Gecko with a kinked spine

fragment

New member
Hey guys!

So I recently took in a rescue crested gecko, a 4 year old male. He has a very pronounced dip in his spine at the base of his tail, which I was told was a birth defect - if that's true and it's not MBD and/or floppy tail.

My question is, do you think it would be better for his spine if a vet coaxed him to drop his tail? I was wondering if getting rid of that extra weight and drag would make him feel better, but I'm not sure if that's just a dumb idea. I don't want to stress him out needlessly.
 
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Aimless

Super Moderator
can you post a pic? I had an MBD gecko I liberated from a Petco once with a similar condition. I consulted with the two biggest crestie breeders I knew at the time as well as my herp vet. I elected to drop the tail at home, which was terribly stressful for us both but at least it was over quickly.

I'm not sure if it helped him or not, he didn't seem to move any differently. I don't think he developed joint issues, at least none that were noticeable, before his death about 5 years later. so, if they were honest about his age when I got him (which is anyone's guess), his total span was about 7-8 years. that was the biggest impact of the MBD. he also had an asymmetry about eyes/pupil size, but both were light-reactive and he didn't have any problem with either crickets or MRP. he lived his life in a planted tank.
 
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