So I got this lizard on Craigslist...

[brightypink]

I was checking the free section on Craigslist for moving boxes, when I saw an ad for a sick leopard gecko. I've had iguanas and house geckos and currently have a ball python, and I'm a huge sucker for needy animals, so I picked him up. They said he hasn't been eating in weeks and has been going downhill, he's shedding like crazy and his eyes were stuck shut. I don't know what leopard gecko feet are supposed to look like, but I sort of think they are supposed to have claws.

Fortunately every problem I will ever have has already been solved and posted somewhere on the internet. He now has a temperature gradient with under-tank heating pads and a hide on the warm side and a moist hide on the cool side. He is on paper towels for now so I can easily monitor feces/urates. He spent 15 minutes in a warm water/pedialyte bath and has had a little Golden Gate gecko slurry dabbed on his nose. I'm spraying his tank down to keep it really humid for now while he sheds.

One of his eyes has since popped open, he has colored up nicely and isn't quite so skinny-looking. I'll take a fecal sample in when he produces something. I'm hoping the retained eye caps come off with humidity and that the underlying issue is just bad husbandry.

I'm pretty sure I started this thread just to converse with people that aren't terribly put out about the mealworms in the blender.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Good for you! Hopefully he continues to improve and gets clean fecal results from the vet.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

That's funny about the mealworm/blender situation :main_laugh: Kudos for finding the info needed to help your rescue. Sounds like he is on the way to recovery. Good luck to you

:main_thumbsup: :main_thumbsup: :main_thumbsup:

 

[brightypink]

I'm trying to decide if his mouth looks ok. It could be closing unevenly, or it could just be all the loose skin that hasn't come off yet. I'm going to wait a few days and see what it looks like when he's done shedding.

My vet claims to be competent in treating reptiles, but I'm a little skeptical. If this gecko does have mouth rot, what kind of treatment should I expect? Are there antibiotics or medications that are unsafe or inappropriate for geckos?

 

[Taquiq]

Very nice job. You saved a life.

 

[brightypink]

Here he is yesterday in his first pedialyte/water bath:

Here he is today, joining me in the shower:

I don't know if he can see right now. While he was hot-tubbing in the bathroom, I rolled the skin on his head all the way up to his eyes, but I don't want to pull it any further. The old skin on the back half of him is almost completely off now, just his tail and his feed need to go. The skin on his feet is sliding off like socks.

Are leopard geckos supposed to have a distinct odor? His cage smells sort of sweet, and so do my hands after I handle him.

I don't know how much stew I should be trying to get down him per day. So far I can only get him to lick a little off his nose, I don't know how much he needs to maintain his weight and fatten up. I'm hoping his appetite will improve a he recovers from the stress of moving and adjusts to all the handling required to nurse him back to health.

I should start weighing him. I have a digital kitchen scale that is probably sensitive enough. I'm sure the husband and roomies will be thrilled.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Poor thing! His mouth does look a little funny. It could be from all the dried shed, it might also me mouth rot. I'm sure you'll be able to tell better once the shed is fully removed. Maybe it's the pedialyte making him smell sweet? If your kitchen scale has a zero button just zero out the scale with a container on it and then put him in the container. It's helps keep them still and will keep your housemates happy.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Awwww he is cute Hope he will be okay. Is the pedialyte bath considered a medicated bath? I've never heard of it and am most curious, tho I keep a bottle of 50/50 ped/dist water around to treat for dehydration orally. Good job on getting that shed pulled! On a few of my other animals I have used mineral oil (from the pharmacy) and a Q-tip especially on toes. Plain saline eyewash, like for contact lens, is a good thing to have on hand as well. It's also safe to use as a wound wash, very gentle and sterile. Good luck with your little guy

 

[monkeytechahoo]

Good luck with the lil guy

 

[brightypink]

Awwww he is cute Hope he will be okay. Is the pedialyte bath considered a medicated bath? I've never heard of it and am most curious, tho I keep a bottle of 50/50 ped/dist water around to treat for dehydration orally. Good job on getting that shed pulled! On a few of my other animals I have used mineral oil (from the pharmacy) and a Q-tip especially on toes. Plain saline eyewash, like for contact lens, is a good thing to have on hand as well. It's also safe to use as a wound wash, very gentle and sterile. Good luck with your little guy

Thanks for the ideas! I used a little mineral oil to help with his stuck toes this morning. The saline solution is a great idea, I picked some up and have been soaking down his eyes with it. I think the eye caps are just barely starting to come off.

I found the pedialyte solution when I googled "gecko not eating" and found multiple forum posts on multiple forums suggesting the gecko stew and the pedialyte soak.

He produced a little stool/urates last night, I'm sure that's a good sign!

Edited to add: I just got one of his eyecaps off! The eye is a little cloudy, but he can open it all the way!

 

[ariana]

good that you got the eyecap off. he does seem pretty skinny...id let him eat as much slurry as he wants, im sure the lil guy is famished!!
good luck with the little guy

 

[brightypink]

He's not eating well right now, I'm able to get a tiny bit of slurry into him by dabbing it on his nose. I'm hoping he gets a little more interested now that he's got a functional eye. I'm going to pick up some waxworms for him after work, hopefully he has some sort of feeding response. The people that gave him to me said the issues started when he stopped eating a few weeks ago, but I think he's been in rough shape for longer than that. I don't know how long it takes for them to look this bad. but the missing toes and the amount of skin on his eyes screams of long term bad husbandry to me.

I couldn't get the other eyecap to budge this morning. The first one developed an edge I could grip and start to pull the skin out. The second one is pretty solid still.

 

[brightypink]

Wow, today I offered him a waxworm on tweezers and he took it! He also happily grabbed a second one. I am so proud. I also learned that he definitely can't see anything. He took a couple of grabs at the worm, missed, and couldn't find it until I held it up to his nose again.

I still haven't managed to get the second eyecap off, and his uncovered eye is cloudy and squinty. Tomorrow I will start calling around to the different herp vets in the area to see who can help him. (Hint: If the response is "what are retained eyecaps?", we'll see someone else.)

My squinty lizard.

 

[ariana]

he looks much better already

 

[KrakenQueen]

I had been taking care of a rescue leo with severe caps the size of peas and her eyes were very cloudy as well when the caps were removed. It will take them a little while for their eyes to re-adjust, so I'd suggest waiting a week or two, maybe even three before you see any improvement.

Looks like you're doing a great job so far!

 

[brightypink]

Wow, I finally got the other cap off this morning! It took 45 minutes in a steamy bathroom with mineral oil, cotton swabs, and finally fingernails and tweezers. The first one came off in pieces so I never really appreciated the size of it. The second one was pea-sized, but it was all under his eyelids so I couldn't see most of it. When I finally got it loose and got an edge in view, I had to grab it with the tweezers. I was stunned by the size of the thing.

When I left for work he was stomping around his tank and licking his eyeballs furiously.

 

[brightypink]

Rameses Niblik the Third, Kerplunk, Kerplunk, Whoops! Where's My Thribble? is feeling much better.

There has been plenty of adorable eyeball licking.

He ate six waxworms today, with some help finding them. I need to start dusting them with Herptivite and calcium.

 

[Syris71]

I been watching this thread and I think you've done an excellent job with him.:main_thumbsup:
He surely would not have made it much longer with his previous owner.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Awesome job on getting the eyecaps off! Maybe after a few weeks he may be able to see again It would be a good idea to use a saline eye wash, the stuff used to soak contact lens, to remove any oily residue from the mineral oil. The saline is also a good wound wash and has been used by nurses for years for wound sterilizing & dressing. It won't hurt him to lick the mineral oil (he may poop a bit more) but something could stick to it, and cause an eye infection in the future. The good news is, with his new mommy, he now has a future :main_thumbsup: :main_thumbsup: :main_thumbsup:

 

[Hiccup]

This is awesome! Keep us updated on him, he looks so sweet!