Sick leo gecko :(

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
Hi everyone. I am new to the forum but signed up because I have a question.
My brother's friend gave me 3 leopard geckos today - two of which are very skinny and I fear one may have dysecdysis. It doesn't appear to have sight, one eye looks like it has goo with skin the other has skin. It keeps trying to pull the skin off. I don't want to hurt it so I didn't touch it but is there something I can do to help the poor thing? I think it may have a vitamin A deficiency of some kind. The one looks quite healthy, but the two seem to be malnutritioned, the one with the skin over its eyes seems to be the worst. He/She also previously droped tail and the new tail came in looks like the edge of a bone, or not to sound perverted, a man's sack. I want to help it but I am not sure what to do. I only ever had crested geckos, tree frogs and snakes so I am at a loss here. :main_no:
 

DrCarrotTail

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3,590
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
If you provide the info asked for in the following form: http://geckoforums.net/f130-health-medications/70912.htm people may be able to help with your husbandry.

It sounds like your gecko's eye may be infected and for that to be cured he will almost certainly need to see a vet. The way you describe the tail may be normal. Posting a picture would help people better understand what you're dealing with there. Many times geckos that cannot see cannot hunt and need to be hand fed until their better or the rest of their lives or humanely euthanized. You can try to soak the gecko for 10 minutes in 90-95 degree water and gently rub the skin if it is not too bad but if its as bad as it sounds like it may be a vet would be your best bet.

Good luck!!
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
Thanks... And yeah, I am not sure if there is a reptile vet around my area. I would have to check. I looked up online to put it in a container with wet, warm paper towels and lightly cover the lid so it gets real humid. I did that and was able to get skin off the one eye and there is nothing but mucus. I feel so bad for it. I am pretty sure it is blind.

They were kept in sand as well which soon as I seen that I cleaned out the tank and put clean paper towels down. He/She is super skinny and if blind, probably hasn't been eating because of that.
 

Phoenix1115

New Member
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932
Location
Connecticut
Those are incredibly disturbing pictures. I had a rescue that based on your description seemed very similar but that eye is the most terrible thing I've ever seen. 100% needs a vet! In the mean time you can flush both out with saline solution. That helped mine's clear up. Try to get weight on FAST. If it doesn't eat on its own, hand feed it. If that doesn't work, force feed it. If you stroke the side of their jaws/mouths they will open their mouths. It's a reflex. You can see if placing a prey item in it's mouth will make it start chewing. If not, I'd puree some meal worms, water and vitamins and syringe feed him. Good luck
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
Those are incredibly disturbing pictures. I had a rescue that based on your description seemed very similar but that eye is the most terrible thing I've ever seen. 100% needs a vet! In the mean time you can flush both out with saline solution. That helped mine's clear up. Try to get weight on FAST. If it doesn't eat on its own, hand feed it. If that doesn't work, force feed it. If you stroke the side of their jaws/mouths they will open their mouths. It's a reflex. You can see if placing a prey item in it's mouth will make it start chewing. If not, I'd puree some meal worms, water and vitamins and syringe feed him. Good luck

I did the saline in his eyes, I think it helped get the itchyness away he hasn't licked his eyes much since. And yes, it is bad. I managed to get skin off the one side but the other side is so swollen and sealed shut there is nothing I can do without hurtin it. I am going to have to find a vet for him and take him next week. He can't see, his ribs are showing... Its bad.
 

GreatGeckos

New Member
Messages
370
Location
Southern California
How some one could own an animal and let it get this bad is mind blowingly horrific to me. I'm glad you took the gecko in and are taking it to the vet. It without a doubt needs serious help from one. As for the weight I would as the vet and see if he/she would give a plastic syringe to you for a purée diet(if the gecko isn't eatting on its own). All you have to do it dab a little at a time on there nose / mouth and they will lick it off .... I wish the best for you and your little gecko, I hope his eye is okay :/
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
That's great, please keep us updated! I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the vet suggested removing the eyes if he's truly blind. If he has a super bad infection there is risk of it spreading

Will do! I think they are in such bad shape from being kept in sand, a small tank, only one hide, no moist hide, and no cool area. My husband and I will be going to the store tomorrow to pick up some mealworms, repcal w/D3, repcal herptivite, and calcium citrate wo/d3. I aslo read watered down pedialyte may help and to try feeding the one who is not eating a baby food mix with some vitamins. I am going to see if the pet store has some eye drops, if not I will get some black tea bags and hold it on its eye to try to reduce the swelling and at least keep it from spreading. Black tea has been used on all kinds of animals externally to treat infection with amazing results.
 
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Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
How some one could own an animal and let it get this bad is mind blowingly horrific to me. I'm glad you took the gecko in and are taking it to the vet. It without a doubt needs serious help from one. As for the weight I would as the vet and see if he/she would give a plastic syringe to you for a purée diet(if the gecko isn't eatting on its own). All you have to do it dab a little at a time on there nose / mouth and they will lick it off .... I wish the best for you and your little gecko, I hope his eye is okay :/

Honestly, this is the result of someone getting a pet for their kid expecting them to take care of it and not doing research on the matter. I read about leopard geckos for 3 days before they got here just to make sure I knew what I was doing. I didn't know the one was sick or they were so malnourished. You can tell by looking at them that they all have vitamin deficiencies. This is what happens when people go to a petstore where they have nothing but teenagers working there who don't know crap about reptiles. They sell people the wrong stuff and tell them the wrong things.
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
So I have an appointment for Wednesday for the vets to take him in. I soaked him in the petalyte water mix and put black tea on his eyes. He shed last night, pretty well, ate the shed... But the big swollen thing came out of his eye... I am not sure if it was his eye all dried up or if he just has flat black eyes. There was no blood or anything and the black tea cleared the mucus out of his eyes. He still acts like he is blinds though he keeps his eye lids close so I am not sure. I am hoping he has some sight but I will find out Wednesday.
 

Phoenix1115

New Member
Messages
932
Location
Connecticut
Kinda sounds like it was the eye that fell out. Does the eye area look like there is something round under the eyelid or is it flat now?
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
His vet visit went okay. We got him some eye meds... $30 for a tiny tube! So the vet said apply that and it should clear it up but it is unknown if he has any sight. The thing that came out was a eye cap. He has both eyes but they are completely black. We may have to hand feed him the rest of his life. My biggest concern right now is fattening him up. The vet recommended baby food. He actually willingly eats canned cat food so we have been going with that for now. He don't eat much though. Is there any kind of mushed up bug stuff I can maybe feed him?
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
I have fantastic news! My husband and I took him out to see if he would try to eat one if we held it by him... Well... He hunted it! He ended up eating 7 medium meal worms! I am so happy! And I believe has sight in at least one eye based on how he was stalking them. We must have adopted him just in time! I think the pedialyte soaks, the black tea and the cat food got his appetite going and the meds are kickin in now so his eyes are clearing. I am so happy!!!! I nearly cried when he ate on his own! :)
 

DrCarrotTail

Moderator
Messages
3,590
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
Glad to hear he's on the mend!! One of my guys got an eye cap like that and after two months of medication it popped off and he had a healthy eye underneath! I had to sit down a breathe for a few moments to keep from crying myself. My guy has full sight in both of his eyes now but still has a bit of a shedding issue from time to time where his eye looks a bit grey and cloudy but clears up after a few days on its own. I hope yours does as well and can't wait to hear about the rest of his recovery!!
 

Britanica

New Member
Messages
12
Location
Ohio
Thanks guys! He is still eating on his own. Has a nice appetite. The one eye still is on the mend but his other eye he has complete sight now. He even goes to food bowl when he is hungry. I still have to take him out and feed him because he only has sight in one eye so it is hard for him to hunt but he is doing good! My husband got them a 20 gallon long tank that came with some lights, some carpet, ect. I think they are all doing much better in a bigger tank and without all that sand. I will post a picture of stubs soon so you guys can see how much better he is looking. He is still on the skinny side so I want to try and find some waxworms to fatten him up. I am sure my tree frogs will enjoy them as well. It feels good knowing he made a 360 and didn't want to give up.
 

LurancyVenom

New Member
Messages
42
Location
Southampton
I don't think, IMHO, you should give him waxworms just to fatten him up. They have very little nutritional value.
I think that if he's eating mealworms with no problems, stick with that, and just make sure they're gutloaded with quality veg to get your little guy full of vitamins.
Congratulations on the improvements so far!


1.0.0 - Leopard Gecko
 

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