Leopard Gecko: Mouth Rot?

[Elizabeth Freer]

"My female leopard gecko has some sort of infection in her mouth. I thought it was stubborn shed that stuck on the sides of her mouth. I was able to remove it by soaking her and using a moist qtip with hydrogen peroxide. She shed again and the swelling is back. I tried to remove the crusty formations from her mouth and there seems to be some blood now. I was not able to remove all of it because I thought I was hurting her. Is this mouth rot? It is not black, but more of a yellow, this crust that pokes out the sides of her mouth. She has stopped eating for at least a month. Should she be euthanized? We have had her for about 3 years and she was with the other owner for about 3 years. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated."

GU's goldengirl

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Please post a picture of this leo right away. Your best bet is to make an appointment with an Exotics Vet (reptile specialist) asap. He/she will be able to advise you on the best course and prescribe antibiotics if necessary.

It seems as if you have read my leo recommendations. Whatever has happened in the past, change it for the better right now to give your leo the best chance possible.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Here are the photos of her. She had shed on her feet that she can't remove. I have tried to remove it after soaking her, but I don't want to hurt her.

Thanks for these pictures. I advise you to see a vet.

About her toes, what about some more soaking? Maybe you could try loosening the skin with a vegetable oil as well?

What are her cage temperatures? Increase if necessary. She seems to be of a good weight .

How have you been supplementing her? I recommend a 100% pure calcium in a small dish 24/7 and lightly dusting her prey 2-3x per week with a phosphorus-free calcium with D3.

Have you seen this: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ndations-nutshell-30-january-2012-update.html

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I purchased some Fluker"s Repta+Boost today. Should I try to force feed her?

I am glad most of the stuck skin is off her toes. I don't know about the inside of her mouth. Perhaps people who check in later today will.

Good that you got the Fluker's Repta+Boost. Mix it according to directions and place some right on her snout. I am hoping that she will lap it up. She is far from emaciated, so don't get adamant with this feeding.

After you try some Repta+Boost, check back.

I know vet's can be expensive, but most of us here are not vets. Thing is the Repta+Boost will have no effect on her potential infection . She probably needs some antibiotics!

It is very important that you purchase a digital thermometer to accurately assess the temperature in her cage.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

I agree that it doesn't really look like mouth rot. If if were mouth rot it would be a dark reddish/black color and not quite as swollen. It looks more like an infections of sorts. She's probably not eating because of the inflammation and pain. I would definitely recommend a vet trip ASAP to get her some antibiotics and pain killers. Keep us updated.

 

[cricket4u]

I know your trying your best at home, but please take her to a reptile veterinarian. That is the results of improper temperatures. She is only 6, in pain and very uncomfortable. She has a good chance of recovery due to her weight. If she does not receive the proper medications, she will suffer, starve to death and that is inhumane. With the right medication and treatment she can live a normal life. It is crucial she sees a vet ASAP!

It is also extremely important you make sure her temperatures are perfect. Please inform us on the findings after the vet visit.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Aspen bark is not a good substrate for leos because of its particulate nature. There is a chance she could ingest some of it when she goes after a cricket.

Best to switch her to paper towels till you have the chance to pick up some slate tiles. Slate tiles look pretty good and are an excellent heat conductor. Leos need belly heat from 92-95 F and similar air temperatures to properly digest their food.

I always use a food dish.

 

[cricket4u]

Unfortunatley you were a victim of inappropriate information and your gecko paid the price. Rest assured Elizabeth's caresheet has the most updated and appropriate information for your gecko. Switch your gecko to paper towel immediately. Make sure her warm side floor is of 90-95 with air temp of 80-85. Due to her being ill it's important to provide the same full range of temperatures at night as well to support her immune system. According to her skin elasticity it's obvious she is dehydrated. Can you go and buy a bottle of pedialyte?

This will help hydrate her which is important prior to medication in which she will receive by the vet. You do not want to force her mouth open, instead apply drops on her mouth so that she can lick it off. It will be best a 1-2 days of pedialyte and then the next day the repta+ boost. If your lucky the repta+boost can provide you with a fecal sample in which you can have tested for parasites as well.

 

[cricket4u]

Where can I get the proper slate tiles? There are many gecko owners who post on youtube that use the aspen bark. I thought that the sand I used before was making her ill. I will switch to paper towels.


How often should I administer the pedialyte, how much and what flavor/kind? Thanks.

You can buy the slate tiles at any home improvement store for ex: Home depot or Lowes. There is a picture of one in the caresheet.

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ndations-nutshell-30-january-2012-update.html

As for the pedialyte it must be unflavored. No more than 1.ml within 24 hours and not all at once. Break up the 1.ml into 3 doses. Hopefully she will lick up a good amount.

 

[Jim]

OK, I just had one with the skin stuck on the toes dilemma with my Striped Banana Snow/Blizzard "Short Tail". I took a large clear container placed a chunk of sphagnum moss in there, misted the heck out of it and placed her on the moss. Then put some warm water in a tiny container and applied soaked Q-tips to gently swab the toes of each foot. I did this twice and she is now good to go. The tough skin that was hanging I held down with a toothpick and as she moved it came off, if it wouldn't I left it alone and when I soaked it the second session and most came off and she finally was able to get the rest off....jim

 

[VeeDubLove]

Just a little possibly useful info.. the only mouth related health problem I encountered was with my first ball python. She had an abscess in her mouth. I couldn't even tell it was there aside from her mouth always being cracked open a little bit. It got infected as well and I had the vet remove it. Idk if this could relate to a leo, but yeah.. my 2 cents

 

[goldengirl]

Sick Gecko is doing great now.

She is doing much better. I could not find a vet locally who deals with reptiles so I tried some suggestions from the forum and a reptile collector in my area. Here are some of the things I did for her:
1)I removed the substrate and used paper towels so she could have more heat on her belly.
2)I soaked her a lot to remove all the leftover shed that she could not remove on her own. I used some oil to loosen the skin on her toes.
3)I cleaned her mouth2-3 times over 2-3 days with warm water and a drop of hydrogen peroxide. The first day after cleaning out the scabby crusty area there was a a spot of blood (I think), but after that one day there has been no more crust or blood.
4)I added a humid hut for her that she stays in all the time now.
5)I now keep her heat lamp on 24/7.
6)I force fed her the flukers vitamin mixture for a 3 days.
7)Just a couple days ago I added the slate tiles.

She has regained her strength. She is very excited when it is feeding time and is now eating her superworms and mealworms. I have stopped feeding her crickets about 9 months ago because she cant catch them. She has always been very mellow and has never really moved around a lot. She pretty much stays in one spot and is back to her old self. I will post photos of her soon.

PS I originally thought it was mouth rot, but I compared a lot of photos of mouth rot to her mouth and it was not dark/black in her mouth. She had a light yellow crust build up on the sides of her mouth/jaw. There is no sign of the problem anymore. I hope it does not return.

 

[cricket4u]

I am so glad to hear she is doing better, but I have a few concerns. On occasions I have seen people cover up the obvious (treat what is visible) and left underlying problems go untreated. They will show improvement signs from relief. A few months later more serious signs begin to show. Internal infections can end up spreading and become fatal. I know how inconvenient it can be to make that trip, but it's better being safe than sorry.

On a few occasions with temperature adjustments they can overcome certain illness, however when caught early enough and I am not sure that is the case. A vet visit that can cost you $150 NOW, can easily become $600 or more when more advance problems occur and your geckos life is then no guarantee. Just something to think about. I would also try feeding her insects that are a bit softer so there is no further irritant to the mouth.

 

[goldengirl]

I am so glad to hear she is doing better, but I have a few concerns. On occasions I have seen people cover up the obvious (treat what is visible) and left underlying problems go untreated. They will show improvement signs from relief. A few months later more serious signs begin to show. Internal infections can end up spreading and become fatal. I know how inconvenient it can be to make that trip, but it's better being safe than sorry.

On a few occasions with temperature adjustments they can overcome certain illness, however when caught early enough and I am not sure that is the case. A vet visit that can cost you $150 NOW, can easily become $600 or more when more advance problems occur and your geckos life is then no guarantee. Just something to think about. I would also try feeding her insects that are a bit softer so there is no further irritant to the mouth.

Thanks for the advice. What are softer insects for leopard geckos?

 

[Aimless]

butter worms, wax worms, horn worms, silk worms are all good feeders and much softer.

Yoshi'smom, I hate to contradict you, but mouthrot is not always black or red. what she described sounds exactly like mouthrot that I have seen in Leos. "mouthrot" is also a bit of a catch-all for several types of infection that can appear in the mouth of a reptile, but is usually associated with the appearance of dried whitish yellowish cottage cheese.

removal is 100% important with mouthrot, but it's hard not to irritate the tissues and this can make it come back. because it's her mouth that has the infection, you might consider rinsing the 2-3 times a day with CHILDREN'S listerine - the kid's version doesn't contain alcohol and won't hurt the sensitive mucous membranes and tissues in her mouth. peroxide is an OK disinfectant, but I'd be afraid to use it on or near a reptile's mouth. it also oxidizes so fast if you've opened the bottle 4 or 5 times, it's lost the majority of the potency.


poor baby. proper temps are a HUGE deal right now while she's fighting all this illness. I hope she comes back for you.

 

[cricket4u]

Yes, as Aimless mentioned it's a general term which can be bacterial, viral, fungal or as a secondary infection due parasites. This is why I feel that it's so important to get it evaluated by a reptile vet. In some cases they can go blind from the infection spreading and so make sure that is not why she stays hidden most of the time or does not catch prey. Does her pupils react to light?

As for the insects he named most and I wanted to add phoenix worms. You can also use the younger crickets, rip off the legs and wings and feed the body alone. Thanks for being a great sport. I know it's a lot to take in.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

She is doing much better. I could not find a vet locally who deals with reptiles so I tried some suggestions from the forum and a reptile collector in my area. Here are some of the things I did for her:
1)I removed the substrate and used paper towels so she could have more heat on her belly.
2)I soaked her a lot to remove all the leftover shed that she could not remove on her own. I used some oil to loosen the skin on her toes.
3)I cleaned her mouth2-3 times over 2-3 days with warm water and a drop of hydrogen peroxide. The first day after cleaning out the scabby crusty area there was a a spot of blood (I think), but after that one day there has been no more crust or blood.
4)I added a humid hut for her that she stays in all the time now.
5)I now keep her heat lamp on 24/7.
6)I force fed her the flukers vitamin mixture for a 3 days.
7)Just a couple days ago I added the slate tiles.

She has regained her strength. She is very excited when it is feeding time and is now eating her superworms and mealworms. I have stopped feeding her crickets about 9 months ago because she cant catch them. She has always been very mellow and has never really moved around a lot. She pretty much stays in one spot and is back to her old self. I will post photos of her soon.

PS I originally thought it was mouth rot, but I compared a lot of photos of mouth rot to her mouth and it was not dark/black in her mouth. She had a light yellow crust build up on the sides of her mouth/jaw. There is no sign of the problem anymore. I hope it does not return.

You have made some great improvements to your leo's home. What are the temperatures in her cage?

What type of calcium supplements do you have? How are you using them?

Look forward to seeing pictures.

 

[Eilidh]

Although you think your gecko is "better", take it to a vet!!

A normal vet will still be very knowlagable as leo's are popular pets.

Do not try sort it at home, next time you might not be so lucky.

 

[goldengirl]

"My female leopard gecko has some sort of infection in her mouth. I thought it was stubborn shed that stuck on the sides of her mouth. I was able to remove it by soaking her and using a moist qtip with hydrogen peroxide. She shed again and the swelling is back. I tried to remove the crusty formations from her mouth and there seems to be some blood now. I was not able to remove all of it because I thought I was hurting her. Is this mouth rot? It is not black, but more of a yellow, this crust that pokes out the sides of her mouth. She has stopped eating for at least a month. Should she be euthanized? We have had her for about 3 years and she was with the other owner for about 3 years. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated."

GU's goldengirl

Just a quick note to tell you that my female leo is doing great. I took her to the vet. No sign of mouth rot and the sores were healed. The vet said that I did a really good job with her. She did send us home with a liquid calcium so she would not develop future problems. The vet said that poor shedding can cause the sores I described to her and she gave me lots of suggestion. She is eating everyday now and has shed 2 times. She has her strength back and is active.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Just a quick note to tell you that my female leo is doing great. I took her to the vet. No sign of mouth rot and the sores were healed. The vet said that I did a really good job with her. She did send us home with a liquid calcium so she would not develop future problems. The vet said that poor shedding can cause the sores I described to her and she gave me lots of suggestion. She is eating everyday now and has shed 2 times. She has her strength back and is active.

What a long way your leo has come since early February when you were thinking she might need to be euthanized! I am so glad that you stuck with her during these times. Outcomes like yours give me warm fuzzies inside. Very happy that she has recovered and kudos to you ! What is her name?