Leopard Gecko Pixie - Infection in her body

zelda · #1 12-31-2011, 12:31 PM

I left my geckos home alone for 5 days. They were perfectly healthy when I left. When I came back they still had food and water left, and everything was as it should.

But, unfortunately I found one of my geckos, Pixie, very sick.
Her tail was rotten, and she had wounds on her head. The smell was terrible.
It is so typical that something like this happens when I'm on vacation, and I feel so bad about it.

My conscience is killing me.

This is a picture of her taken some weeks ago:

This is picturer of her taken the day I found her. The next day she was already much worse:

Luckily, the only reptile vet in my town was available the next day. I was absolutely sure that the vet had to put her to sleep, but because Pixie was quick and alert, the vet was eager to try amputation and strong antibiotics on her.
They gave her pain medication, and held her overnight.
All together, including medication, was $ 400, but I think it was worth it.

The next day they called me and told me everything had gone fine, and that Pixie had woken up from surgery.

I took her home (yesterday) and she was already much better.

However, a few hours later the rest of her tail fell off. The wound looks healthy and fresh, so I'm not worried about it.

I have to give her antibiotic injections for 10 days, and pain relievers in 8 days.
I gave her the first injection today, it was extremely difficult. Her leg is soooooo incredibly small.

She's been drinking a lot, and ate two superworms some minutes ago. She moves around, but sleeps for the most part.
I really hope she survives this.

The vet told me that an infection like this can spread extremely quickly, and that I've been incredibly unlucky who was on vacation just when it happened.

acpart · #2 12-31-2011, 06:53 PM

I'm glad you were able to get her proper care and hope she makes it.

Aliza

**Elizabeth Freer** · #3 01-01-2012, 04:52 AM

zelda ~

Good for you for taking quick action which probably saved your leo's life! I'm hoping that soon you will be able to see the little bud of a new tail forming. Be sure to keep her on a paper towel substrate till her wound totally heals!

Perhaps a buddy might be able to hold her while you administer the injections?

I'm a bit concerned about the top of her head???

zelda · #4 01-01-2012, 12:12 PM

My brother came over today and helped me with the injection.

It was so much easier.

I'll sure keep her on paper towels untill she's completely healed!

The head wounds and her infected eye worries me too, but hopefully the antibiotics will take care of it. We have a new vet appointment on tuesday, so I'll keep you posted!

I think she is going to lose the skin on her head, the dark spot, because she has already lost some skin on her neck and side of her head.

**Elizabeth Freer** · #5 01-01-2012, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda

My brother came over today and helped me with the injection.

It was so much easier.

I'll sure keep her on paper towels untill she's completely healed!

The head wounds and her infected eye worries me too, but hopefully the antibiotics will take care of it. We have a new vet appointment on tuesday, so I'll keep you posted!

I think she is going to lose the skin on her head, the dark spot, because she has already lost some skin on her neck and side of her head.

Excellent, zelda!

Glad your brother could be your assistant

. Does he live close by?

Hope your vet is checking all......

BTW, does she have a humid/moist hide at the warm end of her tank?

You may wish to check your husbandry against these recommendations: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/commu...11-update.html

Be sure to scroll down past the basic care sheet for more recommendations

zelda · #6 01-01-2012, 10:03 PM

Yeah, he is. So he's coming by tomorrow too.

Yes, she has a moist hide at the warm side. But I have papertowles in it now and it dries out very quickly. Can I use vermucilite in the moist hide now that she is sick?

I think she does. It's because of the eye and head that we have the vet appointment so soon. To check that it's healing, and not becoming worse.

Thanks for the link!

**Elizabeth Freer** · #7 01-01-2012, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda

Yeah, he is. So he's coming by tomorrow too.

Yes, she has a moist hide at the warm side. But I have papertowles in it now and it dries out very quickly. Can I use vermucilite in the moist hide now that she is sick?

I think she does. It's because of the eye and head that we have the vet appointment so soon. To check that it's healing, and not becoming worse.

Thanks for the link!

You are very welcome about my link!

I would NOT use any sort of substrate like vermiculite in Pixie's moist hide till the wounds have healed. What about having a decent sized water dish on the warm end of the tank to increase the humidity? You could maybe even spray the warm side of her tank, just NOT her. Leo's don't much like being sprayed

I hope you meant paper towels throughout her cage until the infections have healed?

cricket4u · #8 01-01-2012, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda

Yeah, he is. So he's coming by tomorrow too.

Yes, she has a moist hide at the warm side. But I have paper in it now and it dries out very quickly. Can I use vermucilite in the moist hide now that she is sick?

I think she does. It's because of the eye and head that we have the vet appointment so soon. To check that it's healing, and not becoming worse.

Thanks for the link!

(
Never use vermiculite- http://la.rsmjournals.com/content/19/4/284.full.pdf
After this it will be a bad idea to use any substrate other than slate tiles so that you can keep everything very clean.

How did this happen?

zelda · #9 01-02-2012, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elizabeth Freer

You are very welcome about my link!

I would NOT use any sort of substrate like vermiculite in Pixie's moist hide till the wounds have healed. What about having a decent sized water dish on the warm end of the tank to increase the humidity? You could maybe even spray the warm side of her tank, just NOT her. Leo's don't much like being sprayed

I hope you meant paper towels throughout her cage until the infections have healed?

Yes, I meant regular paper towels throughout her cage, but damped paper towles in her moist hide. But the damped/moist paper towels dries out very quick.

Good idea about the water dish, now she has a small water dish, but on her cold side. She mostly stays at the cold side though. I could put a moist hide there also?

zelda · #10 01-02-2012, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cricket4u

How did this happen?

Oh, I did'nt know. Then I'll just stick to moss in the moist hides (when she's better), like I usually use.

We don't know. But one alternative is fighting, all though she does not have any clean wonds. She also lay eggs just 2 weeks ago.
Another alternative is that she got a small wound on her tail, maybe from a bad shed, ant that the wound got infected.
The vet told me that it could take just a few days for an infection like this to spread thoruought the geckos body.

I have talked to others who have experienced the same thing, and their geckos were housed alone when it happened. So they do not believe this was caused by fighting.