Need advice, Leopard Gecko ate Paper Towel

[Andi]

One of my Leo's ate some paper towel last night while he was shedding. He has never done this before, (this actually happened with my female about a year ago, and she was able to pass it), but I'm a tad bit more concerned as he was able to eat a bit more than she did. He is much bigger than my female when she ate her paper towel, which may help? idk.

I just don't know what I should do? Should I soak him? increase his belly heat? leave him alone? If I should soak him, when? tonight? or wait a few days?

When this happened with my female, it took about a week for her to pass it, and I did end up giving her soaks in an effort to help.

I think it's safe to say that the extra strength paper towels are not strong enough either.

 

[LEOPARD1]

Right now there is not a lot you can do but wait and see. Just be grateful it wasnt sand and it was (hopefully) a one time occurrence.

 

[hmarie186]

You can give a few drops of olive oil to help lubricate things. My little guy swallowed some before too and passed it in 4 days without assistance.

 

[Andi]

Right now there is not a lot you can do but wait and see. Just be grateful it wasnt sand and it was (hopefully) a one time occurrence.

Yes, this was a 1 time occurrence. As I mentioned, this happened with my female when she was still a juvenile, but never with my male. He's roughly 9 1/2 inches long though now so hopefully he can handle it.

 

[Andi]

You can give a few drops of olive oil to help lubricate things. My little guy swallowed some before too and passed it in 4 days without assistance.

How would I go about the olive oil? should I put a drop on his nose and let him lick it off?

 

[LEOPARD1]

Ive heard of the olive oil trick. I would administer it PO with a syringe. Also research "impaction" in various forms.

 

[hmarie186]

Just with an eye dropper on the mouth. You don't want it to get in his nose so I would just hold him and drip two drops on his lips.

 

[Andi]

My main concern was the size of the paper towel he ingested. It was the corner of the paper towel, but he tore off a good portion of it. It was triangle sized, maybe 3 inches x 4 inches x 5 inches. Fortunately he only got 1 ply, but this seems like a lot of paper towel for such a little gecko.

I ripped off a similar size piece of paper and crumbled it up...I think he can pass it, but I'm pretty concerned. When this happened with my female, she got a piece maybe half that size. Ugh...

 

[LEOPARD1]

OK. I will just say it Duck Shelf Liner (black, non perforated) makes almost any LG "pop" with colors and it doesnt produce and toxic fumes until heated between 170 and 200 degrees. Its washable and is designed to not harbor bacteria. Get rid of paper towels.

 

[LEOPARD1]

View attachment 33453

I have a Flukers heat pad in direct contact with my Duck Shelf Liner. It heats constant 95 degrees, she is active, beautiful, all you want in a LG. When I find the right male I am going to make people love classics again.

 

[Andi]

I'm done with the paper towels. When it happened the first time I upgraded to the extra strength towels, and it seemed to work....but now this happened, so I'm done.

 

[Andi]

I regret to have to inform the board that my Leo has still yet to pass the paper towel and is definitely impacted. I will be going to a vet tomorrow that specializes in exotic pets. I was hoping to go sooner but I was out of town this weekend and NYC was hit by a snow storm yesterday causing them to close.

I'm holding out hope for the best, but I'm very concerned.

Since this incident I have removed the paper towel from my moist hides. It's not ideal I realize this, but losing a pet is less ideal. I figure if a Leo can lay on tile in a hot hide, why can't it lay on plastic in a moist hide? At least this way there is no chance of eating paper towel while shedding.

I'm not here to tell people how to house their Leo's, but I am no longer a proponent of Paper Towel, and I'll never use it again as substrate in a moist hide.

I appreciate those that have helped me with this. Please wish my Gecko luck.

 

[hmarie186]

Good luck Andi. I hope the vet will be able to give some laxatives to push it on thru.

 

[Andi]

I just got back. Good news! As soon as I walked into the vets' office my Leo started regurgitated the paper towel. The vet was able to get it out and looking at the size of it, it seems to be all of it.

I'm extremely relieved. He also gave her electrolytes and some calcium.

The only odd thing I noticed was when I got home and put her back in her tank, I noticed a bubble like thing under her skin on her belly / side. I'm wondering if this is where the vet injected the electrolytes. I plan on calling him later today to confirm (just wish I noticed it when I was there).

Either way, I'm pretty ecstatic, and I just hope I can get her eating again soon.

 

[kholtme]

Congrats! Hopefully the bubble is of no concern!

 

[Andi]

[Hopefully the bubble is of no concern![/QUOTE]
^
I spoke with the vet, he said it's because of the shot of electrolytes and that I don't have anything to worry about.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

:yahoo: for you and your leo. Happy that all the ingested paper towel is gone. Hope she will be back to her young self very soon.

 

[kholtme]

What substrate are you going to be using now since you are done with paper towels? Earlier you said

I figure if a Leo can lay on tile in a hot hide, why can't it lay on plastic in a moist hide? At least this way there is no chance of eating paper towel while shedding.

there needs to be something inside the moist hide to hold moisture. If you dont have damp paper towels or eco earth then it would just be a warm dry hide. I understand you wont use paper towels, which i think is a good idea since your gecko thinks they are tasty, but im curious what you are going to use now?

 

[Andi]

[QUOTE but im curious what you are going to use now?[/QUOTE]

This is something I've been debating the past 2 weeks.

Since the incident I've been putting just a very small amount of water in the moist hide. just enough that it last about 24 hours before evaporating, but not so much that it's like a bath.

The Vet suggested I go to a home depot and buy the non mold outside artificial carpeting. He said that I'll still have to replace it, but the non mold kind will last longer, and I can cut small pieces. I'm not really in love with this idea, but I think it's ok.

I was also thinking of getting some really thick pieces of fabric and just washing them when needed and reusing them.

But I'm also considering some sort of natural earth like substrate that I can pack tightly. Not moss, but something more earth like.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

 

[hmarie186]

Perhaps wet some repticarpet not to the point of standing water but to where it won't evaporate in 12 hrs either.