Leopard gecko slow, unresponsive, but eating

Schmidty

Schmidty

New member
I just got a rescue juvi leopard gecko on sat jun 2nd. He was a rescue because he was underweight and needed individual care to regain his weight.
Since I got him, hes eaten 3 small crickets, 2 mealworms and 2 waxworms. He has acted lethargic, but only to be expected as he was underweight.
This morning I woke up to him laying in his water dish, eyes wide open and him not even moving barely breathing. I tapped the glass to see if hed respond, with none.
I went to touch him and handle him to physically check him out, and he was a little startled and moved, but VERY slow. He then proceeded to inch his way towards his hide and rub the top of his head against it in a cat-like motion.
Is there something wrong with him, or am I paranoid?

Substrate: repti carpet
Food: crickets, mealworm, waxworm
Temp: 90 on warm, 80 on cool
Fecal: Normal
Calcium: dusted crickets
Vet appt: IN 3 DAYS
 
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Schmidty

Schmidty

New member
Gecko Health Questionnaire Full Version*

Gender: unsexed
Age: 3 weeks
Weight:*
How big was the reptile when you first acquired it?: small, skinny, skinny tail
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner): Petco recieved him skinny
Captive bred or wild caught?: Captive

Enclosure:

Cage: type, size: glass, 8 gallon for 1 gecko
Substrate provided?: repti carpet
What types of hiding places are provided?: cool hide warm hide
Is there a humidity hide?: yes
Please describe any other furnishings: water dish, 1 rock

Lighting: uvb in day

Artificial lighting? Yes
incandescent (“screw-in” bulbs): no
wattage(s) ? 5.0 desert*
fluorescent (tube bulbs)? no

Temperature: 90 hot 80 cool

Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? what type? Yes, gauge thermometers
What is the temperature in the warmest part of the cage? In the coolest part? 90 hot 80 cool
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature? hot rock, heat pad,*
warm room, heat light, ceramic heater, aquarium heater, other: heat pad, in day uvb which makes it up to 85 all around

Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? Yes by 5 degrees

Humidity: 70% in hide

Is the humidity measured? Range: Yes, 70% in hide


List other animals that are kept in the same cage: N/A
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months)*
Are any of your other pets ill? No
List recent changes in the environment, if any: New setup as he is new to our home

Diet: so far, 3 crickets, 2 wax worms and 2 mealworms

Insects, list type?
Are they “gut loaded”? If so with? Yes, with fruits and veggies
How often do you feed your reptile? every night
Please list any supplements used. How are they given and how often? Calcium dusted cricket once in a feeding
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both? with D3 Repti Cal
Is the calcium in the tank with D or without? N/A*
Multivitamins? N/A

Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet: N/A

If your reptile is sick, please describe the signs and how long your reptile has been showing these signs: For 2 days, my leopard gecko has been slow, and hanging out in his water bowl from time to time. He rubs his head up against his furniture like a cat and seems uncomfortable.

Is your reptile’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased? Decreased
Is your reptile’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased? Normal
Have you noticed any of the following?*
Weight loss, Weight gain*
Discharge from the eyes or nose
Increased breathing rate or effort*
Change in the droppings*
Abnormal skin color or shedding*
Parasites on the skin or in the feces*
Weakness: Rescued him for weight loss, no other symptoms

Has your reptile been seen by a veterinarian for any of the current problems? No

If yes, when? N/A
Please list medications given: N/A
Please list tests performed: N/A

** * *
 
cricket4u

cricket4u

New member
Enclosure:

Cage: type, size: glass, 8 gallon for 1 gecko Too small for a proper temp gradient- I suggest a 20 gallonSubstrate provided?: repti carpet Harbors bacteria and nails can get snagged- I recommend slate tiles- paper towels temporarilyWhat types of hiding places are provided?: cool hide warm hide
Is there a humidity hide?: yes
Please describe any other furnishings: water dish, 1 rock

Lighting: uvb in day Please remove asap! 8 gallon is way too small for UVB use. It can do more harm then good. UVB must be an option only.Artificial lighting? Yes
incandescent (“screw-in” bulbs): no
wattage(s) ? 5.0 desert*
fluorescent (tube bulbs)? no

Temperature: 90 hot 80 cool

Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? what type? Yes, gauge thermometers
What is the temperature in the warmest part of the cage? In the coolest part? 90 hot 80 cool
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature? hot rock, heat pad,*
warm room, heat light, ceramic heater, aquarium heater, other: heat pad, in day uvb which makes it up to 85 all around

Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? Yes by 5 degrees

Humidity: 70% in hide

Is the humidity measured? Range: Yes, 70% in hide


List other animals that are kept in the same cage: N/A
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months)*
Are any of your other pets ill? No
List recent changes in the environment, if any: New setup as he is new to our home

Diet: so far, 3 crickets, 2 wax worms and 2 mealworms

Insects, list type?
Are they “gut loaded”? If so with? Yes, with fruits and veggies
How often do you feed your reptile? every night
Please list any supplements used. How are they given and how often? Calcium dusted cricket once in a feeding
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both? with D3 Repti Cal
Is the calcium in the tank with D or without? N/A*
Multivitamins? N/A

He rubs his head up against his furniture like a cat and seems uncomfortable. Face rubbing unrelated to removing shed can be a sign of toxicity. Be careful with cleaning products, materials used in the enclosure, excessive D3 and MVI, Remove the UVB

Buy a thermometer with a probe.
Temp: 77 cool side-85 max on the warmest end air temp, belly heat above the heat mat should be around 88-92. Observe your gecko for comfort level. If your gecko spends most of the time on cool end chances are it's too hot on the warm end or the hide on the warm end is not secure enough.

Humidity hide should be closer to the warm end.

Calcium with D3 should not be used more than twice a week. Buy a bottle of plain calcium. Also a bottle of multivitamins- I recommend Reptivite (no more than 2 times a week)

Top reasons a gecko would lay in a water dish:

enclosure too hot
dehydrated
constipated
humidity too low
belly burns from heat mat that is not controlled with a thermostat (slight burns are not always visible)

If indeed he appears that lethargic, he should be seen ASAP!
 
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Schmidty

Schmidty

New member
Thank you so much :)
I thought the tank was 8 gallon but it is actually 10 gallon (I just did the calculations with measurements, sorry :( )

I will definitely remove the UVB right away, even if its only an occasional thing!
He seems to like the warm end, and hasn't laid in his water dish again since I posted! yay!!
So, hopefully this mean its not burn related.

I have an appt with the vet in 2 days from now (its the closest I could get ughhh)
And I will DEFINITELY look into getting him some vitamins!

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH :D :D
 
cricket4u

cricket4u

New member
Schmidty said:


I will definitely remove the UVB right away, even if its only an occasional thing!
Click to expand...


I am assuming this means you insist on using it anyway. Well, I think it's best to provide you with a few details before damage is done. I use UVB for all my reptiles, however this is the difference.

All my enclosures at least 3 feet long. I use 18 inch UVB bulbs for the smaller enclosures which means only that section get UVB rays (an option). Why do I feel it's important? UVB rays have been known to penetrate in burrows which means it can penetrate through hides putting the gecko at risk of UVB overexposure. Keep in mind that they are able to absorb 14 times more UVB than basking reptiles in a very short time frame.

I have a meter. Ideally it's either UVB bulb or supplementing D3, not both. The problem is not all UVB bulbs have been proven effective and without a meter how will you know if the UVB bulb is within safe and effective range?
I guess you can just hope that the UVB bulb is doing it's job and at least replace it every six months. Maybe supplementing D3 as well twice a month may help. In reality the only way to know if this is working is to take the gecko to the vet to get blood work and check bone density by the age of 3.

This may help with info as well. http://www.arcadia-uk.info/file/download/en/Leopard Gecko A5 flyer.pdf
Note: 2% is recommended, not 5% which you were using.

Keep us posted after the vet visit. :)
 
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Schmidty

Schmidty

New member
No, no I was saying that I wont use it AT ALL anymore even if before I had used it occasionally as a day time thing haha
Dont worry, I'm not stubborn XD
 
RayneTheGeckoGirl

RayneTheGeckoGirl

New member
If he was a rescue he was prob sick before. was his substrate sand he could be impacted, give him as many food items as possible.
i hope he gets better
 
Schmidty

Schmidty

New member
Unfortunately, Zero had a parasite, and has left us :(
Although he wasn't around for very long, he was loved nonetheless. RIP <3
 
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