Help needed with baby gold dust day gecko!!!

[NinaD]

Hey everybody!

I bought a gravid female gold dust day gecko about 4 months ago, and then found a baby day gecko in my rooms about two months later (must have hatched and escaped the bioactive terrarium!). I took the baby and put it in it’s own little terrarium, where I fed it some gecko jellies and some fruit flies. About two weeks ago it started acting strange and I saw it have a seizure. I looked it up and read that seizures mostly are a sign of stress, a calcium deficiency or a vitamin deficiency. I transferred it to a simpler setup (deli cup, wet paper towels and a few sticks), and made sure that it had the repashy crested gecko diet (for vitamins) at all times. I also started dusting the fruit flies more heavily with calcium and d3. It was eating well and seemed to be doing better, but it had another seizure today. I also noticed that it’s toes kind of curl upwards.

Anyway, I was hoping for some advice, as I don’t quite know what to do. It’s stressing me and I don’t want to mess anything up for this little guy (or girl). It’s the first time I’m caring for a baby gecko and as mentioned, I haven’t been caring for gold dust day geckos very long either. It’s also my first time posting on a forum, so I don’t know exactly how it works...

As I said, any advice will help!!
Thanks,
Nina

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hey everybody!

I bought a gravid female gold dust day gecko about 4 months ago, and then found a baby day gecko in my rooms about two months later (must have hatched and escaped the bioactive terrarium!). I took the baby and put it in it’s own little terrarium, where I fed it some gecko jellies and some fruit flies. About two weeks ago it started acting strange and I saw it have a seizure. I looked it up and read that seizures mostly are a sign of stress, a calcium deficiency or a vitamin deficiency. I transferred it to a simpler setup (deli cup, wet paper towels and a few sticks), and made sure that it had the repashy crested gecko diet (for vitamins) at all times. I also started dusting the fruit flies more heavily with calcium and d3. It was eating well and seemed to be doing better, but it had another seizure today. I also noticed that it’s toes kind of curl upwards.

Anyway, I was hoping for some advice, as I don’t quite know what to do. It’s stressing me and I don’t want to mess anything up for this little guy (or girl). It’s the first time I’m caring for a baby gecko and as mentioned, I haven’t been caring for gold dust day geckos very long either. It’s also my first time posting on a forum, so I don’t know exactly how it works...

As I said, any advice will help!!
Thanks,
Nina

Welcome to Geckos Unlimited, Nina!

1. What "gecko jellies" had you been feeding this baby day gecko?
2. How often had you been dusting the fruit flies with calcium + D3 prior to the seizures?

Geckos have seizures as a result of calcium imbalances. Too much calcium and D3 can cause similar problems.

Which brand and name of calcium with D3 have you? All of them contain different proportions of vitamin D3. Generally, a light dusting of D3 containing calcium at 1 feeding per week is quite adequate. That dosage will metabolize calcium ALL week long.

 

[NinaD]

Thanks for replying!
1. I don’t exactly know, they are honey flavored jellied I give my adult gold dust day gecko for a source of liquids more than anything else.
2. I dusted the fruit flies with the exo terra calcium + d3 powder. I added new (dusted) fruit flies when I saw that there weren’t any left in the enclosure (maybe 3-4 days later). But I had only started feeding it fruit flies about a week prior (I couldn’t find any before that).

At the beginning there was a while where the baby gecko wasn’t eating anything apart from the jelly, so I assumed at the time of the first seizure that it was a lack of various vitamins and calcium. But yesterday’s seizure came to a surprise to me, as I had seen the gecko eat the calcium dusted fruit flies, the repashy gecko diet as well as fresh papaya. I try to make sure that it gets enough calcium, because I don’t have a uvb lamp yet (I only have one for the adult one). I read that they need the uvb to properly absorb calcium, but I guess I could have been giving it too much calcium this past week...

Anyway, thanks again��

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks for replying!
1. I don’t exactly know, they are honey flavored jellied I give my adult gold dust day gecko for a source of liquids more than anything else.
2. I dusted the fruit flies with the exo terra calcium + d3 powder. I added new (dusted) fruit flies when I saw that there weren’t any left in the enclosure (maybe 3-4 days later). But I had only started feeding it fruit flies about a week prior (I couldn’t find any before that).

At the beginning there was a while where the baby gecko wasn’t eating anything apart from the jelly, so I assumed at the time of the first seizure that it was a lack of various vitamins and calcium. But yesterday’s seizure came to a surprise to me, as I had seen the gecko eat the calcium dusted fruit flies, the repashy gecko diet as well as fresh papaya. I try to make sure that it gets enough calcium, because I don’t have a uvb lamp yet (I only have one for the adult one). I read that they need the uvb to properly absorb calcium, but I guess I could have been giving it too much calcium this past week...

Anyway, thanks again��

1. So you have only been supplementing with Exo Terra calcium + D3 for 1 week?
2. Are the jellied liquids (?) you feed them a source of food (nutrition). You mention them as a source of liquid.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin along with vitamins A, E, & K. Vitamin D sticks around in our bodies and is absorbed more slowly than water soluble vitamins such as vitamins B & C.

A proper amount of vitamin D3 has worked for years before the advent of UVB lighting!

I can't access important GU files right now. Please compare Exo Terra calcium + D3 to Zoo Med Repti Calcium + D3. How do the vitamin D3 levels compare?

 

[NinaD]

1. At the time of the first seizure, yes, but now it’s been more than two weeks.
2. The jellies are jell-o consistency and I always assumed they were more of something tasty to them rather than something nutritious(The pet shop I buy them doesn’t sell them in their original packaging, so I have no idea about their ingredients). The geckos don’t bite off pieces, they just lick it.
I always have a clean water dish in there too, the reason I have the jellies is because the previous owner of the “mom” said that it liked them...

I’ll compare the Calcium supplements as soon as I get home.

 

[NinaD]

1. At the time of the first seizure, yes, but now it’s been more than two weeks.
2. The jellies are jell-o consistency and I always assumed they were more something tasty, rather than something nutritious(The pet shop I buy them doesn’t sell them in their original packaging, so I have no clear idea about their ingredients). The geckos don’t bite off pieces, they just lick it.
I always have a clean water dish in there too, the reason I have the jellies is because the previous owner of the “mom” said that it liked them (which they seem to do)...

I’ll compare the Calcium supplements as soon as I get home.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

1. At the time of the first seizure, yes, but now it’s been more than two weeks.
2. The jellies are jell-o consistency and I always assumed they were more of something tasty to them rather than something nutritious(The pet shop I buy them doesn’t sell them in their original packaging, so I have no idea about their ingredients). The geckos don’t bite off pieces, they just lick it.
I always have a clean water dish in there too, the reason I have the jellies is because the previous owner of the “mom” said that it liked them...

I’ll compare the Calcium supplements as soon as I get home.

It sounds like your ~2 month old day gecko's seizures are the cumulative result of no vitamin D3 until recently.

Can you buy Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 soon? I've used Zoo Med's supplements for years.

I don't know whether Exo Terra's EU 65mg/kg of D3 is adequate. What amount D3 does your Exo Terra show?

Here are the comparisons of Exo Terra calcium + D3 to Zoo Med Repti Calcium + D3 from my files.

Zoo Med Repti Calcium with vitamin D3---phosphorus-free ***Highly RECOMMENDED***
38%-43% precipitated calcium carbonate
Vitamin D3: 22,907 IU/kg, 10,390 IU/pound

Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 Reptile supplement is a phosphorus-free calcium supplement for reptiles and amphibians. We use only precipitated calcium carbonate which is white in color and is essentially lead free. Pure calcium carbonate is white, not gray. Impurities in other sources of calcium carbonate (e.g. oyster shell calcium) cause the supplement to appear gray. The calcium carbonate particles in Repti Calcium have a unique shape, and an extremely high surface area per gram, resulting in increased calcium bioavailability. With Repti Calcium, you can take comfort in knowing that your reptiles are getting a highly bioavailable source of calcium carbonate that is free of harmful impurities. Reptiles maintained indoors may benefit from supplemental vitamin D3 in their diet. Our formula contains safe levels of vitamin D3 when used as prescribed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Exo Terra's Calcium with vitamin D3---phosphorus-free...... Contains dextrose (sugar) & oyster shell flour

Click: Exo Terra : Calcium + D3 / Calcium + D3 Powder Supplement

1. North America
INGREDIENTS:
Calcium carbonate, oyster shell flour, dextrose, Vitamin D3 supplement.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:

• Moisture (max) 12.0%
• Calcium (min) 35.0%
• Calcium (max) 37.0%
• Vitamin D3 14,740 IU/lb (XXX IU/kg)

2. EU
INGREDIENTS:
Calcium carbonate (35%), ground oyster shells, salt.
Contains EU permitted additives.

EU TYPICAL ANALYSIS:

• Calcium 35%
• Vitamin D3 65 mg/kg ???

???? EU Typical Analysis:
Calcium 35%, Vitamin D3 0,81 mg/kg

For link 24 click: Calcium powders with D3: Zoo Med, Rep-Cal, Fluker, Exo Terra, + others​

 

[NinaD]

Ok, that is what I assumed as well. I’ll try to get the calcium you recommended as soon as possible. I haven’t been able to check the info on the supplements I have been using as I am away on a trip.
Thanks again for everything!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Ok, that is what I assumed as well. I’ll try to get the calcium you recommended as soon as possible. I haven’t been able to check the info on the supplements I have been using as I am away on a trip.
Thanks again for everything!

You're welcome, Nina.

It's very important that this wee gecko get a good quality calcium with D3 once per week dusted on ALL the fruit flies at that feeding. I hope this will be enough vitamin D3 to slowly lessen the seizures.