Thining gecko, out of ideas-please help

[Echo-Tango-Sierras Mom]

I have 3 female geckos. One is 4 and the other two are 2 years old. My littlest one has always been tye smallest but never unhealthy. They are from gecko ranch in California. Six months ago Sierra squeezed her way under the bathroom cabinet and we had to drill holes in the wood to get her out. I feel like this stressed the already shy girl out. Her tail has been thinning ever since. I have tried separating her from the sisters, separating her at feeding time and giving her an endless variety of food available 24/7. She is at the point now I can see her rib cage and I'm so worried, I feel like a vet visit will stress her out more than help. Any ideas?????

I had trouble uploading photo to post. I will try to put one in my profile.

 

[Ozy]

Honestly the benefits of taking her to the vet are worth stressing her out a bit. She needs to see a vet. In the meantime, take a gut loaded mealworm, cut it in half and smear the guts around her mouth. Also, get unflavored pedialyte and put drops on her nose for her to lick off. Be careful of her nostrils. If you can, get a fresh poo and put it in a ziplock bag, put it in the fridge. Don't keep it there for more than 24 hours. Take the poo to the vet with you and have them do a fecal smear and float. Best wishes.

 

[SC Geckos]

Six months ago Sierra squeezed her way under the bathroom cabinet and we had to drill holes in the wood to get her out.

How in the world did that happen?? Did she escape?
Were there any visible injuries from this?

I would seperate her from the other geckos and schedule a vet visit ASAP. If you can see an adult geckos ribs its got to be in pretty bad shape.

 

[athdaraxen]

Well if it was in a bathroom maybe when she crawled up in the cabinet she came into contact with some bacteria or mold?

I definitely agree with the Doc and Ozy, go see a vet ASAP.

Sent from my Samsung Captivate using Tapatalk 2.

 

[katie_]

I agree, seperate her perminately, not just at meal times.

 

[Echo-Tango-Sierras Mom]

I thought I checked the bathroom thoroughly and I was letting them run around and she squeezed throuh the tiniest crack ever. No injuries and she seemed perfectly fine. Thanka for feedback

 

[Echo-Tango-Sierras Mom]

Your right. Ill take her tomorrow to my chameleons vet and that's great advice. When I separte her from her sisters she looses more weight from stress?? I am a first time gecko owner but I can't find anything wrong with her care, I didn't even think she could have a bacteria from the day she was trapped! Thank you so much.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Your right. Ill take her tomorrow to my chameleons vet and that's great advice. When I separte her from her sisters she looses more weight from stress?? I am a first time gecko owner but I can't find anything wrong with her care, I didn't even think she could have a bacteria from the day she was trapped! Thank you so much.

Leos are solitary creatures, so I doubt she'd get stressed from being separated if she's being provided with a proper setup. It's generally advised that they be kept alone in fact. Does she have all she needs? Good temps, humid hide, calcium, etc.? She's not being kept on calcium sand, I hope? And are they all being kept together? How big is the tank?

And I personally wouldn't suggest letting them run loose around the bathroom obviously. If you want to handle them, that's one thing, but the goal is to provide them with as close to a natural habitat as possible, which a bathroom definitely isn't.

I hope the vet visit goes well. Let us know what happens.

~Maggot

 

[SORROW89]

I have 3 female geckos. One is 4 and the other two are 2 years old. My littlest one has always been tye smallest but never unhealthy. They are from gecko ranch in California. Six months ago Sierra squeezed her way under the bathroom cabinet and we had to drill holes in the wood to get her out. I feel like this stressed the already shy girl out. Her tail has been thinning ever since. I have tried separating her from the sisters, separating her at feeding time and giving her an endless variety of food available 24/7. She is at the point now I can see her rib cage and I'm so worried, I feel like a vet visit will stress her out more than help. Any ideas?????

I had trouble uploading photo to post. I will try to put one in my profile.

Vet for sure! but fill out the health questions anyway. http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=70912

 

[Echo-Tango-Sierras Mom]

There are three girls that live in a custom cage made out of a coffee table. One side heat one side not. They have 7 rock hides and two moist hides. They live on gutloaded crickets, mealworms, silkworms and waxworms. The floor is outdoor carpet, sides mesh and top glass. They have calcium on their food and lick it out of a bowl.

I disagree on the solitary thing. They worship their big sister and follow her around and fight over who gets to lay with her. Anyhow I separated her so I could watch her habits and get a poop sample and she has a vet appointment Monday. Thanks everyone.

 

[Echo-Tango-Sierras Mom]

Oh and I had them in the bathroom so my niece and nephew could hold them in a controlled environment.

 

[katie_]

I disagree on the solitary thing. They worship their big sister and follow her around and fight over who gets to lay with her. Anyhow I separated her so I could watch her habits and get a poop sample and she has a vet appointment Monday. Thanks everyone.

This just isnt true.
Gecko are not capable of these types of emotions.
We often place emotions on our geckos based on the things they do that are just not true. When they lay together, its because they found the optimal basking area. They are not snuggling. They fight the other one trying to come bask because thats what geckos do. They fight over prime areas and food.
They dont know theyre sisters. They have simple instincts, not complex emotions.

If you witness your geckos fighting, they need to be seperated, no excuses.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

There are three girls that live in a custom cage made out of a coffee table. One side heat one side not. They have 7 rock hides and two moist hides. They live on gutloaded crickets, mealworms, silkworms and waxworms. The floor is outdoor carpet, sides mesh and top glass. They have calcium on their food and lick it out of a bowl.

I disagree on the solitary thing. They worship their big sister and follow her around and fight over who gets to lay with her. Anyhow I separated her so I could watch her habits and get a poop sample and she has a vet appointment Monday. Thanks everyone.

http://www.reptileboards.com/thread...sion-dominance-signs-of-leopard-geckos.49910/

"Some of the signs that I know:

- Laying on top of each other
- Laying next to each other
- One following the other around
- Physically fighting (over food, or just for any reason)
- Tail wagging

There are more signs I'm sure, but these seem to be the most obvious. Also keep in mind that there are some signs that are a sign that bullying is going on:

- A loss of appetite in one or both geckos
- Illness or lethargic nature of one or both geckos
- Wounds or other unknown damage to one or both geckos (meaning the likely fought when you weren't looking)
- One gecko may sleep in the open or in a different part of the cage then they used to when they were alone."

I can't personally speak to the accuracy of this information, but given the fact that leopard geckos are solitary creatures, I'd be willing to accept this information. And it sure sounds a lot like what you're experiencing. You can't apply the attitudes and emotions of social creatures to completely solitary animals.

~Maggot

 

[Fatal_S]

They worship their big sister and follow her around and fight over who gets to lay with her.

I'm actually not against keeping leos in groups, but it sounds like she's been losing the fight. If the geckos are fighting, they're not living safely together. Glad to hear she has her own space now and will get some help Good luck with her.

 

[Ozy]

Yea, fighting is not good. I would keep her separated for good. My leopard gecko lives by herself and is quite happy with it.