Shedding/tumor?

[smschwentner]

One of our 4 geckos has a problem shedding. I work all the time nd the geckos are kept in my step-son's room. The one female cannot seem to shed the skin from her head. It looks like she has a tumor under one of her eyes and it looks like she has a build-up of shedded skin on her head around her mouth and eyes, causing her eyes not to open. I cannot afford a vet right now. She is not eating and is really lethargic and VERY skinny. I gave her some water, she drank it but then threw it up on me. I tried feeding wax worms to her, but she refused them. What else?

What can I do? Is it safe to pull the shedded skin off? I guess I cannot rule out a parasite, but like I said, I am broke and cannot afford a vet right now.

Sorry the pictures are not the best, I had to use my phone 'cause my digital cam broke last week.

 

[im faster]

tweezers and be gental.. for the eye.. go to the vet

 

[smschwentner]

It is safe to just pull it off? I read somewhere that you shouldn't do that...

I cannot afford a vet right now. I am the sole provider for a family of 4, and am looking at the possibility of getting laid off. Therefore, a vet is something that I cannot afford.

 

[smschwentner]

This is what her body looks like, she hasn't really eaten in the last few weeks, other than a cricket or 2. She refused the waxworm I tried feeding her. She bit it and spit it out.

 

[im faster]

shed occasinoally gets stuck.. apply a warm wet wash cloth to help losen it up.. but if the rest of her body has shed its ready to come off.. just be gental

 

[smschwentner]

The rest always comes off, no problem, just on her head. I have pulled skin off if it was loose, but this is tight. Probably because there may be several layers?

What can I do to help her shed normally, and not have this problem? The others all shed just fine. She's been through a lot, we got them from a friend. When they got them, they were all malnurished, and this particular one had lost her tail and it was just about finished growing back.

We have a sand-like substrate in their tank. It's not sand - but I am not sure what it is. It was there when we got them.

 

[T-ReXx]

That gecko is in very bad shape. First off, put her on a paper towel substrate with a bare bones setup.Provide a humid hide. I would also consider warm soaks for 10-15 mins several times a day. Gently removing the skin can help, but I suspect there is an infection going on in that eye, possibly an abcess. I'm willing to bet since she is kept on a particle substrate there was a piece of substrate trapped under the lid, and over time it became infected and irritated, eventually turning sceptic. A vet is absolutely necessary at this point; she will need antibiotics and the eye flushed. If you can't afford to get her the care she needs, I would seriously consider finding a local rescue to take her, or perhaps adopting her out to someone who can afford the care. She is also underweight and looks dehydrated. Once an animal gets to that point of illness, without veterinary care they will usually die.

 

[smschwentner]

I feel bad because I haven't been home enough to keep an eye on them. I have been soaking the worst of the skin from around her mouth and have gotten some off. She was getting aggitated so I stopped.

As for the soak, how do I do that? Just water? or...?

 

[smschwentner]

I soaked her longer and got all the skin from her mouth. It looks absessed, and I suppose if that is the case then that is probably a good reason as to why she isn't eating, right? But all of that skin is gone. She is really jumpy now, has a LOT more pep. She drank a little, but still hasn't eaten. I let her go back home for a while. When I put her back, I noticed Rosa, our colorless, had skin left on her head from her last shed. I removed that too, so that we don't have the same problem with her.

I am going to soak her eyes later tonight. I want her to calm down a bit before I start that. I wear contacts, so I do have some saline solution that I can use. I guess the biggest thing then would be the antibiotics. What do they usually use for eye problems? I found one vet in the area that deals with some reptiles, and might not deal with geckos, but since it is Sunday, they are closed. We'll see what happens tonight if I can get the plugs or whatever they are off of her eyes.

Thanks

 

[smschwentner]

So I worked on her again tonight. I got most of the skin from her left eye, the one with the "hole" or tumor under her left eye and I think that I got it all from that eye too. She was again getting aggitated, so I soaked her for a bit and put her back. She is getting ready to shed again, so, although I doubt it, maybe it'll work the eye cap thingy loose.

We'll see. Here are some updated pics...I think she may have eaten a little bit last night or today because her belly looks a lil bigger. I hope so! She has really spunked up a lot since yesterday when I got all that other skin off and she is now able to close her mouth properly.


What kinds of antibiotics do the vets give for eye problems? I am guessing that the stuff needs to be removed from her eye before you can put meds in?

 

[Quantumhigh]

Based on the pics and everything your gecko needs attention from a vet. If you cant afford it, they may work with you on a payment plan but at this point a Vet is needed. Also make sure skin around toes ect comes off as it can cut off circulation in the toes causing them to fall off. vet attention is needed no matter what. I wish you and your sweet little fella the best. Please keep us updated and what the vets does.

 

[BrilliantEraser]

I agree with what the others have been saying. This has advanced beyond the point of home care. The mouth appears to be misaligned to me, which is a major issue. If there is white gunk or a foul odor from the mouth, I would suspect mouth rot or a severe abscess. As for the stuck eye shed, that will need to be removed as soon as possible. Warm water soaks as well as gentle flushing with sterile saline solution can help loosen the stuck matter. But beyond that, you will need prescription opthalmic ointment of some sort, something I do not think you can procure without a vet. And once the stuck shed on the eyes is removed, you will have to determine if the gecko has suffered permanent damage. I have heard of cataracts and blindness being present even after stuck eye shed has been removed.
Bottom line, if you cannot provide proper veterinary care then you must surrender the animal to a rescue or knowledgeable herp owner, or humanely euthanize the animal.

 

[smschwentner]

I have the sheds removed from her eyes and have gotten antibiotics for her eyes. she has eaten one wax worm and some baby food. drank well too.

 

[Quantumhigh]

I have the sheds removed from her eyes and have gotten antibiotics for her eyes. she has eaten one wax worm and some baby food. drank well too.

Right on, keep it up. A litttle TLC goes a long way, thats your baby. Good to hear he is eating. Post more pics as he gets better. =) Give him some Get Well pets for me.