Prolapse question(warning:pic)

[Caramell]

Hey everyone,
I have a male gecko(I've had him since August, he was about 15 grams, and is 40 grams now) who has a prolapsed hemipenis.
I noticed it last night, and quickly moistened more paper towels in the cage(I use paper towels as substrate) and today I began doing hourly sugar water soaks.
I read about using Preparation H or KY jelly to keep the area moist at night, but I have neither of those products.
Would it be possible to use something else, perhaps Neosporin?

 

[robin]

part of the reason for preparation H because it helps reduce the swelling so the hemipene can withdraw back into the body. personally i would make a trip to the store and get some preparation h

 

[Caramell]

How much does it usually cost?

 

[robin]

you can get the store brand. maybe like four bucks? its not expensive

 

[Bellalee]

It's worth the 10 bucks.

 

[robin]

i don't even think it cost that much

 

[Caramell]

Thanks for the answers, everyone.
I got the Prep.H, and after two days of soaks and cream, it finally retracted.

 

[OneFootedAce]

Thanks for the answers, everyone.
I got the Prep.H, and after two days of soaks and cream, it finally retracted.

Thats good to hear

 

[robin]

great!

 

[fletchneff]

Great to hear

 

[SFgeckos]

Glad to hear your gecko is doing better! Animals that have had prior history of prolapses are more likely to have future cases, so definitely keep an eye on your gecko! Also in the future, you can soak your gecko using warm water with granulated sugar (not the fake sweeteners, has to be real sugar).

I don't want to get too technical, but basically the tissue cells will respond to the osmotic gradient by letting water (edema) pass out of the cell through the membranes to the area of higher concentration. So the cells shrink, or the edema leaves the tissues, returning them to their normal size.

If you're interested, a good paper human paper to read on prolapse treatments:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/n21pu765n3176216/

Jon

 

[Stomlin35]

Also in the future, you can soak your gecko using warm water with granulated sugar (not the fake sweeteners, has to be real sugar).



Jon

He did the sugar soaks

 

[robin]

with sugar water soak you have to put quite a bit of sugar in the water for it to work. jon may have some more precise info on how much sugar to water.

jon would something like karo syrup work? i thought because of the thickness and sugar content it might be a good alternative to sugar water soaks. i have never used it. i was just wondering because you can put it directly on and it sems as if it would be rather safe. here are the ingredients from the karo website posted in the FAQ section

"Q: What is corn syrup?

A: Corn syrup is a mildly sweet, concentrated solution of dextrose and other sugars derived from corn starch. It is naturally sweet. Corn syrup contains between 15% to 20% dextrose (glucose) and a mixture of various other types of sugar."


http://www.karosyrup.com/faq.html

 

[SFgeckos]

Ahhh Robin, you're making me think =)

First off, I should say that I’m not an animal physiologist (nor would I ever want to be one!) but I do have a background in the biological sciences (I'm a bit rusty). The following are my own words from memory, so please don't quote me! Always double check everything if you're unsure.

From what I recall, osmosis is defined as the flow of water across a permeable membrane, where the membrane is permeable to water but not to solutes. In osmosis, water will flow from the region where there is a lower concentration of dissolved solutes toward the region where the dissolved solute concentration is higher. An osmotic gradient is defined as the forces created by these differences between the two solutions. This osmotic gradient is what is responsible for the swelling and shrinking of tissue cells. For humans cells, I know the osmolarity is around 300mOsm but I believe reptile cells are slightly different (up to 400mOsm depending on species). The main point is that as long as the animal with the prolapse is soaking in a solution with a higher concentration of solutes, the tissue will shrink in size as water gets pulled out of the cells.

I haven’t been able to find a “formula” on the water/sugar soak for reptiles, if someone is able to find anything that is based on scientific information/education, please share! I’m always curious in learning the mechanisms/physiology behind “recommended” procedures and never take anyone’s word for it. As far as that product you mentioned, I’m honestly not really sure. But I think any product with a high level of sugar mixed with water would be safe to use as a soak. You mentioned that the corn syrup has 15-25% glucose. I know that glucose is transported through cell membranes via facilitated diffusion, which means that its movement requires a transport protein. However, if the concentration of glucose is higher outside the cell, the glucose molecules will be transported into the cell tissues. So technically speaking, if glucose does enter the cells the concentration of solutes outside would be lower than if say you used a product without glucose in it. Does that make any sense?

Jon

 

[robin]

yes it does make sense.

i do know though for a fact preparation h works great! shrinks the swelling of inflamed hemorrhoidal tissue. in short it shrinks the swelling and makes things feel much better hehe

it works great for prolapses too <_<

 

[SFgeckos]

I agree with you Robin, Preparation H is commonly used for prolapses in both humans and mammal veterinary patients. However, I was unsuccessful at finding any reliable sources on its usage for reptiles...other than a bunch of non-academic websites (ie- anyone can post anything). After examining the ingredients of PrepH, it definitely makes sense to why it could be used on almost any species- remember this is just my personal opinion!

Do you want to know the physiological mechanisms to why Preparation H works? =)

The active ingredient in Prep H is phenylephrine HCL...

According to an university of Pharmacology website source- "Phenylephrine has predominantly post-synaptic alpha-adrenergic effects at therapeutic doses." This might not mean anything to the majority of the forum readers, but for those of us that understand pharmacology/neurobiology- alpha-adrenergic receptors deals with vasoconstriction of blood vessels (while beta-adrenergic receptors deal with increasing heart rate/contractility). Phenylephrine HCL is a common active ingredient in decongestion and cold medicines to reduce swelling of the nasal passageways and sinuses. This basically means that phenylephrine HCL works to constrict blood vessels that feed into the affected area. So applying Prep H to the anus should reduce swelling and return any tissue back to normal size as the blood vessels are constricted. Interesting stuff huh? I think for me, I've been past the whole genetics, husbandry and breeding aspects...the animal physiology and the "why" answers are what keep this hobby enjoyable...

Okay, my brain hurts...anymore thinking on this forum and I'll expect to get paid like I'm at work =)

Jon

 

[robin]

i have used preparation H on snakes and geckos both with great results.

 

[Caramell]

At first, I just did soaks made of warm water and pure sugar,and that didnt do the trick at first, so the next day I used sugar AND added Karo corn syrup, then soaked him in it for 10 minutes(he was getting restless).
For the 'recipe' I just dumped a bunch of sugar into the tub of water, then mixed it until everything was dissolved, then maybe squeezed out 2 or 3 tablespoons of syrup(I hope I didn't overdo it, don't flame me!).
Then I added Prep H, and the next day, everything was back to normal.

And I'm a she, by the way.

 

[robin]

oops sorry!