My first Tokay Hatchling... Issues

[Warwick555]

I came from vacation and I had a Hatchling. It hatched just a several days before my arrival I had my sister care for the adults but didn't realize the egg hatched. I'm still waiting on clutch mate.

Everything seemed fine but it fell about a foot on to the soft substrate and seized up and started twitching. Finally snapped out of it and moves fine. It's pretty active and when I try to pet it, it acts like a normal adult Tokay (gaping mouth, cute soft bark). I put fake vines and plants to catch it if it falls again. 3 days after the fall I continue to find it constantly falling and lays on back and doesn't move unless I blow air, spray water, or touch it. It springs into life and runs. But every so often it falls and stays stiff (breathing) but won't move unless I make contact.

This is my first Hatchling and info on the internet is impossible to find and no exotic vets that can help. Temps and humidity is good so IDK what to do. If it dies maybe I can learn something for the next batch when they hatch

 

[Aimless]

where is it falling from? off a branch when it's trying to walk? off the glass surface? how many days has this been?

also, we need clear pitctures of the gecko and the enclosure.

 

[Warwick555]

I can't provide pics, and I think it's irrelevant. He falls off everything including branches, and twitches. Doesn't even matter the height of the fall. Could be an inch and he lands on back and stiffens up and twitches. He can walk up glass and wood and hang on for hours, then all of a sudden drops and twitches

 

[Geecko123]

I have never had a Tokay, and I don't know how to care for one, but, and these are just my thoughts, please don't bite my head off if I am wrong, could he be having seizures?

 

[Aimless]

pictures are always relevant when trying to troubleshoot problems with your gecko. if there was something about his appearance or enclosure that could be contributing to the problem we may be able to spot it.

ideally, we'd get video of him having an episode. also a rundown of his diet, pooping habits, and temps plus humidity. all of these things matter if you're having trouble with your gecko.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I can't provide pics, and I think it's irrelevant. He falls off everything including branches, and twitches. Doesn't even matter the height of the fall. Could be an inch and he lands on back and stiffens up and twitches. He can walk up glass and wood and hang on for hours, then all of a sudden drops and twitches

Hi ~

This sounds like blood calcium issues with your hatchling.

How do you supplement this tokay's parents?

May I ask which supplements you use? Please include brand, name, & frequency.

What feeders do you use? What diet do you feed the feeders?

 

[Warwick555]

I feed the parents crickets only because that's all they'll eat. They don't touch worms and only the male eats mice rarely (once a month or two). Male eats dubias but they like to burrow so it's difficult. I use calcium with d3 only as a supplement. I forced a little in the baby's mouth by making him gape and putting in. His symptoms do seem like a lack of calcium but since he just hatched a week ago he doesn't want to eat. I'll buy pin heads to see if he'll eat again. My female has laid a few bad eggs mixed with good so maybe the female has issues and passed it on

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I feed the parents crickets only because that's all they'll eat. They don't touch worms and only the male eats mice rarely (once a month or two). Male eats dubias but they like to burrow so it's difficult. I use calcium with d3 only as a supplement. I forced a little in the baby's mouth by making him gape and putting in. His symptoms do seem like a lack of calcium but since he just hatched a week ago he doesn't want to eat. I'll buy pin heads to see if he'll eat again. My female has laid a few bad eggs mixed with good so maybe the female has issues and passed it on

Excellent move with your D3 calcium! Pinheads may be too small. How about 1/8 inch crickets?

Buy small waxworms to jump-start your hatchling's appetite. That worked for me several years ago. It just took 1-2 waxworms and that gecko was good to go! Then on to small crickets.

Which brand of D3 calcium are you using? All supplements are different.

Did you mix your D3 calcium powder with water when you gave some to your hatchling? Did he swallow it?

How frequently do you lightly powder the adults' crickets?

An Anchor brand 8 ounce clear glass feeding bowl contains dubia well.

​

 

[Warwick555]

Excellent move with your D3 calcium! Pinheads may be too small. How about 1/8 inch crickets?

Buy small waxworms to jump-start your hatchling's appetite. That worked for me several years ago. It just took 1-2 waxworms and that gecko was good to go! Then on to small crickets.

Which brand of D3 calcium are you using? All supplements are different.

Did you mix your D3 calcium powder with water when you gave some to your hatchling? Did he swallow it?

How frequently do you lightly powder the adults' crickets?

An Anchor brand 8 ounce clear glass feeding bowl contains dubia well.

View attachment 48129​

It's in a small cricket container now I transferred it from my 40 gal to that. I'm using zoo med repticalcium with d3. I put a mixture of pinheads with slightly larger baby crickets that are the size of its mouth it got stressed and seized up with the twitches. I have superworms of all sizes from extremely small to very large. It won't eat the superworm and the superworm just bites my gecko. So I removed it. My adults refuse any kind of worms also. When I forced the calcium it was dry at first and it licked it off it's mouth, then I put some in water and kinda "pasted" it on its mouth and it licked it off.. Seems like just one cricket stresses it out but I'm afraid it's malnourished so I want it to eat.

 

[Warwick555]

BTW thanks everyone for the help. I do appreciate it

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

BTW thanks everyone for the help. I do appreciate it

You're most welcome!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

It's in a small cricket container now I transferred it from my 40 gal to that. I'm using zoo med repticalcium with d3. I put a mixture of pinheads with slightly larger baby crickets that are the size of its mouth it got stressed and seized up with the twitches. I have superworms of all sizes from extremely small to very large. It won't eat the superworm and the superworm just bites my gecko. So I removed it. My adults refuse any kind of worms also. When I forced the calcium it was dry at first and it licked it off it's mouth, then I put some in water and kinda "pasted" it on its mouth and it licked it off.. Seems like just one cricket stresses it out but I'm afraid it's malnourished so I want it to eat.

I understand what you've said about feeding worms. Waxworms are definitely worth trying to save this little guy's life.

It's important to get some real food in your hatchling's belly. With that and D3 calcium, he might stand a chance.

1. His seizures may be random.
2. Can you maintain good temps in the much smaller cricket container he's in now?
3. Will he drink water droplets off his mouth or even directly from a syringe or from an eye dropper?
4. Can you buy Repashy's Grub Pie or Oxbow's Carnivore Care (off Amazon) and make a paste of that?
5. In the meantime see whether you can buy Gerber's Turkey Baby Food. That's better than Gerber's Chicken Baby Food. That will not harm him.
   

 

[Warwick555]

I understand what you've said about feeding worms. Waxworms are definitely worth trying to save this little guy's life.

It's important to get some real food in your hatchling's belly. With that and D3 calcium, he might stand a chance.

1. His seizures may be random.
2. Can you maintain good temps in the much smaller cricket container he's in now?
3. Will he drink water droplets off his mouth or even directly from a syringe or from an eye dropper?
4. Can you buy Repashy's Grub Pie or Oxbow's Carnivore Care (off Amazon) and make a paste of that?
5. In the meantime see whether you can buy Gerber's Turkey Baby Food. That's better than Gerber's Chicken Baby Food. That will not harm him.
   View attachment 48130

His seizures and stiffness is random. And certain things so trigger it also such as stress like when a cricket jumped on him. I'll definitely try baby food also. My funds are not so good because I just came back from vacation and my airline charged me another $700 or I wasn't going to be allowed to leave the country coming home, so I'm screwed. I'll try to syringe feed it D3 calcium also. Thank you for the tips. Under the stress of this I don't think of all the options. I'll try to force a cricket in his mouth that's been covered in d3 also

 

[Warwick555]

I understand what you've said about feeding worms. Waxworms are definitely worth trying to save this little guy's life.

It's important to get some real food in your hatchling's belly. With that and D3 calcium, he might stand a chance.

1. His seizures may be random.
2. Can you maintain good temps in the much smaller cricket container he's in now?
3. Will he drink water droplets off his mouth or even directly from a syringe or from an eye dropper?
4. Can you buy Repashy's Grub Pie or Oxbow's Carnivore Care (off Amazon) and make a paste of that?
5. In the meantime see whether you can buy Gerber's Turkey Baby Food. That's better than Gerber's Chicken Baby Food. That will not harm him.
   View attachment 48130

His seizures and stiffness is random. And certain things so trigger it also such as stress like when a cricket jumped on him. I'll definitely try baby food also. My funds are not so good because I just came back from vacation and my airline charged me another $700 or I wasn't going to be allowed to leave the country coming home, so I'm screwed. I'll try to syringe feed it D3 calcium also. Thank you for the tips. Under the stress of this I don't think of all the options. I'll try to force a cricket in his mouth that's been covered in d3 also

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

His seizures and stiffness is random. And certain things so trigger it also such as stress like when a cricket jumped on him. I'll definitely try baby food also. My funds are not so good because I just came back from vacation and my airline charged me another $700 or I wasn't going to be allowed to leave the country coming home, so I'm screwed. I'll try to syringe feed it D3 calcium also. Thank you for the tips. Under the stress of this I don't think of all the options. I'll try to force a cricket in his mouth that's been covered in d3 also

You're welcome.

Have you any supermarkets open right now for Gerber's Turkey Baby Food? Feeding him is urgent and time-sensitive!

Vitamin D3 is fat soluble. Plain calcium requires D3 in order to be metabolized. That's another reason why spending $5 on a waxworm trial is well worth it. Are you close to some big box store like PetCo?

Normally a single dose of vitamin D3 sticks around in a gecko's body about 1 week. So, as long as your hatchling is swallowing D3 calcium (barring other problems), only a couple doses might be required to reverse seizures.

Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 contains just the right amount of vitamin D3 in most circumstances.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

How is your little hatchling doing?

If not recovering, we may be able to help the next hatchling thrive.

 

[Warwick555]

How is your little hatchling doing?

If not recovering, we may be able to help the next hatchling thrive.

It finally ate a couple crickets and with forcing calcium d3 in its mouth looks like its slowly recovering. seizures are lessening. I'm just trying not to stress it out and gave it some more hides and fake plants to feel comfortable ...i feel bad that it's separate from the parents early and seems lonely, but then again I tend to personify my pets, maybe it prefers to be alone. I'll transfer to bigger 10 gal next shed. Thanks again for the help everyone. I'll be more prepared for the others if something goes wrong

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

It finally ate a couple crickets and with forcing calcium d3 in its mouth looks like its slowly recovering. seizures are lessening. I'm just trying not to stress it out and gave it some more hides and fake plants to feel comfortable ...i feel bad that it's separate from the parents early and seems lonely, but then again I tend to personify my pets, maybe it prefers to be alone. I'll transfer to bigger 10 gal next shed. Thanks again for the help everyone. I'll be more prepared for the others if something goes wrong

:banana: I'm happy to hear your progress!

I wouldn't worry that your hatchling is alone.

Don't overdue the D3 calcium, if you're certain it's getting "some" every week.

How are you doing with tokay-friendly temps in the plastic container?

 

[GeckoLeen]

For the most part, reptiles are solitary animals, and don't need company. It's OK if he's by himself.

 

[Warwick555]

I transferred the baby to a 10 gallon tank and it's doing great. Temps, humidity is good, I'm now worried about the clutchmate not hatching and it's been a bit over 14 days. The clutchmate was exposed to more sunlight than the one that hatched, so I hope that wasn't a problem. Can this be a normal thing? How can I tell if the egg has gone bad and baby possibly dead... I hope for the best and won't force it open