When to call it quits?

[Dottie]

My little petco rescue, Chance, is now 8 weeks old. He developed severe MBD very rapidly a few weeks ago. The vet put him on some oral supplements which seemed to help. He just wasn't absorbing his calcium. He is growing slowly but eats well, has a thick tail, is still very fiesty, poops well, and chirps and fights at supplement time. He has a very difficult time shedding. He's been treated for parasites although the vet found no evidence of any from the fecal smear. After a week of treatment, the vet put a little piece of tape on his ulna to try to get it straightened out and repaired but that only lasted a week before his little foot started to get swollen so it got removed. Do these little ones repair the damage caused by MBD? Is it a very slow process? He doesn't seem to be in pain but he does struggle on his front legs. His back legs look great. His spine is kind of wonky and the vet could not see part of it on his little X-ray. However, it looks like it may be getting thicker.
He is well cared for - UTH, day lamp, proper temps, paper towel on the floor, moist & dry hides, gut-loaded feeders. My colony from my adult pair are all healthy and well and tame and sweet. So I'm thinking little Chance probably has some genetic thing going on. I guess I won't give up hope as long as he remains spunky and keeps eating. His vet didn't hold out much hope for him when he first saw him but after a week of supplements there was marked improvement. Right now he seems to be just holding steady. I know this is long-winded but I'm trying to get all the info in for your educated guesses and advice. Thanks
Dorcas

 

[Stitch]

My personal feelings are if the animal isn't in pain and you feel up to the task then keep pushing forward.

I had a baby leo that was attacked by crix and did damage to the eye lids. I would have kept him as a pet but a very nice guy named Leon said he would adopt him. Leon and his grandson take care of animals with special needs.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Do these little ones repair the damage caused by MBD? Is it a very slow process?

Poor little thing! Depending on the severity of Chance's condition, usually the damage cannot be repaired but MBD can be stopped from progressing. I do believe that there are certain geckos that have inherent problems with calcium absorption. I would make sure you are using calcium with Vit. D3 in addition to her liquid calcium, as it helps with the assimilation into the blood stream.

As long as this little baby is eating well and does not seem to be suffering in any way, I would continue to do exactly what you are doing. It is a long process, but I know of many leos that have led happy lives in spite of their deformities. Once Chance has stabilized, hopefully she will start growing and her shed problems will be history as well!

 

[becky2731]

I do believe that there are certain geckos that have inherent problems with calcium absorption.

I have blizzard male who has absorption issues. He needed Ca injections and drops for months. He has no visible effects, but he can clear out a Ca dish in about two days. I talked to the breeder and none of his siblings have this problem.

 

[Dottie]

Aw, thanks for the support. Chance did get 2 shots of the Calcium stuff which also includes Vits A & D. And he gets the drops 2X per day. Besides the MBD, he was also having neurological problems before I took him in - missing his worms most of the time. That stopped right away which made me so very happy. He had a bad shed a few days ago and was only having 2 small mealies for diinner but last night he just chowed down. He also has a few crix but I make sure they are cold and easy to catch - usually off the swiss army knife tweezers.
Is MBD painful for them? I guess we can't really know. I judge the level of discomfort by my mother gecko when she is very gravid and just lies there with her eyes half shut. And of course activity level. I'm guessing a term gravid female is uncomfortable because I know what it's like to be so very gravid.
Anyhow, Chance is still hanging in there. My family thinks I'm nuts (well, they've thought that for a long time but now I'm more nuts with the gecko clan) for adding a special needs gecko. And they know how very attached I am to each of them. I think my grown sons are just jealous because I have new babies to take care of. Just because I took more gecko pictures than grandkid pictures to our staff Christmas party doesn't mean I have a problem....
Dorcas

 

[frost1375]

I also have a young gecko who has MBD. His front legs are turned out and his spine is a tiny bit crooked. He seems fine though and he gets around well. He can't climb on things too well. I've been giving him calcium supplements for a few weeks now. He has gained a few ounces, which I'm assuming is a good thing. His legs will never be "normal", but he will be fine. Good luck with your gecko.