Need some help force-feeding...

[Stripe]

(Just so everyone knows, I'm dealing with a fat-tailed gecko. I'm just posting here because the fat tail section gets almost no attention and I need help very soon...)

About your fat tail:
- Sex: Female
- Age: I've owned her for nearly seven years but don't know how old she was when I got her.
- Weight: 43.4 grams
- How long have you owned your fat tail: About seven years.
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend): Unfortunately a chain store that shall not be named. I think she was WC.


A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your fat tail: At this point, daily.
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now: She's lethargic, refuses to eat, keeps her eyes closed...
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe: Only a few shedding issues. She's also been eating a chicken/squash baby food/vitamin and calcium supplement mix for years.

B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal): Urates are normal, but I haven't seen feces in a while.
- When was the last time he/she went: Probably over a month ago.

C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on: Stripe hasn't been eating for about a month now. She started having problems shedding a few weeks ago and is just now finishing her last shed. She's lethargic and hardly even opens her eyes. I've been bathing her for about two weeks now. We took her to the vet a few days ago and from the X-ray the problem isn't an impaction. It could be related to her liver, which is somewhat enlarged, but they aren't sure. Since then she's had two 15-20 minute baths daily and we've been trying to syringe feed her Critical Care. (Unsuccessfully.) We took her back yesterday and were told to continue the baths, put her on paper towels, and start taking her outside for 15-20 minutes a day. We were also told to force-feed her 1/2 CC of Critical Care 3-4 times a day. The problem now is that we can't get her to open her mouth. We've tried rubbing it, gently restraining her, and stuff like that. I feel like I just need force feeding instructions or something like that.


Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size: 20 gallon long.
- Type (ex. glass tank): Glass w/ a screen lid.
- Type of substrate: Coco peat- switched to paper towels today.
- Hides, how many, what kind: Her warm hide is a tile raised over half of her cage. She also has a cool damp hide filled with sphagnum moss.


B) Heating
- Heat source: Heat pad.
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side): I'm not actually sure. I don't think I could get accurate readings. If it helps, the thermometer in the cage (on the glass on the warm side) reads 80. Humidity is somewhere around 80 as well.
- Method of regulating heat source: Adding/subtracting substrate.
- What are you using to measure your temps: A cheap circular thermometer. I'm getting a temp gun soon.
- Do you have any lights (describe): I have one 18" plant light in the corner of her tank for a small pothos, but I've been leaving it off lately.


C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females): None.
- Describe health, or previous problems: None.


Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much): Used to be chicken/squash baby food with supplements. Now were using Critical Care for carnivores.
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect): Attempting to force-feed via syringe with a rubber nipple on the end. She used to eat like this all the time.
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands): Repashy Calcium+. (Includes both vitamins and minerals.)
- What are you gut loading food with: Nothing.

 

[Dinosaur!]

Okay, I'm no expert on fat tails, but i can try to give you some advice. I once had a very malnourished leo who only weighed around 25 grams. She wouldnt eat, and had to be force fed also. Then she began locking her jaw when feeding time came, which sounds like what your gecko is doing. I will tell you now that true force feeding is not enjoyable, but it keeps your gecko alive. She will not like it, and seeing how concerned you are, you probably will hate it also.

You may need to restrain your girl by wrapping her firmly in a cloth, paper towel, or something of that nature. Then restrain her body with your hand over the towel. Restraining her will prevent her from injuring her mouth on the syringe, and from scratching or biting you. After that, take the syringe full of food and push it around the edge of her mouth with the tip. Just so that it is in between the "lips" and resting on her teeth. If you force it in from there you could damage her teeth and gums. Start applying a downward pressure, preferrably from around the middle of her mouth (not back by her ear, and not under her nose). Do this slowly and gently, and try different areas of her mouth if its obviously not working. Eventually her mouth should open just enough for you to get the tip of the syringe in (or more), but you need to act fast before she clamps down again. Once the syringe is in her mouth, you may have to forcefully hold her head in place to keep her from spitting it out and having to repeat the stressful process more then neccasary. Slowly begin dripping the food onto her tongue, and dont squirt it forcefully, or put it down the back of her throat, or she could inhale it and choke. Thats it. I reccomend leaving her alone ,except for feeding time, or it could stress her out more then the feeding already does.


Me and my local reptile store figured this out when they were helping me rehab five sick geckos. Sadly only two made it, but that struggle to make them live was worth it once they got back on their feet, plus if I had just given up, I wouldnt have that cute (now 70-ish gram) gecko in my avatar I really hope this works for you, and remember that it may be a few times before you get the hang of it completely, so dont lose hope if it goes wrong on the first try. Also, if you have someone who could help you, it really makes it easier (someone to restrain her, and someone to feed her), and the quicker you can get it done, the less stress there will be. Good luck with your girl, and i really hope that her health improves

 

[indyana]

I also have no experience with Fat-Tailed Geckos... but aren't they supposed to eat insects like Leopard Geckos? If someone were feeding a Leopard Gecko baby food mixed with supplements, I would see that as a real cause for issues.

 

[Stripe]

Thanks for all the details Dinosaur, I'll try to get that done. Would it be too stressful to give her the baths and take her outside? Oh, and when restraining, should her arms be pinned to her sides?

Also, indyana, yes, they're insectivores. They're very similar to leos and I realized the issues with baby food a while back. I managed to start feeding her mealworms but after a few months of them she stopped eating, and that's when this whole thing started.

 

[Dinosaur!]

Yes, the arms should be pinned back in order to keep the struggling at a minimum. And I think that you should be good to take her outside and stuff, just watch her stress levels and do't over do it on the poor girl

 

[Stripe]

I finally managed to get her to eat some earlier today! After a bath and a visit outside we brought her in and got half a CC down. I'll give her some more tonight.

Edit: She took some more but it was harder to get her to open this time. I'm kinda worried that I'm hurting her mouth/teeth. I'm going to start using a rubber tip on the syringe.

 

[Stripe]

Well, her weight is improving. That's three successful feedings, although she choked a bit on the last one. I'll need to be careful. Anyways, at this point, I'm worried about her condition internally for the most part, but also a raw spot on her back. I'll post a pic. Should I use antibiotics?

 

[Stripe]

She passed away this evening...
Could anyone identify if this is excrement or throw up? It's about two parts somewhat undigested food, one part substrate.
Could she have... Choked on it?

 

[Dinosaur!]

I am so sorry to hear that. I know that you tried your hardest with her, but she sounds like she couldve just been old and frail from age Shes in gecko heaven, eating wax worms by the hundreds (if fat-tails eat waxworms? idk...) But i'm sorry again... And to me that regurgitation looks more like diarrhea with eco-earth mixed in it... she may have simply ate some and passed it...