PLEASE HELP! GRAVID FEMALE PROBLEMS!

[SpaceCadet]

I posted a thread earlier about my gravid leopard gecko and got no responses.

I am very worried about her. She's been having more watery poops. I went to check on her again today and I found 2 "puddles" of excrement in her toilet area. There was a small amount of fecal matter, but it was mostly watery. She is scratching at the substrate (paper towels). She moved to another area and pooped again, but it was just liquid this time. I am inexperienced and unprepared. I did not intend to breed her, she came to me gravid and I was unaware. It was only the past few weeks she was obviously carrying eggs. Is this normal? I don't suppose they pee a lot or "break their water" before laying?

I have been doing as much research as possible to make sure she makes it through this. I do not want to lose her.

 

[Olympus]

Liquid feces is usually a sign of parasites, but I'm not sure if there is a reason tied to being gravid that would account for it as well. Is she eating and otherwise acting normally?

Does she have a proper place to lay eggs in? Like a container full of a moist substrate?

 

[SpaceCadet]

Liquid feces is usually a sign of parasites, but I'm not sure if there is a reason tied to being gravid that would account for it as well. Is she eating and otherwise acting normally?

Does she have a proper place to lay eggs in? Like a container full of a moist substrate?

She he has been acting normally. For a few days she seemed lethargic, but she's also very gravid. I have been giving her calcium and she's appears stronger and has more energy. She isn't housed with other geckos and prior to this she had been fine, had the best appetite of any of my geckos , regular poops. It's only the past week she's refused food, and only the past couple days she's had unusual poops. It's also particularly pungent...more than usual.

She has a large lay box with moist Eco-earth substrate. She had begun digging today.

 

[scm133]

She maybe trying to lay the eggs, and having some problems. Your lay box is over the warm side, right? Warm side temps @ 90-92? You will just have to keep an eye on her. Hopefully she will lay soon. Do you know when she mated?


GulfCoastGeckos

 

[SpaceCadet]

She maybe trying to lay the eggs, and having some problems. Your lay box is over the warm side, right? Warm side temps @ 90-92? You will just have to keep an eye on her. Hopefully she will lay soon. Do you know when she mated?


GulfCoastGeckos

I put the lay box on the warm side. She had been in the lay box before. Would she lay the eggs where she poops? Should I give her a warm soak? I'm out of the house at the moment... How long can an egg be on the ground before it's too late to save? When I get home I'll increase her warm temp to 90-92. Lucky I have a thermostat for her!

I dont know know exactly when she mated. The guy I got her from said she should have laid months ago. She was pretty skinny when I got her so maybe that's why she didn't lay, because she was too skinny?

 

[scm133]

Can you get a picture of her belly to confirm eggs? Have you noticed her straining? It will look just like she is pooping with the lifting of both hind legs, but she will stay in that position longer. If the egg is infertile or just bad, she could very well lay it on the floor. You maybe looking at a trip to the vet....several things it could be....egg bound or parasites. A brief warm soak will not hurt, if she will tolerate it. I noticed you said that you would increase the warm side. The warm side should always be at 90-92. Try and get the picture of her belly.


GulfCoastGeckos

 

[SpaceCadet]

Can you get a picture of her belly to confirm eggs? Have you noticed her straining? It will look just like she is pooping with the lifting of both hind legs, but she will stay in that position longer. If the egg is infertile or just bad, she could very well lay it on the floor. You maybe looking at a trip to the vet....several things it could be....egg bound or parasites. A brief warm soak will not hurt, if she will tolerate it. I noticed you said that you would increase the warm side. The warm side should always be at 90-92. Try and get the picture of her belly.


GulfCoastGeckos

I CAME HOME AND FOUND AN EGG!!!

I am really excited though I'm pretty sure it's a bad egg. I came home and found it in the middle of the terrarium. It has some dents in it and it was a little soft, sort of stuck to the paper towel. I cut around the paper towel as best as a could as I did not want to harm it. I put it in my incubator, without turning it. My incubator is set at 83 with Hatchrite as the substrate in a deli cup.

I know she has one more in there, but it hasn't come out yet. Right now she's resting. I'm fairly certain this is her first clutch and these eggs are probably no good, but I will incubate them until they rot.

From the photos what do you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[scm133]

It is definitely infertile. I would toss it. But, so glad she was able to pass the egg.

 

[Olympus]

I'm relieved that she passed an egg! I didn't want to say anything yet not to scare you (and because you said she was acting pretty normally) but sometimes liquid poop like that is a sign of an obstruction of some sort. Sometimes eggs can pinch a length of intestines closed and the body tries to flush out what it thinks is obstructing the colon with as much liquid as it can. But if she's passing eggs I'll take that as a good sign. Hopefully she passes the other one soon!

I agree that that egg looks pretty infertile.

 

[SpaceCadet]

I am just so relieved she's ok and was able to pass that egg. She's still doing fine, resting in her warm hide with the temps at 90-92. She hasn't eaten anything yet and I've just been leaving her alone so she can relax. I knew her first egg would be infertile so I'm not surprised. What are the odds her other will be ok? It seems unusual she didn't lay them both at the same time. Since she was bred months ago is there a good chance I could get a fertile clutch from her?


ill be giving he a good variety of food once she accepts it. I'm currently gut-loading mealworms, Phoenix worms and dubias for her.

 

[scm133]

Hopefully, she will pass the second egg soon. She will probably not eat if there is another egg. If she is finished, she will start eating. Based on past experiences with this, i am guessing the second will probably be infertile.

 

[SpaceCadet]

Oh dang. At least she's okay. I'm hoping maybe she'll produce a second clutch that will be fertile. In the mean time I'll do my best to take care of her, get her to put on some weight and make sure she's comfortable.

You were right about the egg. It was moldy this morning. lol