Need Advice

[Arconna]

I have to remind myself from now on not to agree to take an animal before actually seeing it.
A friend at work's stepson has these two leopard geckos. They kept telling me that the younger one was scrawny, a little thin. So I kept thinking, okay maybe he's pinworm or maybe he's just not getting enough to eat. I didn't think that this animal would be in the condition it's in. I wish I had a picture.
The animal has severe MBD. He can walk a little, but his front legs are shaped like U's, his jaw and head, body, tail, all of it is obviously deformed. He has retained shed on his back legs, his tail is just skin and bones. His eyes, I thought, were swollen shut, but the little guy managed to open one and there looks to be some sort of infection or retained shed on it--something yellow white and glob-like on his eye...
I haven't a clue what to else is wrong.

Basically I am in a dilemma here. I took the animal thinking one of two things--I might be able to save the little fella because obviously this ladies' son (the animal was kept at his biological mothers house) is incapable and his biological mother is as well; or I can at least have him put to sleep so he doesn't suffer anymore.
I don't know what would be the best thing to do. I can have him put to sleep today at the emergency clinic, or I can take him to my herp vet. The emergency clinic here will tell me he needs to be put to sleep because they don't generally care for reptiles anyway and wouldn't know what the chances are of saving this little guy. The herp vet might look at him and say the same though.

What would you guys all suggest I do? Right now he's suffering. I don't know if he can be saved, but my first thought when I saw him was "I think he's going to have to be put to sleep". He just looks so horrible. He has no weight on him whatsoever. The part that disturbs me the most is that this condition didn't happen over night, and not over a week. This has been going on forever and could have been avoided months ago. I actually gave them my old Vosjoli (sp?) book for keeping Leo's, told them some things on what not to do. They ignored all of it. I even mentioned months ago when this little one wasn't eating much to take it to the vet to have it checked out. They ignored that too. The healthy one--I don't take healthy literally from them now--died yesterday, so I imagine he had impaction from the sand they kept them all on. This little one isn't eating and probably has the same issue--but I don't think he could eat because his jaw is basically gum.

So...any advice on this situation?

 

[Dottie]

I think it is worth a try. I personally would hate to put it to sleep without giving it a try. It will need the neo-calglucon shots and drops, probably anti parasitic meds and hand feeding of the slurry. If he makes it, think how good you'll feel and if he doesn't then you at least tried your best. Some people should have a great big stamp on their foreheads that reads "too stupid to care for other living creatures". Maybe a brand would be better - that way they could feel the pain.

Dorcas

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I would get a fecal. If it is negative, try him with all the proper husbandry and see how he does. If he sheds fine, eats fine, poops fine, then I say try. If he cannot get on track and keeps having problems, I would say it is best to put him down. Do you have pics of it we can see?

 

[Arconna]

I made the decision earlier today based on some advice of others who have dealt with this situation and based on the numerous problems this poor gecko had to have him put down. I unfortunately do not have a picture but if you go to this link: http://www.thegeckospot.com/mbd1.jpg ...not even close to how bad this gecko was. My gecko was skin and bones. I could see his ribs, his eyes were swollen shut, and his entire head was mangled so it didn't even look gecko-esque anymore. He was also impacted from the sand they had kept him on.
I battled with the decision for more than 12 hours. Had a rough night sleep over it and spent the day until about 2:00 trying to do all the things I had to do that day and not being able to.
It's especially hard for me because I know that this all could have been avoided if they had taken the animal to a vet when I had mentioned it nearly 8 months ago...might have been even more, I don't know for certain. It was before the company christmas party...had to be towards the end of summer when I mentioned it should go. This means this gecko spent somewhere around 8 months slowly getting into this condition...
I wish that I could say he would have survived, but now that I think about it, I just don't think he would have stood a chance. Even the emergency vet. looked at him and couldn't believe it.
They also apparently didn't have him with proper heating for it's entire life with them...as I found out when I picked him up and all he had was this night lamp that barely brought the ground temp to 70...
I hated making the decision, but I think it would have spent it's last days suffering. I can't sit here and say that he is no longer suffering and that that is a good thing because he should never have been suffering like this in the first place. It disgusts me how careless and ignorant people can be and I feel part of my heart being ripped out every time I see something like this happen because a human is too stupid to know how to care for the animals. These particular people were willfully ignorant. I know for a fact they had the proper documentation to care for Leo's...they didn't read it or ignored it.

I regret and hated making the decision, as I said, but...I guess it was the right one to make. He at least has a burial home in my yard amongst the many other animals my family has had in the last years. He has his own grave and circle of rocks so he will be remembered in some way. May he go to Leo heaven, wherever that may be, where he'll have all the calcium and bugs he could ever want. And lots of cute girl leo's too...

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Shaun, I responded to your email... I'm so sorry you have to make this decision, and so very sorry that this gecko has been so neglected. You are probably making the right decision.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I think that was a good call. I hate to hear it got that bad....

 

[moosassah]

Sorry it came down on you to have to make that decision for the gecko.

 

[Val]

I'm really sorry you had to make that decision, Shaun especially when it's just caused by someone elses carelessness. I can't stand irresponsible pet owners. If it helps, I think you did the right thing. I'm not sure the poor thing could have handled the treatments he/she needed from the vet in order to survive. At least the gecko is no longer suffering.

 

[Arconna]

Thanks all for the comments. I'm still having a hard time with it. It's affected me more than I thought it originally would. I just keep seeing that poor gecko in my head. Sunday night was a terrible night for rest. Monday was a little better. I just wish there was some way to prevent this from happening again with other people. Leo's are not hard animals to care for. I mean, once you get the very basics of care down, that's it, you're set. I just don't know how people cannot care for these animals correctly. I'm not expert or perfect in my care, and not all of us are, it just amazes me how people can just ignore the animal when it's obviously not healthy...

Sigh. Well thanks all. I think I made the right decision for the animal as well. It's just a decision I don't think I ever want to make again given the circumstances...