Tarentola not eating, what can I do?

[genkido]

Hi, sorry for this being my first thread. I have a Tarentola Mauritanica (aka Crocodile Gecko or Moorish Gecko) who isn't eating. About a month ago, she laid an egg and hasn't been eating since.

Recently I helped her shed her skin because she had 2 layers of it and was rubbing her head all over the terrarium. I thought it might help her clear her eyes so that she could hunt again but that didn't work. I've been feeding her whenever she accepted it: baby food blended with smashed crickets and today Ensure (Ensure Original Powder). I also added a 5.0 UVB bulb which I have been turning on for around 6hs every day.

This week I noticed she had her mouth a bit deformed:
https://goo.gl/photos/CnVFrY3tSjiXg4WZ6

Could this be why she's not eating? What could this be and how could it be treated? I haven't found any herp vet in Buenos Aires.


Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[JessJohnson87]

I do not know anything about this species but I can tell you that the deformed jaw is probably MBD.

Tarentola Mauritanica Caresheet (Moorish/Crocodile Gecko) <---care sheet on them.

She is probably not eating because she is ovulating, I have read that many species of gecko go off food during ovulation.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi ~

Welcome aboard!

Potential MBD issues:

• Can you post a video of your gecko walking around?
• How firm does her jaw feel?
• Up until now has she been getting any powdered calcium with vitamin D3 or multivitamins?
• When she was eating, what did you feed her?
• What did you feed her prey?

Mouth rot/stomatitis issues:

• What does the inside of her mouth look like?

Sometimes general vets can network with reptile vets via the internet.

 

[genkido]

I do not know anything about this species but I can tell you that the deformed jaw is probably MBD.

Tarentola Mauritanica Caresheet (Moorish/Crocodile Gecko) <---care sheet on them.

She is probably not eating because she is ovulating, I have read that many species of gecko go off food during ovulation.

Thanks for the quick response Jess! I suspect MBD could be an issue (laying an egg plus a month without eating, I'm pretty sure she's lacking calcium). Thanks for the care sheet, I had come across it as well as the PetCo one.

Welcome aboard!

Potential MBD issues:
Can you post a video of your gecko walking around?
How firm does her jaw feel?
Up until now has she been getting any powdered calcium with vitamin D3 or multivitamins?
When she was eating, what did you feed her?
What did you feed her prey?

Mouth rot/stomatitis issues:
What does the inside of her mouth look like?

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for the welcome

-I'll try to get a video of her walking- she's not moving much other than when she does the whole rub head, shake head routine and when I try to feed her.
I haven't touched her (her whole body + head is about the length of my thumb) so I can't say how firm it is. However I've seen her whole mouth bend when she rubs it, so I'd say it's not very firm.
While she was healthy she would eat a lot of crickets with Calcium + D3 and Multivitamins (depending on the day). I also gave her a couple roaches as well (covered in powder as well). These were fed apple with the powder (calcium, d3 and multivitamins).

On mouth rot: I noticed she has a different color around the mouth edges. not sure what it could be. I haven't seen the inside of the mouth other than when she opens it- seems mostly red/reddish. (Again, haven't touched her to see this up close).


Thanks a lot for your help

 

[genkido]

Hi ~

Welcome aboard!

Potential MBD issues:

• Can you post a video of your gecko walking around?
• How firm does her jaw feel?
• Up until now has she been getting any powdered calcium with vitamin D3 or multivitamins?
• When she was eating, what did you feed her?
• What did you feed her prey?

Mouth rot/stomatitis issues:

• What does the inside of her mouth look like?

Sometimes general vets can network with reptile vets via the internet.

Hi Elizabeth, I added a few more pictures of the mouth discolouration to the gallery and a video of her taking a few steps (starts around 0:30).

Again, thanks a lot both for the help

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

......

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for the welcome

-I'll try to get a video of her walking- she's not moving much other than when she does the whole rub head, shake head routine and when I try to feed her.
I haven't touched her (her whole body + head is about the length of my thumb) so I can't say how firm it is. However I've seen her whole mouth bend when she rubs it, so I'd say it's not very firm.
While she was healthy she would eat a lot of crickets with Calcium + D3 and Multivitamins (depending on the day). I also gave her a couple roaches as well (covered in powder as well). These were fed apple with the powder (calcium, d3 and multivitamins).

On mouth rot: I noticed she has a different color around the mouth edges. not sure what it could be. I haven't seen the inside of the mouth other than when she opens it- seems mostly red/reddish. (Again, haven't touched her to see this up close).


Thanks a lot for your help

You are welcome.

Sounds as if she might have "rubber jaw", one of the symptoms of MBD.

MBD can result from either too much or too little D3.

• How would you describe your dusting routine: light or heavy dusting?
• Which supplement brands and types?
• How often did you dust?

Please update us after your vet visit.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Elizabeth, I added a few more pictures of the mouth discolouration to the gallery and a video of her taking a few steps (starts around 0:30).

Again, thanks a lot both for the help

Thanks.

I've tried to find your gallery photos and video. I'm having no luck.

 

[genkido]

Thanks.

I've tried to find your gallery photos and video. I'm having no luck.

It was a bit hidden in the first post, here it is: https://goo.gl/photos/CnVFrY3tSjiXg4WZ6 . Let me know if you can't access it and I'll upload it somewhere else.

Regarding your other question: I used to dust crickets every day until they were covered in vitamins or calcium. However, once she stopped eating, crickets would clean themselves in water.

I use ReptoCal and ReptoLife from Tetra for Calcium + D3 and Multivitamins respectively. Recently I also got a Calcium only (no D3) powder from ZooMed called ReptiCalcium. I've been mixing that in the Ensure. I also dust them every day, alternating between multivitamins and calcium.

I'll be calling the vet on Monday to see if he can network with another vet.


Thanks again and hope you are having a great weekend

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

It was a bit hidden in the first post, here it is: https://goo.gl/photos/CnVFrY3tSjiXg4WZ6 . Let me know if you can't access it and I'll upload it somewhere else.

Regarding your other question: I used to dust crickets every day until they were covered in vitamins or calcium. However, once she stopped eating, crickets would clean themselves in water.

I use ReptoCal and ReptoLife from Tetra for Calcium + D3 and Multivitamins respectively. Recently I also got a Calcium only (no D3) powder from ZooMed called ReptiCalcium. I've been mixing that in the Ensure. I also dust them every day, alternating between multivitamins and calcium.

I'll be calling the vet on Monday to see if he can network with another vet.


Thanks again and hope you are having a great weekend

I have not kept Tarentola mauritanica either.

1. In the video your gecko seems to slither. Is that normal? Can she lift herself off her belly when she walks?
3. Supplements should be lightly dusted onto prey. It seems like you may be overdoing the calcium + D3, plain calcium carbonate, and maybe even the multivitamins. I like and use Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 and Zoo Med plain (no D3) Reptivite multivitamins. I do not use either of them at every feeding. Other folks like Repashy's Calcium Plus.
5. Scroll through the Leo Caresheet linked in my signature to post 24 for a comparison of different brands of calcium with D3.
7. Hilde says:
   CALCIUM - excess
   "Excess calcium in the digestive tract can hinder absorption of Vitamin A and D (we won't worry about E & K here). MBD is often considered to be caused by a shortage of calcium, but can happen even though there is ample calcium available. If there's not enough Vit D available, either stored in the liver or absorbed via food/supplements, then there won't be enough calcium absorbed. If you suspect a calcium shortage, it's easy to increase the amount available by dusting more often, even to the point of 'icing' the bugs with calcium, all of which just puts more calcium into the intestines but allowing less and less Vitamin A & D to be absorbed.... a vicious circle. The result is a gecko with possible MBD (even if it's on calcium substrate and gets calcium supplement), and a severe shortage of Vitamin A & D.
   
   And so it continues.... more calcium, less vitamin A & D."
   
8. Is the hot rock we see controlled by a thermostat? Hot rocks have a reputation for overheating. A UTH (under tank heat mat) might be better. Like this: Fluker Farms - Order Heat Mats
9. Is her stuck shed cutting off any circulation? 30 or so minutes in a Humidity Chamber might help loosen that skin so that you could gently remove it with a q-tip.
10. There is a FB group: Gekkota Discussion and Classifieds that could probably help you out.

 

[genkido]

I have not kept Tarentola mauritanica either.

1. In the video your gecko seems to slither. Is that normal? Can she lift herself off her belly when she walks?
3. Supplements should be lightly dusted onto prey. It seems like you may be overdoing the calcium + D3, plain calcium carbonate, and maybe even the multivitamins. I like and use Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 and Zoo Med plain (no D3) Reptivite multivitamins. I do not use either of them at every feeding. Other folks like Repashy's Calcium Plus.
5. Scroll through the Leo Caresheet linked in my signature to post 24 for a comparison of different brands of calcium with D3.
7. Hilde says:
   CALCIUM - excess
   "Excess calcium in the digestive tract can hinder absorption of Vitamin A and D (we won't worry about E & K here). MBD is often considered to be caused by a shortage of calcium, but can happen even though there is ample calcium available. If there's not enough Vit D available, either stored in the liver or absorbed via food/supplements, then there won't be enough calcium absorbed. If you suspect a calcium shortage, it's easy to increase the amount available by dusting more often, even to the point of 'icing' the bugs with calcium, all of which just puts more calcium into the intestines but allowing less and less Vitamin A & D to be absorbed.... a vicious circle. The result is a gecko with possible MBD (even if it's on calcium substrate and gets calcium supplement), and a severe shortage of Vitamin A & D.
   
   And so it continues.... more calcium, less vitamin A & D."
   
8. Is the hot rock we see controlled by a thermostat? Hot rocks have a reputation for overheating. A UTH (under tank heat mat) might be better. Like this: Fluker Farms - Order Heat Mats
9. Is her stuck shed cutting off any circulation? 30 or so minutes in a Humidity Chamber might help loosen that skin so that you could gently remove it with a q-tip.
10. There is a FB group: Gekkota Discussion and Classifieds that could probably help you out.

Hi Elizabeth, thanks a lot for the info.

1. It is common for Moorish to "sort of" slither. They walk very fast, with their bellies to the ground, but they use traction on the hind legs. In this case, she sort of pushes (like if she were swimming). She has lifted her front on a couple ocassions, but not her rear. Also, sometimes she pulls her tail behind (instead of it following her path).

2-4. I did not know about this. I'm truly grateful for this information! I doubt the problem resides with calcium absorption (as she hasn't been eating even a single worm or small roach) but I'll keep it in mind for the other two.

5. The rock has an internal thermostat set at 32 degrees C. I had these (and my GF before me) for several years with no issues. I did however see a place where they sold Heat Mats- need to see if they can be placed below a glass tank.

6. I'm not sure if the skin is cutting circulation- she did seem to get most of it out of her toes: it was her head she was having issues with. I helped her shed it but today I noticed she's shedding again (3rd time in about a month). I had read it's the natural response to not eating (body thinks there is no food available and sheds so it can eat). First shed was a disaster, second was okay on body and head (tail and legs, as seen in the video, were quite awful). This one seems to be coming off okay on the body and the legs- I'll let her peel it off and eat it if she feels like it.

7. Thanks for the group, I wasn't aware of it. I'll take a look

I'm going to a vet probably tomorrow (need to check if they still have reptile vets). I noticed today she's breathing with the mouth open: probably because there's skin on her nose- but she's also made some bubbles (like mucus bubbles): they were grey in color. I noticed that the inside (at least the jaw) was reddish with plenty of saliva. I also noticed she's enjoying the UVB light whenever I leave the house (and things get quiet). I'll keep you updated.


Again, hate to be repetitive, but I can't thank you enough for the tips and support: so thank you