Leopard Gecko Neglected and Now Deformed and Underweight

Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
cricket4u said:
I am really happy to hear he is willing to eat. Please do not feed mealworms for now. Right now he has poor skeletal support and weakened muscle contraction, therefore he can have difficulties due to it's chitin. It would be best to continue just the Emeraid for a few more days. Can you order silkworms or baby hornworms on line?
Click to expand...

n.brydges said:
Are wax worms okay? I can see if the local pet store in town has silk worms and baby horn worms tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Waxworms are nearly purely fat. It is like humans eating ice cream.

Baby hornworms and young silkworms are much more nutritious. It is easier to keep hornworms than silkworms.

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...feeding-issues/68585-hornworm-guidelines.html
 
N

n.brydges

New member
Update: He has gained 10g since April 28 and is doing much much better! He is gaining strength and has nearly corrected his stance on 3 of his legs, however his left front doesn't seem to be improving much. He seems to be very happy, comes out of his hides and looks at me, walks around, and is very eager for food. He is doing much better and all I can see are improvements!
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Sounds like you are doing a good job rehabbing this leo :banana::banana:. Any chance of making a video of him to share with us?
 
cricket4u

cricket4u

New member
Nice to hear he has gained weight and strength. I wonder is he has a fracture in that one limb. Very common in reptiles with calcium deficiency. Pain can also be a reason not to make use of the limb.

XO- Emeraid has better than reptaboost. It's more like Oxbow Carnivore care.
 
N

n.brydges

New member
His limbs are still bent and deformed, but he is starting to be able to push off with his feet while walking instead of scooting around using his forearms. It wouldn't surprise me if one of his limbs were fractured then healed improperly. Here are a few updated pictures, I will try getting videos in a bit. stummp.jpgstumppp.jpgstumpy.jpgstumpy1.jpgstumpy's arms.jpgStumpy's tail.jpgstumpyy.jpgZilly and Stumpy.jpg
 
N

n.brydges

New member
XoVictoryXo

XoVictoryXo

New member
He is looking a ton better - that is great to see :). I hope you are continuing to supplement him properly
He is very lucky, safe to say from the looks of his tail he is off skid row, but i dont think he will be able to ever have normal limbs he is definitely a special needs gecko :(
 
N

n.brydges

New member
Yah, I figured that this limbs were never going to recover, poor guy. Though, surprisingly he's got a lot of spunk! I'm trying to get a video posted of him still.

I have a few questions.

In your opinion, how do I decide when to stop feeding him Emeraid and just feed insects. Right now I'm doing Emeraid and a few insects, but should I wean him off Emeraid, or continue to increase the amount I give him? I don't think that continued use of Emeraid would hurt him. I figure it's just ensuring that he's getting all the proper vitamins and nutrients he needs.

Also, he always seems to be hungry, at all times of the day (except after feeding, which I do right before I go to bed). Would it hurt to feed him a few insects when I get up in the morning, or mid afternoon?

This one might be an odd one but... compared to my other two healthy leos.. Stumpy's skin feels really soft. Might that be a sign of a vitamin/mineral deficiency? I just find it odd how soft he is, he's not really bumpy either.

Last, but not least! Since his limbs are deformed and he's doesn't walk like a normal gecko, what are your opinions on aquarium sizes. Should I keep him in a smaller sized enclosure like a 10g? But since he can't really climb over stuff (due to his legs and non existent toes/nails), I leave room around all the hides and bowls and stuff so he can scoot on by without much trouble.. so might I need a larger one? I have my two other geckos in 20g tanks and Stumpy right now is in a 10g but I feel like he needs more room, but I'm afraid with more room there's more chances of him hurting himself, somehow.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Wow, Stumpy is super energetic and responsive :yahoo:! Very nice to see, n.brydges :D.

Can he catch the crickets by himself? What is his weight and total length?

I would say decrease the Emeraid and up the crickets as soon as Stumpy can manage.

Just make certain you feed the crickets the healthiest diet possible. It is very important for all our geckos to eat nutritious bugs. Just like humans, geckos ARE what they eat.

Don't know about his soft skin. Perhaps someone else has input?

I really agree that Stumpy would benefit by having more floor space :).
 
Last edited:
N

n.brydges

New member
Stumpy is about 8 inches long and weighs 34g.. which he has lost 1g since May 13. I've been tracking his weight gain and from April 28th to May 13th, he gained about a gram a day. Now he actually lost a gram hummm.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
n.brydges said:
Stumpy is about 8 inches long and weighs 34g.. which he has lost 1g since May 13. I've been tracking his weight gain and from April 28th to May 13th, he gained about a gram a day. Now he actually lost a gram hummm.
Click to expand...

Stumpy is on the rebound. I would not advise several feedings per day, only one. He is still healing internally although appears so much better. I would so much prefer to start out with soft feeders. MBD is not only bone, but muscle strength as well. A ton of chitin worries me right now.

It will be best to start out with soft worms higher in calcium like hornworms or silkworms.

Hornworms are easier to keep than are silkworms. Hornworms are a really good calcium source.

Have you any reptile shows nearby?
 
Last edited:
N

n.brydges

New member
No no reptile shows :(

I will work on getting hornworms for him.

Another question, he is starting to look like he's getting ready to shed. When he begins the process should I help him a bit? I figure that process is pretty exhausting and with him being so malnourished, I'm thinking he might wear himself out pretty quickly. And how important is it for them to eat their skin?
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
n.brydges said:
No no reptile shows :(

I will work on getting hornworms for him.

Another question, he is starting to look like he's getting ready to shed. When he begins the process should I help him a bit? I figure that process is pretty exhausting and with him being so malnourished, I'm thinking he might wear himself out pretty quickly. And how important is it for them to eat their skin?
Click to expand...

Make sure his humid hide is constantly moist. If he needs help with the shed, gentle soaks as recommended in one of the posts tagged onto the Leo Caresheet below.

Don't know whether eating the skin is something that leos do for nutrition or whether it is actually something they are "programmed" to do to cover their tracks in the wild.
 
Last edited:
N

n.brydges

New member
Elizabeth, I received your PM, I (tried) to reply.. did you get it? I don't see the message I sent back to you anywhere... maybe I didn't send it correctly. I don't know how to use this site very well yet!
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
n.brydges said:
Elizabeth, I received your PM, I (tried) to reply.. did you get it? I don't see the message I sent back to you anywhere... maybe I didn't send it correctly. I don't know how to use this site very well yet!
Click to expand...

Thanks very much n.brydges. I did receive your PM. I've had a very rough day :-(.

When you send a PM, check right under Sent Messages in your PM box. The message you sent should appear right there. Can you find it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top