Leo problems, may need help!

[LeopardZerda]

Hello, I'm relatively new to the reptile community. I'm hoping to start a business soon in not only breeding, but rescuing reptiles and other animals. I currently have a Tangerine or Hypo Tangerine Leopard Gecko named Zerda. She's my baby and I love her like a child. If you've read this post before, you'd know that I thought that she'd broken her two front legs. And I wanted to take her to the vet, and I tried to get people to commission me for art to try and pay for the vet bills. But after really extensive research and weighing out any other options, I've found out that it was MBD; and that was about 2 weeks ago.

Since then, her back legs have also went, and she's starting to get a small dip in her upper back near her shoulders. I'm not neglecting her, and and very worried she might not make it. She went off food for a week, and has recently been getting more interested in food. She, however, gets frustrated VERY easily, and she missed a cricket by a very small distance and stopped trying to get it afterwards. I've been trying to feed her with a dusted cricket every day for the past week and a half.

Hopefully tonight (February 1st) she'll finally eat something. She started to really get interested in eating when I managed to half-force her to eat a mealworm. I'm really glad for this, as she's tried to eat every night since then, but has always gotten frustrated and given up. I've done so much more research now than I had when I got her, and I'm really glad that I did.

If she eats for me, and gains some weight and becomes healthy again, then she will become my ambassador for special needs animals and also an example of what can happen when you don't do your research. I feel horrible for what has happened, but I intend fully to give her a long, and hopefully happy life just like any other gecko. I also hope that I never make this mistake again with any animal, as it has devastated me mentally to the point of depression, guilt and self-blame.

If you're seeing this for the first time, and have read this far, then thank you. But, the moral of this post is to try and teach any new herpers or pet owners to do their research before freaking out about something like I did with my Leopard Gecko. I beg any new owners of any animal. Please, do as much research as you can before buying an animal, and don't impulse buy an animal you know nothing about, or feel bad for unless you're able to take care of it excellently.

~Peace friends,
LeopardZerda.

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GU! Hopefully, now that she's shed, she'll start eating again. I'd advise against waxworms because sometimes they decide they only want waxworms. Even juveniles do slow down a bit when winter comes. Good luck with her.

Aliza

 

[LeopardZerda]

Welcome to GU! Hopefully, now that she's shed, she'll start eating again. I'd advise against waxworms because sometimes they decide they only want waxworms. Even juveniles do slow down a bit when winter comes. Good luck with her.

Aliza

Aaa, thank you for the advice! However, as an update, I feel like I've found the reason why she's not eating. I realized that if she did have MBD in her legs, she would've been walking funny for a long time now and not just for a few days. I've opted to take her to the vet as I fear she may have broken her front legs from falling. HER warm hide is a bit high for her and she likes to crawl on top of it. So I suspect that pain might be the reason. I can upload a picture of her at some point if anyone would like to take a look at her legs.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi ~

Welcome aboard! Please do share a photo. Maybe you could share a video too so we can check out her gait.

What are the warm end and cool end ground temps as measured by the probe of a digital thermometer?

What supplements are you using? If you have none, please wait for our suggestions.

 

[LeopardZerda]

Hi ~

Welcome aboard! Please do share a photo. Maybe you could share a video too so we can check out her gait.

What are the warm end and cool end ground temps as measured by the probe of a digital thermometer?

What supplements are you using? If you have none, please wait for our suggestions.

Well I use Reptivite for calcium and vitamins. And I have a thermomer that measures temp and humidity. The humidity is never above 40% and the temp on the warm side is never below 85 and never above 95. I have a heat pad on the underneath of her tank and she has reptile carpet for subtrate.
I managed to get some video and pictures of her today.

 

[LeopardZerda]

I can't get a video to load at the moment, probably because I'm on my phone. When I get back home, I'll try again.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Well I use Reptivite for calcium and vitamins. And I have a thermomer that measures temp and humidity. The humidity is never above 40% and the temp on the warm side is never below 85 and never above 95. I have a heat pad on the underneath of her tank and she has reptile carpet for subtrate.
I managed to get some video and pictures of her today.
View attachment 40502
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You've got a lovely leo!

Since you've already begun this thread, continue right here. Starting additional threads really complicates things. It's harder to see where you've been with your leo.

Does your Reptivite multivitamins contain vitamin D3? How often do you lightly dust with it?

Is your thermometer an analog (round) type? Oftentimes those aren't very accurate. If so can you pick up a Zoo Med's digital thermometer with a probe? That will measure the ground temps we go by.

People stick analog thermometers to the sides of an enclosure. They end up measuring air temperatures.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

It's really important for us to know how frequently you dust with the Reptivite and whether it contains vitamin D3. Both too much D3 and not enough D3 can cause MBD.

MBD gradually impacts bone health, so this could be what you've noticed. If MBD and other issues are caught soon enough, some improvement can be made!

Judging by the condition of her front "elbows" something is going on.


How to insert a video?

1. Go to the Off Topic Lounge: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/off-topic-lounge/
2. Click on Post New Thread: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=114
3. There are 3 lines of choices at the top when you make a post. On the second line, 15 icons in from the left, you'll see a video icon. It looks like a ladder. Post your video URL right there. A picture and arrow like you may have noticed here will be displayed, not just a link.

 

[LeopardZerda]

I'm gonna call my vet today about payment plans and to see what I can do before I'm able to take her in.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

It's really important for us to know how frequently you dust with the Reptivite and whether it contains vitamin D3. Both too much D3 and not enough D3 can cause MBD.

Judging by the condition of her front "elbows" something is going on.
......

I'm gonna call my vet today about payment plans and to see what I can do before I'm able to take her in.

A payment plan is a good idea. Don't delay. Bone issues can be life-threatening. MBD causes weak bones. Make sure your vet addresses the "big" picture.

Post 8 on this thread gives you tips about uploading your video. We have shared other tips and questions, but you've not responded.

Please answer my questions about your Reptivite. What you are doing about that will help her right now!

• Does your Reptivite contain vitamin D3?
• How offten are you using it? Somewhere you said: "Occasionally."

 

[LeopardZerda]

A payment plan is a good idea. Don't delay.

• Does your Reptivite contain vitamin D3?
• How offten are you using it? Somewhere you said: "Occasionally."

It has a large mixture of vitamins including D3. By occasionally I meant that I normally would duse once a week because I thought that giving her more than that would be harmful because I couldn't really understand the label. I had just recently found out that I wasn't giving her enough, so I started to gradually dust them more often to get her used to the sudden shift in calcium intake. And now she's injured and not eating.

My vet doesn't take payment plans, but gave me another vet to call to see what they offered. I haven't called yet, as they're closed right now, but I will tomorrow.

And the video I'm trying to upload isn't a YouTube video, it's one I took on my phone. I did however upload it on Instagram, so if you'd like to look, my instagram is @vhexus

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Read my message here on a computer, so you can see my entire reply. Re-read this thread so you've seen it all. Sometimes I make "late" edits to my posts.

Can someone help you share your video? I don't have any access to Instagram. A video does not have to be a YouTube video to work on GU.

Just "Reply to Thread" right here like this: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=114

• There are lines of choices at the top when you make a post.
• On the second line, 15 icons in from the left, you'll see a video icon. It looks like a ladder.
• Click the ladder icon.
• Post your video URL right there. A picture and arrow like you may have noticed here will be displayed, not just a link.

If there are stores still open in Florida, do this tonight. Otherwise it's very important to find Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 on Sunday!!! Your leo needs that, and that ONLY. Also, see whether they carry Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins.

My Petco carries Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3. That supplement is phosphorus-free! It costs less than $10. Calcium needs vitamin D3 in order to be absorbed. (It generally should be taken with food.)

• Make a paste with that and water.
• Put some on your leo's nose.
• Let her lick it off.

Don't use more than a "wee pinch" of Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins with (or without) D3 more than 1x per week! That's what my vet suggests.

• It contains phosphorus.
• Phosphorus impacts the absorption of calcium!

 

[LeopardZerda]

I hate to reply so late, omg I never saw this. .-.

If you'd like an update, then you can read above because I've edited it.

Also, I've upgraded her supplement schedule to every feeding with about 1 or two dusted crickets, as she refuses to even touch mealworms. Sometimes I'll skip the dusting for a feeding. I've begun to feed her every other day as she's almost an adult now. She's dropped some weight and is now in the 24-25 gram area. She doesn't eat too much every feeding, but she also either won't eat, or will eat very little the next day, which is why i went to an every other day schedule. She's doing wonderfully on that! As I said up there ^ she did stop eating for me recently, but now that she's shed and gotten interested in food again, maybe she'll begin to eat again, and I can get her fattened up and healthy like she's supposed to be.

Her MBD is sadly irreversible, but she's a very resilient girl, so it's not hindering her that much at all. I do still hope to strengthen her bones over the next few months so that it doesn't spread any more and I don't have to put her down.

About the vet, they don't take payment plans, and it would've costed a LOT of money, so I decided not to take her, and instead did more research than I think I've ever done for anything.

But, regardless, I feel terrible, as I know I am to blame because I didn't research enough when I first got her. I really hope to never make this mistake again as, I'd really love to start my business of breeding and rescuing reptiles and other animals soon. As well as hopefully teaching kids at schools and field trips about interesting and fun animals, but also that bad things like this can happen.

Thanks for continuing to try and help me. It makes me feel like someone cares, even if it feels like nobody cares, someone always does. :3