Leopard gecko born with no arm bones?

[MushuSpyro]

I recently acquired a 3 month old baby gecko. At first I noticed that she wasn't using her front legs, she was walking on her elbows. She's a healthy weight, alert and everything else is good. I felt her arms (front), and below the elbow I feel no bone?

I was wondering if they can be born like this? Her spine is also bent a tiny bit. She can get around, but has to scurry.. Kind of like when a crocodile swims..

But, she does seem to be fine in all other aspects. She does go round in circles, like a Enigma does. But I think she's a normal morph.

I thought MBD at first, but I was told she had been like it since birth. Can they suffer from MBD before they hatch?

 

[acpart]

I think there are some leopard geckos that have poor calcium intake from birth. I have also hatched a few leopard geckos that are missing a bone in one or more of their legs, however the leg looks foreshortened and it's clear something is missing.

Aliza

 

[MushuSpyro]

So does it cause the gecko any discomfort when missing bones?

 

[Conched]

Three months of poor diet is plenty of time for a hatchling leo to get MBD. If it was born that way than it should have been culled.

Nothing you can do.

Best of luck.

 

[MushuSpyro]

Well the baby still has good quality of life, so why cull? I'm pretty sure it's just a birth defect, no bone below the elbow on the front legs.

 

[vgorst]

If it is not MBD it could have stemmed from bad incubation, mother being deficient in calcium and even some kind of inbreeding/genetic problem. I would get her vet checked, in particular getting X-rays - you don't know for sure what is wrong, if it's MBD and it goes undiagnosed you could make her worse. The vet would also be better placed to check quality of life (pain, movement etc).

 

[Conched]

Well the baby still has good quality of life, so why cull? I'm pretty sure it's just a birth defect, no bone below the elbow on the front legs.

Has it occurred to you that maybe you should ask these questions before you take in these sick animals.

You did not notice the animal was spinning in circles and did not have the usage of it's front legs ???

Every single piece of advice when considering choosing a reptile for a pet goes over some very basic observations that one would make before purchasing and/or adopting. I find it hard to believe you accepted this animal into your care and had no idea it had major problems.

You are taking in animals and are not qualified to rehabilitate them.

Just so there is no confusion here...yes, i am calling you out !!!

Please stop taking in these animals.

 

[MushuSpyro]

That's a bit harsh. I do not appreciate the way you phrase it. I knew the baby had a few problems. I have money to purchase things needed and vet bills to help this little one.
I am training to become qualified FYI . All I want to do is help the gecko.
Stop posting if you are going to speak to me that way.

 

[MushuSpyro]

I was given the gecko by someone I know, they knew the gecko had a few problems and trusted me enough to help.

 

[vgorst]

That's a bit harsh. I do not appreciate the way you phrase it. I knew the baby had a few problems. I have money to purchase things needed and vet bills to help this little one.
I am training to become qualified FYI . All I want to do is help the gecko.
Stop posting if you are going to speak to me that way.

Training to become what? The only way you can help this gecko is going to the vet ASAP.

I was given the gecko by someone I know, they knew the gecko had a few problems and trusted me enough to help.

No breeder should have let an animal go in that condition without first taking them to the vets and getting the appropriate treatments before passing it to an experienced keeper. I don't know if your friend was the breeder but whoever the breeder is, I would really question their ability and intentions.

 

[Conched]

That's a bit harsh. I do not appreciate the way you phrase it. I knew the baby had a few problems. I have money to purchase things needed and vet bills to help this little one.
I am training to become qualified FYI . All I want to do is help the gecko.
Stop posting if you are going to speak to me that way.

The comments were intended to be harsh. You need to stop taking in these animals.

I am not even going to ask what you mean by "in training".

I appreciate the fact that you want to help, but taking in sick animals should only be done by people that are experienced and qualified. Your track record suggests that you are neither.

 

[MushuSpyro]

An vet. I mentioned earlier I have the money for vets, I posted here because I wondered if anyone else had experienced this. I have some understanding from biology, but I just wondered about other people's experience. The breeder is a friend of mine, and her hatchlings are always healthy.. this one wasn't however.. I have vets booked for later today.

 

[MushuSpyro]

I may mot be 100% experienced and trained, but I do have a few contacts that are and who help. And track record? If you mean the posts I have made on this account, then you're getting the wrong end here. I've not had problems with helping reptiles before up until Cynder, when I crested the account. Admittadely, I don't know everything, but I have people who help me out, and if I can't help the animal due to whatever reason, they will take the animal into their care, where the animal is rehabilitated.

 

[vgorst]

An vet. I mentioned earlier I have the money for vets, I posted here because I wondered if anyone else had experienced this. I have some understanding from biology, but I just wondered about other people's experience. The breeder is a friend of mine, and her hatchlings are always healthy.. this one wasn't however.. I have vets booked for later today.

You're training to be a vet?

So her first unhealthy hatchling and she doesn't bother with it herself? She shouldn't be breeding if she can't deal with or afford unhealthy animals.

If you need any further help with her, I'm not too far flung from Essex.

 

[MushuSpyro]

She did bother with the baby, she told me it had 'bandy' legs? I don't know what she meant by it, but she was told it was a birth defect. She was unsure of how it happened, maybe down to genetics. But the couple she bred from had good genetics, with history of good health and no defects in the blood line. She is replacing her incubator and will not breed from the pair again, just to make sure this won't happen again. And where abouts near Essex?

I understand the concern here, with me only having 6 years experience.. But I generally posted here to see if anyone had a name for this defect? As I'd like to learn more about it. The baby is doing extremely well, eating, pooping (white urates too), healthy weight, good appetite.

 

[vgorst]

I'm based in Kent but able to travel within reason.

As far as people are able to guess, it could well be MBD due to bad supplementation/bad calcium intake by the mother. You probably won't ever know for sure.

 

[acpart]

It would be great to see a picture of this gecko. If it has rubbery limbs, then it's most likely MBD either from poor supplementation or poor ability to metabolize the supplements. If it truly has foreshortened limbs, then it's not "sick" but has a deformity. It does occur every now and then. Some people prefer to cull any deformity and others will keep the gecko alive as long as it seems to have a good quality of life (eating, moving around, growing). When I hatch the occasional gecko with a deformity that doesn't significantly impact quality of life I also either offer the gecko for free to someone who wants it in exchange for a donation to the local Herp Society, or I give it to someone local who runs a gecko rescue who will get it up to a reasonable weight and rehome it. At the last reptile show I attended, I met a woman to whom I'd given a leopard gecko with notched eyelids 3 years ago. The gecko is doing great and is part of her travelling educational animal show. She is especially appreciated by kids with abnormalities who see a gecko that doesn't look completely "normal" living a good life.

Aliza

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Yes, just like Aliza suggests /\. Just about to ask too.

How about sharing a photo/video of your leo? We would love to meet him.

 

[MushuSpyro]

I'll be able to upload some pics in a couple of hours she's a little beauty. And thank you everyone fpr ypur replies, much appreciated

 

[MushuSpyro]

She can use her back legs well, and they have bones in the lower part of the leg. It's the front legs that only have the top bone and then the lower part of the arm has nothing there.