I need help with a sick gecko :(

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stephluvsgeckos

New member
I went to feed my leopard geckos yesterday and I noticed one of my blizzard females was not moving. I picked her up and she is just stiff. I turned her on her back and she did not even try to right herself she just sits there. I thought she was dead but she is still breathing. We thought maybe she was cold so we separated her from the rest and put a heat emitter on her over night and this morning she is in the same state. Just so you know a little bit of background on her she came from FL from a guy who was not taking care of them properly. Her and two others have been quarentined for the past week but they were doing fine. The two others she was with are acting totally normal and three days ago when I fed them she was even acting normal. I have not noticed any abnormal feces in with them and I don't keep them on sand, they are on paper towels. She is also free of any wounds. She just simply won't move and is unresponsive. Has anyone ever heard of this? We don't have a herp vet in town so I don't know what to do.
 
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miss libby

New member
There is a site called drgecko.com if you go there maybe it can help you
figure out what might be the problem. theres alot of information there.
GOODLUCK!!!
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
I checked that site and it was very helpful but today my poor gecko took a turn for the worse. I thought she was dehydrated because she had all the symptoms so I've been giving her pedialyte and soaking her daily in hopes that would help. Today she was soaking and she turned over on her back I picked her up assuming she had died but she didn't. She seemed to be writhing though and I feel so helpless. I have an appt. at our Vet tomarrow morning at 8:00 am but it won't come soon enough because I feel like she is suffering. I don't know what to do, I guess I just have to wait it out until tomarrow. :(
 
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Oukan

New member
I have no clue what to tell you really. I had one of my babies do something similar. I felt like it was gonna die. I couldn't get it to move either. I put heat on it and left it over night and the next day it was fine. Unfortunately your gecko doesn't seem as lucky to have recovered so fast or at all. I don't think the heat method will work with yours as it did mine. Not since you have already tried it. Only thing I can say is to try and not hold it too much while it is doing this, it could stress it out more. And hope that the vet knows what to do.
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
Update

We went to the vet this morning and he believes she has a case of parasites that has gone to her brain. I think my jaw must have dropped when he said that. He has given us flagyl shots to administer 2x per day. HE said when parasites affect their brain they don't wanna move and they just stare into space. He said they get parasites easily because they have been inbred (shes a blizzard) and there immune systems are compromised because of it. I feel bad but he did give her a 50% chance of a recovery. She was a rescue so I feel better knowing I did not do this to her. He said she most likely got it from another infected gecko because of being kept under unclean conditions, anyways I'll keep you guys posted and thanks for the replies!
 
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miss libby

New member
Thats really sad, i didnt know they could get parasites in the brain sounds
deadly though. Its amazing that she has made it this far and was given a
50-50 chance of surviving. Doesnt sound like something that can be cured
once it reaches that point. but im glad it supposedly can. Please keep us
updated on her progress i would like to know the outcome of this whole
ordeal. best of luck with your beautiful blizzard i hope she makes a full
recovery. Did the vet say what kind of parasite it was?
 
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Oukan

New member
When the vet tells you its 50/50 chance then thats pretty much saying.. I dont think its gonna live, but I will tell you there is a chance anyways so you can have hope. :|
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
He seems to think it is some type of protozoan. I really thought she would have died already. He did say if she did live she may not ever be 100%. I forgot to ask him to elaborate on that. I don't really know how a leapard gecko would act if it wasn't 100% you know what I mean? I guess if she makes it and isn't 100% I will have to make a decision.
 
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miss libby

New member
Was she housed alone? Are you worried for your other geckos and the chance
that they might also get these parasites? Or was it her immune
system problem from inbreeding. So all blizzards are inbreed is
that whats up. Dont sound good to me. You can only push genetics
so far. When stuff like this happens its just wrong, its like putting
your baby leo on sand hoping it wont get impaction and just not
worth the risk. :roll: anyway please keep us updated im hoping
for a happy ending. If i ever get a blizzard ill make sure to take
extra, extra, extra, special care of it. Poor little sweetheart give
her my love.
 
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Saucy

New member
Yeah... I don't know how the vet could have given you that diagnosis without doing a biopsy. To me, it sounds neurological and something you can't fix. Did he do bloodwork? The gazing you're talking about is almost always due to a neurological condition and means they're dying. Believe me, I had a gazing leo and he died within a week after he started it. He did not have parasites in his head.
 
GoldenGateGeckos

GoldenGateGeckos

New member
A "lost" pentastomid could do that. These are the parasites that evade lungs (lungworms), stomach worms, and other organs and tissues. I could have made it's way to the brain stem... maybe?

Gosh, this doesn't sound too good. I'm rooting for you!
 
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miss libby

New member
stephluvsgeckos, The vet has no way of knowing for sure that your gecko
has parasites in its brain without doing a biopsy. He may have been guessing
just to give you a diagnosis. From what i hear its a neorlogical problem
that is not curable and is fatal. Your leo may only have a week left to live
if that long. Sorry :( I hope im wrong.
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
Yeah she really has not made any improvements. I think after we finish out the flagyl and maybe wait one day, we might have to admit defeat, she can't live in this condition forever. Thanks for the replies though! I'll keep you guys posted.
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
I'm not really sure....she hasn't really improved, its like she has all her normal vital signs but she's almost brain dead. She just sits there and doesn't move.
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
Ok I have another update, I don't want to get my hopes up, but I went in today with the intention of possibly giving up and she seemed a little bit more perky so I decided to try to feed her. She did not try to hunt, but when I placed a cricket in front of her face she opened her mouth and I put it in her mouth and she ate it all by herself. She also ate one more. She is walking forwards and backwards, although not very fast, and when I placed her on her side she turned herself over, although she still won't turn herself over if I place her on her back. These are definate improvements and I'm just not ready to let her go yet. Maybe she will improve more. Keep sending me good thoughts :D
 
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miss libby

New member
Were rooting for her, maybe the flagyl is finally kicking in.
Its good to hear she ate something. Keep up the good work.
That would be amazing if she pulls thru. My fingers are crossed. :wink:
 
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stephluvsgeckos

New member
Ok everyone here's the update...the news is good...at a follow up the vet said that if she does not improve in 3 months, then she probably will NOT improve, but she is improving very much! She even eats crickets by herself now! The first time she ate one by herself I almost cried. She has only eaten 1 at a time but that's an immense improvement. She also moves around alot now and if I put her on her back, she rights herself, although slowly. All in all I'm very happy and I'm so glad I did not give up hope. I hope she continues to improve and as soon as I can I'm going to take a pic for you guys to see :)
 
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