Old molt over eyes

[ducmar]

Hi, I'm new to the board but I have several geckos. One I picked up tonight for pocket change. She is a little over two years old, and is tiny, obviously under weight and it looks like left over molt skin on her feet and over her eyelids from her last molt. I've put her in an icu (deli container with wet paper towels on a heat source to create high humidity). Is there anything else I can do to get that old skin off her eyes? I figure she's not going to eat until she can see.


Will post pictures tonight.

 

[Stomlin35]

You could try using a damp Q-tip to try to rub it off gently... otherwise the humid hide should help.

 

[ducmar]

Right eye

Left eye

Top of head

Overall size

Left side feet

 

[Stomlin35]

That left eye looks infected. You'll probably need to get eye drops from your vet. The foot shed will come off if you soak it and peel it off gently. The right eye, you can either try to help with a Q-tip, or just wait for the drops from the vet that you'll use with the left.

 

[Stomlin35]

Switch left with right. I got them mixed up. You need to get the shed off her foot asap, otherwise it may fall off.

 

[Angel]

put her in a shallow container with enough warm water to cover the feet and let her soak if she gets jumpy put a lid on just have holes punched in the lid and dont leave unattended, could also use a few drops of olive oil or cooking oil to help get the shed off however wouldnt use the oil near her eyes. get a warm moist hide and see if she will use that herself , but I agree the eye looks slightly infected take her in and get some drops.

 

[ducmar]

Thanks, am working on locating a vet locally. After sitting in a humid hide over night it looks like the skin on the feet has loosened up immensely. If she hasn't taken care of it herself by the time I get home I'll soak her and pull it off with oil. Even the skin around the eyes is looking looser, I've got my fingers crossed.

 

[ducmar]

An update, I got all but a little bit off all her toes. The little bit left is stuck on a nail and I can't find tweezers sensitive enough to get it. Her eyes are still another story. They are taking a lot of work, I've been alternating drops of saline solution (generic contact soak) and gently removing what gets loose.

I got her to eat a little baby food squash by dribbling it on her chin. From these pictures does she look starving as in, should I start syringe feeding her meal worm mash?

 

[Stomlin35]

Feet look MUCH better... if the eye IS infected, you're going to need antibiotics. But you should try syringe feeding her the Gecko Soup (recipe at he top of the page in a sticky). The stuff is wonderful... you just have to put a bit on the tip of her nose and once she realizes what it is, she should be more willing to drink it from the syringe.

 

[ducmar]

I spoke with a vet this morning who treated my friends leo. He told me to use neosporin to soften the skin on the eye and then scotch tape to coax it off. Going to try that this afternoon along with the gecko soup As soon as that's done we should be able to determine if there is an infection. Poor thing. She was more alert and less skittish this morning when I turned the lights on and moved around her cage. :main_thumbsup:

 

[StopperExotics]

I can't believe someone let her eyes and feet get like that, it's horrible. She's a lucky girl to have someone like you around to help her out. I'd be careful with the scotch tape, that may tear her sensitive little eyelids. Just be gentle, as it appears you already are. Good luck with her!

 

[Stomlin35]

Hopefully the neosporin helps. I also wanted to stress the importance of being careful when removing the shed... it may end up ripping off some of the skin she hasn't shed yet. Make sure you watch her next shed carefully... hopefully it will help with the stuck shed issue as well.

Keep us updated!

 

[gaparicio]

I've had two leos before with stuck shed by their eyes a few years back. Small tweazers work wonders once the shed is pliable after a soak. Their skin is tougher than you think. Just make sure you actually grab the old shed and not skin.

 

[ducmar]

Thanks for the tips, I'll post an update tonight!

 

[Saphira]

oh my goodness...those pics are going to make me cry...

did you see my thread about eye infections? http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=40416

It took me months to totally get the problem resolved. Your little ones eye are a lot worse than mine so it might take you longer. I am seriously surprised that her tail isn't any thinner with her not being able to see. Ours seem to quit eating entirely when they can't see.

 

[ducmar]

Saphira, that link was incredibly useful, I am going to try mineral oil tomorrow, but I couldn't see any pics of your when the eye was bad, could you post one here if you still have it? Tonight we got the rest of the skin from around the eyes. After about two hours in and out of a very warm and very humid box, white translucent cream came out of the left eye which I wiped off and she promptly closed. The shininess is neosporin. IDK if there is even an eye in there anymore.

The right eye we got all the old dead skin off the lip and eyelid. It doesn't look infected in my normal definition, not drippy or anything, but it is rock solid and completely milky. I'm not sure if it's the lense cap from the last shed holding on for dear life or the actual eye at this point. It definitely extends up as I pulled up the lid to see, not down so far though.

I know she needs to see a vet but my housemate just skipped out on rent for the second time (hopefully they are gone for good) and I can't do the $50-70 for another week, so if I can keep her going that long then there is hope. She eats the soup and baby food I put on her nose, not a lot but for at least solid minute before she stops licking it off and tonight she drank while soaking. I shoved a roach in her mouth but she spit it out. She's not the skinniest I've seen and she's got plenty of spirit :main_thumbsup: And she looks better than when I got her... except the eyes.

 

[sworntotheblack]

There's an eye still in there, i am going through a similar issue with the shed in the eye problem. Its probably infected if your getting discharge/puss coming out and considering the state she was in when you got her i would be pretty sure of it. Kinda looks like caps over her eye. Its frustrating dealing with this, my girls doing a little better but then she shed right after we got her eye cleaned out at the vet and once again i think there's some more skin in there, i can get her to open her eyes after a nice soak but she just closes em up after a while. I tried the humid hide but she just doesn't wanna stay in there. G/l and keep updating, also i am using this Flukers Insectivore emergency food for my girl and its kept her from losing any substantial weight and her tail is still pretty fat you can give that a try or make the slurry stuff. I posted a link to my vets website to show you the eye caps, its kinda "graphic" (http://www.azeah.com/Care-Sheets.asp?id=117)

 

[Saphira]

poor sweetheart. yes i agree..she still has eyes.. the one she is probably holding it in while you poke at her. the other that is skin I think over her eye..i am surprised she holds it open. You can order the eye drops online..google..however they are spending to do it that way. the shipping is ridiculous. I have a call into my vet to get some more. it was cheaper that way. We have two more fighting it right now. sigh.

 

[gaparicio]

It's most likely an old lens cap. I took them off with tweezers (very carefully).

 

[ducmar]

Sworn-Jeezus, did you see the eye caps that came off the second lizard in that link?? We are DEFINITELY going to the vet next week, caps or no. Poor lizards. This is frustrating because some unknowing person can take home a gecko from the LPS with the best intentions and loaded with pet store info they intend to follow and believe to be accurate and absolutely no clue on how to REALLY care for these animals. There should be standards that LPS have to provide approved care info before being allowed to sell animals.

Gaparicio-I did try this, I can't get under the cap anywhere to pull and I tried pulling the surface but it just gumms up and under that is rock solid. I'm going to see if mineral oil from a dropper helps tonight.

Thanks for all the links and words of encouragement from everyone, if I didn't find this website I probably would have thought it hopeless.