Questioning my new setup.

[papaprut]

Hellooo everyone

I have had my gecko for about 5 years, and she was roughly 2 years when I got her. I have had her housed no problem for the last 5 years, not one single problem. A few months ago I switched her tank and some of her lighting fixtures, made a custom backdrop, and I noticed she was very lethargic and not eating after a month or so in her new house. I searched for what could be wrong online, and read it could have been impaction.

NOW, for 5 years, I had her housed on crushed walnut shells with not a single problem, and I did not understand how switching her home would cause this to happen.... Then I noticed the new substrate I bought was a finer grind of walnut shell, and thought.. hmmmm, maybe this is the problem. So I found some remedies I could do at home. I soaked her, gave her small amount of mineral oil to try and move it through her. She ended up going to the bathroom, but there was no sign of impaction. After the soaks she would seem very energetic, but then once back in the cage... back to no activity.

I Recently took her to the vet and they gave her an X-ray and said she MIGHT have MBD. So they gave me some food to hand feed her, told me to feed her liquid calcium and told me I should switch out my lighting to have a source of UVB..... Here is my problem, I NEVER had a UVB bulb before, and now I have been reading it can cause them stress ? She has places to completely hide from the light, do you think keeping it on the full day cycle is necessary ?

I don't want to over do it. She has her UTH, a basking bulb I used to warm a portion of the tank,I have a low wattage night glow bulb just to give off a nice low blue glow at night, and NOW I have the 2.0 UVB bulb. I don't know why but I feel confused as how to run this lighting setup. Almost like I am starting all over again. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pinky81]

You don't need a UV bulb *SMH* few things you didn't mention. What are your temps? And have you been offering Calcium+D3 in a dish in the tank and or dusting feeders?

 

[papaprut]

Sorry for missing a few points, im a newb to gecko forums lol. Her warm side, at ground level where the UTH is reads at about 92, and the cool side hovers in the mid 70's. I do not have a dish with the calcium in it, but I do dust her feeders with the calcium powder with D3... maybe my issue was not dusting more frequently. I would dust them usually once a week.

On a side note her substrate has now been switched to a sheet of cork under her warm hide and paper towels throughout the rest. I might replace the paper towels with the cork depending on how it works out.

 

[Pinky81]

Im with ya on the substrate change...i do just papertowel...so super easy to change out and can't beat the $$.

I know some around here don't prefer to offer D3 all the time...I have always kept Ca+D3 in a dish at all times in the tank and then I dust with repashy Leo Vit. Powder everyother feeding. I have had NO issues with D3. My two are almost a year old and still lick the CA+D3 out of the bowls when they feel they need it. If the vet really thinks it MBD I would change out what you have in the tank with CA+D3...but the UV bulb is probably just going to stress the little one out more then needed.

Do you have any pictures of your set up and Leo? Sometimes its possible to see signs of MBD.

 

[papaprut]

Thanks for the information. I think I will take back the UVB bulb on monday... when that this is on.... It is ridiculously bright. I am going to also try to provide the constant supply of CA+D3.

I can get some photos, but I will have to take them tomorrow. I don't want to interrupt her slumber She has lost some weight, but her tail is still very fat. It had fallen off and healed before I got her, and her tail is a big bulbous sac of fat, with a little point on the end lol the vet said he had never seen a tail like hers before.

 

[Dog Shrink]

The reason your vet said use a uvb is because the uv affects D3 and calcium absorbtion.. this would work for a herp that was actually up during daylight hours. That oesn't work so well for a crepuscular herp like a leo. You can reap the same effect with a D3 suppliment for proper calcium absorbtion. I would suggest either keeping a dish of powdered calcium minus the D3 in the tank then suppliment with a multi vit.. every other feeding... OR...you could switch to an all in 1 suppliment like t-rex.leopard gecko dust icb by sandfire foods or repasht calcium plus icb. Dust every or every other feeding.

 

[papaprut]

Sorry for not having photos just yet, I had a really busy day today and I didn't get a chance to take some.

So regarding those options, do you feel the all in 1 supplement would be a better choice over leaving the pure powdered calcium in the tank ? Does the all in one work just as good, or is it like having an all in 1 printer, scanner, copier... everything works OK, but neither option is really high quality. I just want to make sure she doesn't have this problem again. Thanks for the information !

A quick update regarding her health, she is much more active, and just all around looks healthier. Her body seems beefier than when this all started too so I am really happy about this !

 

[fl_orchidslave]

It's a good idea to leave a small calcium dish in with her at all times and use the all in one supplement as well. They only lick from the dish if their bodies need it. With a diagnosis of probable MBD, she definitely needs additional calcium but not extra vitamins too.

 

[Dog Shrink]

It's a good idea to leave a small calcium dish in with her at all times and use the all in one supplement as well. They only lick from the dish if their bodies need it. With a diagnosis of probable MBD, she definitely needs additional calcium but not extra vitamins too.

What she said