New geckos: Recovery log

[Dinosaur!]

she claims to have gotten her from somewhere else. Reading back though, she first says that she got her from a bad breeder, then from a pet store, and now she is claiming to have gotten both geckos from an expo, which i find hard to believe because the high yellow was sold as a proven breeder... And i completely agree that all defects (regen. tail, missing toes, overbites, etc.) shouild be disclosed to the buyer before selling. especially if the photo does not show that.

 

[stager]

Well hope it works out. Sorry your first breeder experience was an unpleasant one. Next time do some checking on the breeder there are so many good ones here. And even the ones with high priced geckos usually also have some lower end ones the don't have listed on there site you just have to ask them.

 

[Dinosaur!]

i definately will next time. i should have realized the prices were to good to be true!

 

[Treefolk]

Well, I'm very sorry about this. As Chris said, there is a lot of good breeders out there.

I have a feeling your Mack afgan will pull through. Just keep her around 85 degrees hot side and really holdback on feeding until she puts on weight. We want her metabolism to slow ramp up and start gaining weight.

 

[Dinosaur!]

I think that she will too she is always exploring her tank, and her eyes are bright (like a healthy geckos) she is going to be fed very little just a few times a day until she recovers more. The high yellow girl actually shows less intrest in food then the mack!

 

[tb144050]

Ok, I have to say this. That second gecko needs to see a vet ASAP. With a tail that skinny, assuming it's not a case of intentional neglect and complete lack of food over a long span of time, you're looking at a medical issue. The other gecko's tail also looks like it's had recent weight loss. Parasites and/or Crypto come to mind... at the VERY MINIMUM, please take fecal samples to your vet, and if you can, get a test swab sent out to Avian Biotech to do a PCR for Crypto (instructions here). And in the meantime, keep them both in hard quarantine... NOTHING that comes into contact with either of these gecks should go anywhere near your others. Put them in different rooms from your current animals, if possible. And wash your hands before and after ANY contact you have with these girls, no matter what.

If it is parasites or Crypto, you do not want to spread this to your others and need to maintain strict standards of quarantine to prevent it. EVen if it isn't either of those, it's still good practice, better safe than sorry!!

^^^ x1,000,000,000

-----------------------------------------

For a few reasons, I would consider it an absolute essential to see a vet or at the very least get the tests done for parasites.

1) I know you said you took the "stick-tail" gecko as a rescue, but you have possibly endangered the life of your entire collection of geckos. Researching crypto will give you more info about why crypto will kill all your other geckos:
-a. Crypto can survive outside of a host for 18months (internet source)
-b. Crypto can survive the harshest cleaners..even ammonia is only 95% effective at killing it.
-c. So overall, you will most likely end up transferring this almost-immortal parasite to your other geckos at some point.

2) Remember when quarantining, you should handle the sick geckos LAST...because washing your hands, even with ammonia, will not kill all parasites.

3) You should seek some professional help when their health (if it is neglect) has reached this point.

... i have only tried to save a few geckos near her weight... im going to try and find pictures of them to compare to her size, even though they did all die in the end.

If they get this skinny, there is a strong possibility that it is CRYPTO...which may be what your others had. I have owned/nurtured 14 geckos in my 5months of experience...Our first 5 ever died (or were returned to the petstore) with Crypto. There were "stick-tails" like yours just roaming around the petstore tank with the healthier looking ones. After weeks of diarhea, random appetite, apparent energy, and some vomiting, even the healthier-looking geckos (that we got from that store) died one at a time after losing some weight.

Since then, I demanded the petstore replace ALLLL that equipment (even the aquarium, thermometers, everything!!), bought 6 breeders from a professional on here and even bought 1 gecko from a competing chain-pet-store.... They are all doing GREAT!! Long story short: Just google "leopard gecko stick-tail" or "leopard gecko crypto."

After my experience of watching stick-tails pass away miserably and having to completely take all that equipment "out of service" (luckily replaced by petstore), no one can PAY me to take in or even touch a "stick-tail".

I promise I didn't say all this (above) to rant or rave at/on you. I swear I said all this to save you the possible heartache of watching your collection get infected...and then the ulcers from throwing all all those tanks/equipment/decor.

To me, seeing a stick-tail is like finding out that your cheating ex-spouse has an STD. GET TESTED :O

Good luck and I will be hoping for the best.

 

[Dinosaur!]

I completely understrand your concern, and i realize now that i forgot to mention something about the stick tail rescue geckos from before. They did not have crypto at all, but they were extremely neglected. There were five of them, a Super snow male, a SS tremper female, A jungle tremper girl, a normal girl, and another normal girl. they were all previously housed together, but three of them were too far gone. they died. BUT! (there is a but here!) two of the geckos survived! parasite free, crypto free, and became fat and healthy once they started to be fed. I rehomed one of the normal girls with the help of my local reptile shop, and the SS tremper is my little Sakura (in my sig.)! They were all housed together, and all of them were in the same condition, and the vet cleared them of all parasites. I am going to post some rather sickening photos of what these geckos tails looked like (after death).

My girl, Sakura, used to look like these poor geckos, but is a big healthy girl now. This shows that it is not always sickness, but pure neglect that can cause a gecko to be in this condition. And this gecko now is actually larger then Sakura when i recieved her, and is behaving much healthier (more active, more food intrest etc.) then Sakura was.

Now i am completely aware of the crypto risk with these girls, but i have worked with crypto geckos (in allience with my reptile shop) so i can recognize the symptoms fairly well. And i am keeping the strictest quarentine regiment i have ever enforced right now with these girls, purely as precaution ( i can post my quarentine procedures for them if you want). These geckos are gaining weight (the sick girl has already gained a gram since ive had her), willingly eating, running around, and acting like completely normal geckos (minus the weights of course). And the second either of them begin showing any signs of sickness (and not just neglect) they will be rushed to the vet, and have samples sent to avian biotech. I will not let them suffer any more then they have.

 

[tb144050]

Congrats on your previous successes. Your quote (below) had me frightened that you are taking in terminal patients and putting your others at risk. As long as you know the risks, keep fighting to save any that can be saved.

-----------------

... i have only tried to save a few geckos near her weight... im going to try and find pictures of them to compare to her size, even though they did all die in the end.

 

[courtney.lynne]

Autumn,
It is awesome what you are doing for these babies! I can not believe the shape they are in but kudos to you for what you are doing :main_thumbsup: I wish you the best of luck and can't wait to see how they recover.

 

[Dinosaur!]

HI all, long time no see, but i thought i would update you on these two little girls..

well the stick tailed one passed away a few weeks ago... i think she gave up on living... no creature should have to wither away while their owners look on and pretend that nothing is wrong. I'm glad that i had the chance to make her comfortable while i could, even if it was for just a few weeks...

as for the high yellow girl, she is much better! she is eating like a pig, gaining weight, and enjoying being taken care of!

she definately has a ways to go, but once she is up to fifty grams i will be putting her up for adoption to a home with owners who can deal with a "special needs" gecko who is sweet, and just needs a forever home.

as for the "special needs" part, I believe her back was injured due to the horrid packaging (it had none of the paperwork, the styrofoam was unfitted and full of holes, the geckos were in plastic strawberry cases that you would get from the grocery store, they only had one napkin in each container, one of the containers was open and the gecko was loose in the box, and there wasnt even enough packing popcorn to cover the two containers! not to mention that the heat packs were just "hot hands" with paper towel duct taped around them.) either way, the gecko who got loose was Carnation. she has a hard time moving her back legs, and tends to drag them behind her most of the time. it also appears to cause her pain to climb, so every hide opening is ground level for her now. she also needs help eating on occasion (cant catch quick food).

But hopefully i can find her a dedicated local home to take her, because i dont want to put her through shipping again... but thank you for being supportive! hopefully she will find a home that can spend the amount of time she deserves with her, and spoil her rotten

 

[EasiGeckos]

Sorry to hear about your recent loss. I also agree that no animal in a situation where they are solely dependent on US as a source of food, safety, and shelter should ever be placed in a situation of neglect. People have options, its just a matter of if they choose to open the door to them. Good luck to you and your geckos in the future.

Gregory

 

[Dinosaur!]

thank you very much If someone had neglected a dog the way that these geckos were, and then sold them to someone as they lied about their health and appearance, they they would be looking at some serious charges. There should be equality in pets. Leopard geckos are NOT disposable pets, and i think we all need to get rid of that stigma.

 

[LeopardGeckoMom]

Awww, sorry to hear!
But, it's also good to see how well the other is doing.. :main_yes:

 

[Dinosaur!]

i definately have to agree. someday soon, that little girl will make someone a wonderful new family member

 

[stager]

Don't project the person who sold you these throw it out there., especially because it is someone here. Because the will get someone else here sooner or later.

 

[Dinosaur!]

i dont want to mention their name on here because we have been bashing them, and i dont want to get in trouble... as far as im aware they have quit selling reptiles though... I would be fine telling you who they are over PM though... And i would write a review on them, but i am a teenager, and i dont want to disclose my full name online (not that i dont trust you guys! but there are creepers out there..)

 

[stager]

Smart thinking I have a son your age and I definitely would not want him posting his real name on the net