecko may need an injection of oxytocin, and worst case she would need surgery to remove the egg. It sounds as if getting to a reptile vet is impossible for you. I would imagine that if a non-reptile specialist vet were able to look up or consult with someone about dosage, s/he could administer the shot. I don't know that a non-reptile vet would want to try surgery. It sounds as if you are at the end of what you can do yourself at home.

Aliza

 

[Khrysty]

I'm not a vet tech, so I hesitate to respond. Based on what I've read, minimally the gecko may need an injection of oxytocin, and worst case she would need surgery to remove the egg. It sounds as if getting to a reptile vet is impossible for you. I would imagine that if a non-reptile specialist vet were able to look up or consult with someone about dosage, s/he could administer the shot. I don't know that a non-reptile vet would want to try surgery. It sounds as if you are at the end of what you can do yourself at home.

Aliza

Thanks, Aliza. I kind of figured that was the case. I want her to see a vet because I'm sure that, as you said, she needs at least a shot of oxytocin. It's not that I can't get to a reptile vet, I can't afford a vet bill at the moment. I don't have a job anymore and my savings are essentially gone. This is so frustrating. She shouldn't have to suffer because of this :main_angry:

 

[JordanAng420]

I recently had a female that held on to eggs for 5 and a half weeks. I was SO worried about her. She ended up laying eventually, though.

It doesn't sound like this gecko is in distress quite yet, it sounds like she's taking her time. I would continue with the soaks, and give it another 5 days or so. Consider having an xray taken and also an injection of oxytocin, as Aliza mentioned. However, I would use the Oxy as a LAST RESORT. I really hate using that stuff in reptiles, as it can lead to nephrotoxicity (kidney) and hepatotoxicity (liver) if not administered at the correct dosage.

I'm hoping that the lack of appetite means she's going to lay soon. Has she exhibited any signs of laying, such as digging?

Here's to hoping you find a beatiful fertile egg waiting for you in the morning!

 

[Khrysty]

I recently had a female that held on to eggs for 5 and a half weeks. I was SO worried about her. She ended up laying eventually, though.

It doesn't sound like this gecko is in distress quite yet, it sounds like she's taking her time. I would continue with the soaks, and give it another 5 days or so. Consider having an xray taken and also an injection of oxytocin, as Aliza mentioned. However, I would use the Oxy as a LAST RESORT. I really hate using that stuff in reptiles, as it can lead to nephrotoxicity (kidney) and hepatotoxicity (liver) if not administered at the correct dosage.

I'm hoping that the lack of appetite means she's going to lay soon. Has she exhibited any signs of laying, such as digging?

Here's to hoping you find a beatiful fertile egg waiting for you in the morning!

She hasn't been digging at all. She just sits in her laybox all day, leaves it once to poop or drink some water, then goes and lays back down. What's really got me worried is the firmness of the egg. I've never felt one that hard INSIDE a gecko before. They're usually somewhat soft. It feels like a rock in there.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Just keep doing those warm water soaks and maybe increase the number per day. Hopefully it'll still pass. *fingers crossed*

 

[Khrysty]

She just shed, so here's to hoping the egg is coming soon. When I soaked her again today I got some pictures in the process:

in case you were wondering..yes, her entire belly IS blue. I think, among everything else, she may be impacted :/

and here you can see how thin her tail has gotten

 

[ariana]

try dabbing olive oil onto her nose for her to lick off... maybe getting the impaction passed will help her feel well enough to pass the egg

 

[Khrysty]

try dabbing olive oil onto her nose for her to lick off... maybe getting the impaction passed will help her feel well enough to pass the egg

Once I noticed that she was likely impacted, this morning I put a little on her nose. I don't know how much to give her per day though..

 

[ariana]

just dab a 2-3 drops on her nose 3x a day and cross your fingers

 

[Khrysty]

Still no digging. She sits in her lay box during the day, wanders the cage at night, but does not eat, defecate, or settle in any hide but her lay box. In addition to the soak and oil, I've been feeding her slurry. She's taking that eagerly so I wonder why she won't eat live prey.

 

[ariana]

maybe shes too tired to get the live prey. if she just lays around she might be getting weak, so continue the slurry
shes in my prayers!

 

[Khrysty]

She's finally eating! She at upwards of 30 mealies today! This is the first time I've seen her eat in about a month and a half. I'm so hopeful right now! She pooped yesterday, too, but because she hasn't been eating it was just urates. Does that mean she's not actually impacted, or can they pass urates and still have a blockage somewhere?

 

[Khrysty]

She's spending less time in her laybox. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, that means she's active again. On the other, she still isn't getting ready to lay.

 

[OneFootedAce]

Great news about her eating again. Hopefully she continues along the path to recovery

About 2 weeks ago, I had an ovulating female (wasn't bred this year) start to eat again (FINALLY!)...She was off-feed since mid-january, so she was off-feed for about 3.5 months...I was super worried, she started off at about 81g's, and dropped to around 45g's....She's now up to 50g's and eating like a champ.

Just to give you some hope they're tough little creatures!

 

[Khrysty]

Great news about her eating again. Hopefully she continues along the path to recovery

About 2 weeks ago, I had an ovulating female (wasn't bred this year) start to eat again (FINALLY!)...She was off-feed since mid-january, so she was off-feed for about 3.5 months...I was super worried, she started off at about 81g's, and dropped to around 45g's....She's now up to 50g's and eating like a champ.

Just to give you some hope they're tough little creatures!

Thanks. I showed her belly to two more people and both agree that the egg is much harder than any of us have ever felt in a female. We think it might have over-calcified, somehow? It literally feels like a rock. Has anyone ever experienced this?