My Petco Gecko

[Stimpy]

The Kahoots pet stores by me seem to just keep one leopard gecko at a time so I might give them a try if my current (third from petco) doesn't work out. My only concern is if I have to buy ALL new housing/tank for a new one since the last three were sick. That really is a punch to the wallet.

wash em

 

[PaladinGirl]

I got my leo from Petco at 4 inches in January, and she's now 9 inches ^_^ She's never had a problem except for her first shed (her toes), which was just a couple of days after I got her. Sometimes she'll skip food for a day, but she'll eat the next day like she hasn't eaten in forever haha She's nice and chubby But today, I went to Petco and I saw this lovely leo. About 4 inches, and when I came by, it turned around and stared at me. That's when I noticed that it's two front legs were bent, it has MBD. I felt so bad for it, and it just kept staring at me with those eyes >.< It even tried crawling closer to the glass, but it was having such a hard time walking it stopped after a step or two. So sad I wanted to help it, but that would mean buying a whole new set up, and my parents wouldn't take too kindly to spending another $200 and vet care :'(

That kind of stuff always breaks my heart when I see it. And then when they look at you....it just makes it unbearable. I want to save them all, but like people on here have said, buying sickly animals only encourages them to keep selling them as they are. My husband said to me once that he wonders how many dead geckos (or any animal) they have to discard monthly. I wonder how much money they lose by letting that happen. And it's not just that, but I know that my efforts if I did take them in would most likely be in vain. So as I leave the pet store, I think about my 2 healthy geckos and how lucky they are to have "found" me

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Cowboy, it would be a good idea to start over with a new setup (tank and furnishings) if your current gecko doesn't make it. Things there has been no animal contact with, such as the screen top and UTH are fine to re-use. That way there is absolutely no chance of any disease being transmitted that bleach won't kill (crypto).

Cheap geckos often end up being quite costly, so one should consider their source carefully. At reptile shows, many times normal babies can be purchased from breeders for the same price as big box stores sell geckos on sale.

 

[lovelovelove135]

That kind of stuff always breaks my heart when I see it. And then when they look at you....it just makes it unbearable. I want to save them all, but like people on here have said, buying sickly animals only encourages them to keep selling them as they are. My husband said to me once that he wonders how many dead geckos (or any animal) they have to discard monthly. I wonder how much money they lose by letting that happen. And it's not just that, but I know that my efforts if I did take them in would most likely be in vain. So as I leave the pet store, I think about my 2 healthy geckos and how lucky they are to have "found" me

It IS unbearable! I was like, "AW! Stop looking at me like that! I'm sorry!!!!" D: but it just walked, or attempted to walk, closer to me and I was like, "This is so sad!!!" I also noticed that the tank was ridiculously small. It used to be about the size of a 20 long, but they divided it and gave about 3/4 to the hermit crabs and the rest to about 10 crammed leos. I thought about my leo after, and realized she must have been REALLY lucky. She ate the very day I bought her home, and never stopped eating for more than half a week. She's plump and healthy, and hopefully it stays that way

 

[SDCowboy]

Cowboy, it would be a good idea to start over with a new setup (tank and furnishings) if your current gecko doesn't make it. Things there has been no animal contact with, such as the screen top and UTH are fine to re-use. That way there is absolutely no chance of any disease being transmitted that bleach won't kill (crypto).

Cheap geckos often end up being quite costly, so one should consider their source carefully. At reptile shows, many times normal babies can be purchased from breeders for the same price as big box stores sell geckos on sale.

Okay thanks man.

 

[SDCowboy]

wash em

I'd like to just give everything a good bleach soak if that would work but I'm not sure I want to chance it.

 

[Stimpy]

I'd like to just give everything a good bleach soak if that would work but I'm not sure I want to chance it.

I hear ya...

 

[SDCowboy]

is there ANYTHING that kills crypto in the tank and furnishings? Antibacterial soap? Anything? Like I said, I'll buy new stuff if I have to but I just can't imagine that nothing can kill the virus.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Bleach does not kill the crypto virus and every animal housed in that tank would be exposed. It may or may not make them sick. So is it worth the risk? It's less than 20 bucks to buy a 10 gal tank and a decorative hide.

You *might* be able to buy something at the vet's office to kill it but would likely cost more than replacing a few items. Crypto is serious and potentially deadly. There is no available cure at this time, but there is ongoing research. Search the forum............

 

[mascutt]

Four of my six geckos all came from petco though I did not buy them all. I got two from them, they are both over a year old, good eaters, shedders, poopers, but my oldest one tends to drop her tail about every six months. She's also a persnickety personality so I just roll with it - but otherwise she's very healthy. The other petco geckos I have were rescues from a family who bought them for their little boy, and like most little boys, he lost interest after a couple of weeks and spent no time taming them. So I took them and assimilated them into my own routine. They are still young, but good eaters and poopers. I have to agree with the comment above: "petco geckos need love too I'm not a breeder, they are my pets, so I don't much care what their genetic stock is, I just like them to be friendly and alert

 

[Tailless]

Wbrown5496, I should also mention that your photos are beautiful! (Especially, the one of your gecko on the orange succulent plant!)

 

[Adinar]

is there ANYTHING that kills crypto in the tank and furnishings? Antibacterial soap? Anything? Like I said, I'll buy new stuff if I have to but I just can't imagine that nothing can kill the virus.

There is nothing that kills crypto. It has a protective layer that not even bleach can get thru.

Don't chance it and get all new stuff.

I've dealt with crypto due to chain stores and lost 4 animals because of it. They had tons of vet care, antibiotics, worming, hand feedings... in the end nothing helped. (4 out of those 5 names you see in my signature in the RIP section are the ones I lost.)

Not to sound grim, but crypto is the WORST illness a reptile can get. I feel bad for anyone who has to go thru what we went thru.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

There is nothing that kills crypto. It has a protective layer that not even bleach can get thru.

Don't chance it and get all new stuff.

I've dealt with crypto due to chain stores and lost 4 animals because of it. They had tons of vet care, antibiotics, worming, hand feedings... in the end nothing helped. (4 out of those 5 names you see in my signature in the RIP section are the ones I lost.)

Not to sound grim, but crypto is the WORST illness a reptile can get. I feel bad for anyone who has to go thru what we went thru.

Exactly. The test for crypto is more expensive, not something standard offered at vet's offices, many times is sent off to a lab for precise stain testing. There is no cure!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of folks have experienced the devastation of this horrible disease, some continue to do so because necessary precautions have not been taken. I took in a group at one time that never made it out of quarantine. Out of six, 1 died, 1 was put down, two others stopped eating.... so they all had to be euthanized. Little by little the disease was taking them. Not a matter of if, but when. No need to wait until the last two got sick, only to prolong suffering for the benefit of selfish human feelings. Everything was thrown out so it stopped there. Period.

If my vet sees an animal that crypto is even suspected, he closes off the room and sterilizes it immediately. It starts before the client is out of the parking lot.

 

[SDCowboy]

Exactly. The test for crypto is more expensive, not something standard offered at vet's offices, many times is sent off to a lab for precise stain testing. There is no cure!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of folks have experienced the devastation of this horrible disease, some continue to do so because necessary precautions have not been taken. I took in a group at one time that never made it out of quarantine. Out of six, 1 died, 1 was put down, two others stopped eating.... so they all had to be euthanized. Little by little the disease was taking them. Not a matter of if, but when. No need to wait until the last two got sick, only to prolong suffering for the benefit of selfish human feelings. Everything was thrown out so it stopped there. Period.

If my vet sees an animal that crypto is even suspected, he closes off the room and sterilizes it immediately. It starts before the client is out of the parking lot.

My leo just had a rather large parasite load poop so could this mean, if she doesn't make it, that it likely isn't crypto?

 

[fl_orchidslave]

My leo just had a rather large parasite load poop so could this mean, if she doesn't make it, that it likely isn't crypto?

No, it doesn't mean that it is or isn't. But if she doesn't make it, replace all her stuff.

 

[SDCowboy]

No, it doesn't mean that it is or isn't. But if she doesn't make it, replace all her stuff.

Will do. Thanks for all the info man.

 

[Adinar]

Unfortunetally most times since most vets can't do the testing there in the office the lab tests aren't done until after death.

We sent Dante out for the lab tests and paid $200 to have the lab tests. Funny thing is they couldn't even get anything to grow when they did it so it was $200 flushed down the toilet essentially. Nice, huh? We already know what did it plus the vet mentioned something about small kidneies when he did the necopsy (if it even played part in it.)

Crypto is a scarey virus to deal with because the animals don't even have to come in direct contact with each other in order to get it. Two out of the four contracted it from cross contamination. Crappy thing is I still blame myself for getting them sick and loosing them because it was obviously something that I had done.

It is rough watching them suffer as much as they did. Strange thing was they would have a period where things would look up for a bit, then things would just spiral out of control and that was it.

 

[PaladinGirl]

Holy crap. These stories are scarey. I got Toon as a baby the first week of February....Would she have had signs by now?

 

[SDCowboy]

Holy crap. These stories are scarey. I got Toon as a baby the first week of February....Would she have had signs by now?

If she was going to have parasites, yeah. Crypto apparently can lie dormant for a while.

 

[PaladinGirl]

D-: I'm going to be paranoid for awhile now.