MBD?

[Grinning Geckos]

I'm not sure if I'm being totally paranoid, or what. One of my hatchling is not fairing NEARLY as well as my others. It hardly eats (though I got it to eat 2 roaches and 4 worms yesterday, YAY!), and you can see in the last photo it's not filled out as it should be. I think I'm seeing signs of MBD, but I'm not sure. I've never dealt with it first hand.

It's VERY hard to capture on camera, but the front arm on on side looks a little swollen and bowed. In addition, it rolls onto that hand in a manner that is NOT normal. I tried to catch the roll for you, and succeeded somewhat. At times, I've seen it stand on the top of that hand (hand folded under) as if it's not aware that it's there (as it's doing in the last picture).

Let me know what you guys think.

 

[brandy101010]

i have never delt with MBD in leopard geckos. But I hope she turns out ok. Good luck.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

For reference, the gecko next to it hatched a day LATER then the one in question. As far as weight goes, the other hatchling is nearly twice as heavy. And yea, he's in shed.

I just noticed you can see the crook in the hand mid-stride on the last picture.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Ive had babies grow at totally different rates, some get bigger faster for some reason.

But Ive never had an issue with MBD either but from what Ive read it can be sometimes reversed if you up the calcium, get the liquid from the pharmacy and give her a couple of drops 2 times a day. D# also aids in calcium absorption so if you can put her under UVB for a few hours a day she will produce her own D3 naturally.

I have had a couple of babies develop a kink in the tip of the tail that was not there at birth and using the above method the kink dissappeared.

Hope that helps some.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

It could be the early signs of MBD. I had one hatchling develop the problem even though I was supplementing her the same as all the others. Like Wendy said, I started giving her oral NeoCalglucon daily, and stepped up the D3 supplementation. Sometimes I think there are geckos that just have a problem metabolizing Calcium and/ or D3.

 

[gko reptiles]

I agree, we have had 2 babies hatch and develop MBD... if you cannot tell by watching her, she probably is just developing MBD or doesn't have it. All of our babies/adults are supplemented the same, so it came as kind of a shock~ From the second picture it looks like your leo may be in the beginnings of it. Watch her walk... constantly!!!
With our two, we did the liquid drops, and also put our fingertips in the calcium supplement and put it on her nose... she licked it right off! Now the first one to develop MBD is in a very mild stage of it and looking better everyday; the second one is also doing better, but is not getting over it as quickly as the first. Hope this helped!; and Good Luck!!!

 

[Grinning Geckos]

Okee dokee! Thanks. I'll start upping the calcium + D3 tonight, and see about getting some of that liquid calcium tomorrow. Is that something you can pick up at a store, or do I need to order online?

 

[gko reptiles]

ACtually I think that I've read on the bottle that you can mix "Herpcare Cricket Dust" with water and use it as a liquid supplement as well. As for the liquid stuff we used, we got it from a vet.

 

[leopardgecko95]

I would get it to a vet so that you will know for sure if it has MBD

 

[Brian O]

Unfortunately I am experienced in that my first hatched ended up with MBD. His front leg looks exactly like that. It takes almost a month to get them back into shape. I took him to the vet but I think you can het liquid calcium at petmeds.com . I bought some at Petsmart a few years ago. Just to let you know he is healthy and breeds. So don't worry about quality of life. He plays the gimp at feeding time but when its cage cleaning time he moves fine.

 

[Sarah H]

I had my first experiance with mbd this year. I felt really bad in that I think I did not notice it very early. I have never had a baby get it in 4 years. He was suplimented the same and everything. His clutchmate looked great and they were housed together prior to me noticeing.

My vet let me just pick up some Neocal without bringing him in and his front legs are looking better. I am just hopeing they go back completly normal, but it doesn't really matter as long as he is healthy.
Good Luck I bet your baby will be just fine.

 

[crestedgeckogirly]

Good luck w/your little one. D3 is the most important thing for her if she does have MBD b/c w/out it the calcium you're giving her won't be absorbed. I had one crested get this, and it wasn't until after the D3 that I saw marked improvement.

I think some animals do just have a harder time metabolizing it. But, swollen limbs and walking funny is definately a warning sign. You should have caught it soon enough that it should be fine.

With my cresteds I use Herptivite and Reptivite mixed w/mashed fruit...but obviously leos don't eat fruit, so, I did a quick check and found this store that sells the liquid suppliment:

http://www.herpsupplies.com/subcategory.cfm?id=14&sub=10

...but, I don't think it has the D3...

Keep us updated.

-Andrea

 

[lytlesnake]

Bumping up an old thread here, as it's the best one I've found on MBD so far. 2 out of my 15 baby leos appear to have developed MBD... they're walking funny. It starts with one of the front limbs. I think it's in the early stages and they'll recover fine, at least I hope so. I'm going to get some calcium drops from the vet, and also a UVB lamp to put these two under for 2-4 hours per day.

From what I'm seeing here, I think Marcia is correct about some geckos just naturally having problems with their intake of calcium/D3. Otherwise, why wouldn't the identical looking clutchmate in the same tub also have MBD?

 

[lytlesnake]

Well, the vet won't give me Neo-Calglucon without bringing the gecko in, and it's over an hour drive. I found some Calcium Glubionate syrup on ebay. It's the same thing as Neo-Calglucon apparently. I'm trying to decide if I should go ahead and bring one of the geckos to the vet so I can get the Neo-Calglucon immediately, or if I should just buy it on ebay. If the ebay seller will send it overnight or 2-day air I might go for that. Otherwise, I don't think I should wait a week, so I'll probably make a vet appointment.

 

[GeckoRing]

I would love to have a better understanding of this problem! It would seem that it is more complicated than just proper supplementation. At what temperature are they effected, and does anyone know if a breeder can pass this difficulty metabolizing calcium/d3 to their offspring?

 

[lytlesnake]

Okay, I can get overnight shipping on the Calcionate Syrup, but today is Friday. Once I find out what's the soonest day they can ship I'll make up my mind. If it isn't going to arrive until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, it would probably be best to take one of the geckos to the vet tomorrow. I'd rather not stress them though, so maybe I should just wait. I'm gonna call the vet again and find out if they can even fit me in tomorrow. If not I'll order it from ebay now. Arrgghh!

 

[Alusdra]

Well, I think an obvious answer to why others in the same tub don't get MBD is because they are in the same tub. IE- the alpha gecko gets the most food down to the smallest maybe not getting enough. It's the same as the adult geckos who don't let each other eat. That assumes that everybody is properly supplemented and fed, of course, which on this site I take as given. I don't know if there is a maximum hatchling group size or something, but between food competition and how they can bite each others tails off I would think it makes sense to keep groups small. And of course there's likely a genetic component, but you'd only find that if you sequenced the genome and/or bred MBD geckos to each other for a few generations for study.

 

[lytlesnake]

Well, I think an obvious answer to why others in the same tub don't get MBD is because they are in the same tub. IE- the alpha gecko gets the most food down to the smallest maybe not getting enough.

One of my leos that's showing MBD does not have a tub mate. The other did though, so that's possible. She's a little smaller than the other one, but not like she's been starved or anything. She's in a 5 gal aquarium by herself now. The Calcionate Syrup will be here today!

 

[lytlesnake]

After a few treatments of the calcionate syrup both leos are looking better and their appetite has really picked up.