premature hatching and deformities?

[nicolenadia]

I went through every post on here to try and see if anyone else has had this problem, but I can't seem to find anyone else. I had a baby hatch last night, and I had estimated the hatch date of Jan 22. The egg was laid on Nov 22....so about 60 ays giveor take a few. My incubator has been pretty steady at 85.....but with this seasons wacky weather, I would sometimes have to lower the temp a degree here and there because of my house temp. So, the baby looks like it has eyelid deformities and also either has the yolk sac still attached, or it is a herniated intestine....the problem Keli was talking about with one of her hatchtlings.

Otherwise, it is very active, is drinking a lot of water from the moist paper towels I provided, and seems ok. He was however, walking in circles last night, as though his equilibrium is thrown off from either one eye being almost sealed shut or both. He is very tiny, but not skinny. His bones are all straight and he has all his toes.

So, Im torn up about this and am thinking if I should scrap the other two eggs she laid after this one. She was a first timer, so this hatchling was her first egg....but she was also purchased at petco 2 years ago.....so maybe there are genetic issues....

This "thing" hanging from its belly, covered in vermiculite, has me worried.

also, would it be wrong to raise a semi blind gecko? I don't think it would be, if everything else is fine, but my roommate was asking me if it was a good idea, since the gecko itself, may not want to live that way.

Uggggg....I can post some pictures later when I get home.

Can breeding certain morphs together affect deformities? The mom is a bliz and the father is a tang. I hope I didn't do something wrong.

 

[Jeanne]

I am so sorry about your hatchling. The poor little guy.

I had one baby hatch with it's intestines hanging out, unfortunately he didn't make the day.

But, if it isn't his intestines, and it is his egg sack, then he will probably survive. Just make sure not to stress him out at all, keep his enclosure very clean and moist.

About the going in circles part. I think there was someone on this forum that experienced that in a hatchling, although I am not sure of the outcome. Maybe they will see this post and reply.

As for the eye deformity, nobody really knows exactly what causes that. It could be temperature fluxuations, or lack of Vitamins in the mother, etc.

I hope the baby lives. Good Luck!

 

[lil_katiedan]

I've had a hatchling that hatched out with eye deformities and with it's yoke still unabsorbed. I don't really have pictures of it, but if I did I don't think they would help. Anyways, I applied terramicin (You can get it at a feed store and sometimes a drug store) on it's eye everyday. The yoke will reabsorb by itself so I don't think you need to worry about it, unless it is infact its intestines.

The baby grew and thrived as well as my other hatchlings and so I adopted it out. As far as I know, it's still living and doing well.

Good luck!

 

[nicolenadia]

The thing hanging, looks Like a small ball covered in vermiculite. Seeing as he hatched early, I am hoping that it isjust the yolk sac and not an intestinal issue. If he makes it to the weekend, and the "thing" is still attached, I will take it to the vet. I'll look for the eye cream.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

What you are describing my very well be the yolk sac that has not been absorbed yet. In most cases, it will fall off after a day or two. Keep the baby on moist paper towel in the meantime.

I had a horrible rash of eyelid deformities a few years ago, but I realized I had switched to a new supplement product that season. As soon as I went back to my original supplement regime, the problem disappeared. I have talked with other breeders who experienced this, and the general belief is that it is a vitamin deficiency in the mother, and not necessarily a temperature fluctuation issue.

 

[nicolenadia]

Marcia- I know you may not want to reveal your secrets, but if you wouldn't mind sharing, what is your supplement regime for gravid females?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I don't have any secrets when it comes to keeping and caring for my geckos!

This is my supplementation regime:

First off, I use RepCal products. Ultra-fine calcium powder, both with and without Vit. D, and Herptivite as my vitamin supplement.

General Supplementation:
I dust ALL food items with calcium w/out Vit.D every other feeding.
I dust ALL food items with Calcium w/Vit.D once a week.
I dust ALL food items with Herptivite once a week.
I leave a bowl of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure.
I dump the calcium bowl weekly (or when it gets icky).

Laying Females Supplementation:
I dust ALL food items with calcium w/out Vit.D every feeding.
I dust ALL food items with Calcium w/Vit.D twice a week.
I dust ALL food items with Herptivite twice a week.
I leave a bowl of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure.
I dump the calcium bowl weekly (or when it gets icky).

 

[Perefalcon]

I had a baby hatch last night, and I had estimated the hatch date of Jan 22. The egg was laid on Nov 22....so about 60 ays giveor take a few. My incubator has been pretty steady at 85

maybe it's just me, but I usually don't give 60 days for an egg to hatch when it's at 85, it would seem to me that 45-50 would be more appropriate...I haven't even had any take 60 days when I incubate at 83, I usually put down 50-55 and they hatch sometimes before that and sometimes just in that range. So the baby prolly wasn't even premature, but just on time

 

[snared99]

Yes i agree 60 days at 85 degrees sounds a bit long. My average at 85 has been 50-55. Maybe he/she isnt premature...lol

 

[GoGo]

But even so guys, theres alot of other people on this forum who have had late hatches and the babies have been perfectly fine. Dont you remember that guy whos eggs took forever so he thought they werent going to but didnt take them out, went on vacation for a month or two, and came back to have two baby leos running around in the incubator.

 

[Jeanne]

Laying Females Supplementation:
I dust ALL food items with calcium w/out Vit.D every feeding.
I dust ALL food items with Calcium w/Vit.D twice a week.
I dust ALL food items with Herptivite twice a week.
I leave a bowl of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure.
I dump the calcium bowl weekly (or when it gets icky).

Hmm, I am going to start dusting my breeder females' food with Vionate more often. I was doing only doing it about twice a month, but will increse it to see if it helps.

 

[Stitch]

This is my supplementation regime:

First off, I use RepCal products. Ultra-fine calcium powder, both with and without Vit. D, and Herptivite as my vitamin supplement.

General Supplementation:
I dust ALL food items with calcium w/out Vit.D every other feeding.
I dust ALL food items with Calcium w/Vit.D once a week.
I dust ALL food items with Herptivite once a week.
I leave a bowl of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure.
I dump the calcium bowl weekly (or when it gets icky).

Laying Females Supplementation:
I dust ALL food items with calcium w/out Vit.D every feeding.
I dust ALL food items with Calcium w/Vit.D twice a week.
I dust ALL food items with Herptivite twice a week.
I leave a bowl of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure.
I dump the calcium bowl weekly (or when it gets icky).

WOW, that's identical to my regime!

 

[nicolenadia]

This morning, I took a look at him and he is getting ready for his first shed, but that thingy has stil not fallen off, but maybe it will when he sheds. It loked like it was just hanging by a thread, so hopfully it will be gone by the time im home from work. It definetely looks like he will be mostly blind, but other than that, if he healthy, he will just be my special needs pet. Im going to kick up the Herptivite for now on also. The D3 issue is a huge debate.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I forgot to add that I use about 10% Vionate in my gut load and mealworm bedding...

 

[lil_katiedan]

I'm not really sure what quality of life that lil guy will have if he's completely blind. Could you post pictures of its eyes? Are they milky/murky looking? Have you tried the Terramycin? I'm sorry to say but it might be best to go ahead and put it down, of course it's hard to say not really knowing its condition.

 

[nicolenadia]

Its too hard to photograph him without having to use a flash, and he already seems to be light sensitive. I just going day by day here....who knows what will happen, but I personally, won't put him down if his only problem is blindness. He may not even be blind, it may just be deformed eyelids and as he grows, he may get more use of his eyes.

 

[Stitch]

I had a gecko hatch out with the yolk sac still attached but fell off just a few minutes afterwards. His eyes were fine but he was attacked by crix and they did damage to the eye lids, so he wasn't blind but did have some eye sight issues. Well my point is, I hand fed him until he mastered his hunting skills. Took him a while but he hunts on his own without issues. Because of him not absorbing the whole sac my vet put him on some really sticky stuff (carbonate?) that was supposed to pack on some calories. It definitely helped.

 

[cheeseball705]

my first gecko i ever bought had an eye that wasnt quite developed when he he hatched. it was my first ever gecko and one of pats first hatchings, he gave it some eye dropps i believe for few days before giving it to me (we went to college together). so far i have not had probs with it although i do believe that it cant see as well possibly blind in that eye. he seems to be alright other than occasional shedding probs and he is 2 yrs old. i would say let him grow up if he is able to eat then he should be alright. good luck