severe abdominal hernia

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Leona, a pretty blizzard female breeder I got from Kelli a few years back, is in dire straits. She is gravid and had not eaten on about 10 days, and has been digging up her moist hide... so I was watching her closely to make sure she laid her first clutch for 2006.

When I checked on her first thing yesterday morning, I noticed what appeared to be a hernia in her upper-mid abdomen. It looked like a large, pink egg follicle about the size of a small marble that was protruding past the muscle wall and bulging under her skin.

My vet was off that day, so i could only get her in early this morning. In the time I called yesterday for the appointment and late last night, her entire left side had her internal organs showing through her skin. This morning, her entire contents of her abdominal cavity were now completely filling her thin skin. She seemed strong, and not in any kind of pain or suffering.

I got her to the vet and he had not seen anything like if before, and said she would surely die if left alone. I agreed to allow him to perform exploratory surgery on her to find out happened, and see if he can save her. This vet has performed surgery on 3 other geckos in the past 8 years for egg-binding/uterine inertia, and was able to actually save their reproductive organs... so if anyone can help Lorna it's him. I really don't have any high hopes of her surviving, and if he can't help her he will humanely put her to sleep.

I'd really like to understand what is happening with my Blizzie girl so we can all learn about this, and would like to find out if anyone has ever seen this in their Leopard Geckos. Here are some (shaky) pictures I took while my vet was holding her, and I'll keep you posted on what he finds.

 

[brandy101010]

I'm so sorry to hear about what is happening to leona. Poor girl.
I have never seen or heard of anything like this. Hopefully your vet can find some answers. I Hope she can be saved.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Marcia, I just did a quick search online to see if I could find anything for you. I didn't come across anything but I am going to look more later when I am done with homework. I am so sorry to hear, and see that. I know you will, but please let us know what is going on with this.

 

[nwheat]

Marcia, I'm so sorry to hear that Leona is having so much trouble! I hope your vet can help.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Marcia, I'm sorry to see your little girl like that. That is strange looking to say the least. I hope your vet can get down to the bottom of this.

 

[Val]

Wow, Marcia. Those pictures left me at a loss for words. I hope he can help her, please keep us updated.

 

[Mel&Keith]

I hope she makes it out of surgery. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us Marcia.

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

Good luck, I hope all goes well. She is in the best of hands.
Marcia, thank you for sharing another hard experience for you.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Marcia, I have been looking all over the place and I can't find anything about this. Is there some medical name for it? I am sorry I couldn't help.

 

[GECKOFREAK]

Marcia, I'm sorry this is happening to her and I hope all goes well

 

[KelliH]

Marcia, thank you for sharing the pictures and thank you for being such a good gecko keeper. I am hoping Mrs. "Nervous" will be ok but if she doesn't make it I hope your vet can help us all figure out what caused this to happen.

 

[Fitto55]

im so sorry... please update us on if shes okay

 

[gothra]

Oh Marcia, I'm sorry to see whats happening to Leona; I hope everything will go well. Best of luck.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Well, I just got off the phone with Dr. Harkewicz. He was not able to save Leona, but he explained what happened. Her uterus ruptured and her eggs were 'free floating' insider her abdomen so it was impossible for her to lay them. She was already developing a second set of eggs, and her uterus went septic and she got peritonitis. The pressure inside her body was so great that it caused a weakening in between two muscles in the abdominal wall, and everything inside herniated through. Apparently, they usually bleed to death when this happens but Leona was an unusual case. I'm really sad, although deep inside I knew he would not be able to really help her.

Sometimes I question if I am the only breeder who has these things happen, or if I'm actually the only one that ever publicly posts about them for us all to learn from. It makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong, and if I am even cut out to be a breeder at all.

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

Marcia, I am sorry that you lost Leona. I am certain that you are not the only person that this happens to. What I do know is that between you and your veterinarian (Dr. Harkewicz), many of us have learned. I thank you for being brave enough to share your experience with us.

I lost a female last season to egg binding. The diagnosis was mine. I took her to the vet, prior to her demise, they said they had to call their "reptile specialist". The man didn't know that leopard geckos had teeth. :main_lipsrsealed:

You have been doing this for a longer period of time than many of us. Therefore you have had more bad experiences than many of us. Along with those bad experiences comes many a good one, I am sure. Try to focus on the positive.

 

[PaulSage]

Marcia, I am so sorry to hear about Leona. I can't thank you enough though for openly sharing your experiences so that others can learn from them. I dread the inevitable day when I experience such a problem with one of my geckos, but hopefully through your experience and wisdom I may be more competent in dealing with it. I think it's about time you change your moniker to "Wise Old Gecko Lady".

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Marcia, you can't blame yourself for something like this. These things happen to any living thing. When you work with something so long and so often, your are bound to come across cases like this, even with humans. It is very easy to blame yourself in a situation like this, because we feel that if it is rare, it must be due to something we have done. You can't let yourself think that. I am sure that with your knowledge you have saved so many more leos (especially with your slurry) than you will ever lose. We are all very sorry for your loss, but you cannot take it out on yourself. We all know, as well as you should, that you are more than cut out to be a breeder.

 

[nwheat]

Marcia, I'm so sorry to hear Leona didn't make it. :cry:

I want to thank you for sharing information about each problem that you come across - it really helps all of us so much. I have had that exact thought about why I've had some serious problems (Hope's ruptured cyst, Tango's xanthomatosis) when so many people never seem to have any. Sharing your problems has allowed me to realize that even the best breeders have unfortunate things happen.

 

[StinaKSU]

I'm sorry to hear that marcia...the poor girl! Please don't blame yourself!!

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. I need to get off my 'pity-pot', I guess. It just breaks my heart to lose one of my beautiful, gentle geckos. I suppose I shouldn't get so emotionally attached to them, but I can't help it!

You all are my friends, and I appreciate all of you!