how to best treat impaction

[Paolo]

Hi,
I bought a hatchling crested gecko in June 2020. He never developed much of an appetite for his powdered food, so I began to supplement with crickets and small meal worms--right now he weights about 8.5 grams. In late November, he consumed 13 meal worms at one meal and ever since has been extremely lethargic--he has a hump in the center of his body and cannot use his rear legs. I take him out of his tank every night and paint reconstituted gecko diet powder on his snout so he can eat. He poops infrequently (3 definite times two weeks ago). The pet store owner believes this is an impaction. How can I treat this? I am thinking of using an oral syringe to administer magnesium citrate as a laxative. How long can he survive like this? He does not move about in his cage and has not climbed in months. I am really depressed over the fact that I did this to him-it is my first experience with crested geckos. The cage is kept at about 77 degrees F and I mist the cage 2-3 times a day. I use reptile moss for a substrate (20 gallon tank) Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Welcome to Geckos Unlimited!

Please share a photo of your crested gecko.

So your crested gecko may be impacted with mealworm skeletons. Is he staying hydrated?

Place a couple drops of olive oil or vegetable oil on his snout. Will he lick it off?

Have you tried Pangea dry diet with Insects? That's better and more palatable than most other powdered diets.

 

[Paolo]

Welcome to Geckos Unlimited!

Please share a photo of your leo.

So your crested gecko may be impacted with mealworm skeletons. Is he staying hydrated?

Place a couple drops of olive oil or vegetable oil on his snout. Will he lick it off?

Have you tried Pangea dry diet with Insects? That's better and more palatable than most other powdered diets.

I'm pretty sure he is dying--I tried to give him olive oil-he promptly threw up and started gaping!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I bought a hatchling crested gecko in June 2020. He never developed much of an appetite for his powdered food, so I began to supplement with crickets and small meal worms--right now he weights about 8.5 grams. In late November, he consumed 13 meal worms at one meal and ever since has been extremely lethargic--he has a hump in the center of his body and cannot use his rear legs. I take him out of his tank every night and paint reconstituted gecko diet powder on his snout so he can eat.

I'm pretty sure he is dying--I tried to give him olive oil-he promptly threw up and started gaping!

I'm quite sorry to hear that. Does he vomit after you feed him too? If so, maybe he's too full.

8.5 grams is severely underweight for a 6.5 month old crested gecko.

Where is his lump -- in his stomach or somewhere else? If those mealworm skeletons impacted him, that impaction may be pressing on some nerve and causing his rear legs NOT to function. I don't know whether a vet could help him.

When he was still eating crickets and mealworms, did you dust them with a powdered supplement containing calcium + vitamin D3 weekly and a multivitamin once in awhile? If not, and he mainly ate crickets and mealworms most his life, your crested gecko could be suffering from MBD (metabolic bone disease).

 

[Paolo]

He finally died overnight-he actually weighed 11.8 grams. The bulge was in the center of his back-the pet store said he was too young to have MBD. Thank you for trying to help.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

He finally died overnight-he actually weighed 11.8 grams. The bulge was in the center of his back-the pet store said he was too young to have MBD. Thank you for trying to help.

You're so welcome, Paolo. I'm sorry your gecko passed away. Thanks for sharing.

Here's a daffodil to ease your pain:

​

PS:
A gecko can get MBD at any age. If a gecko doesn't like some all-in-one powdered diet and then eats bugs and worms that aren't regularly dusted (or are dusted too often), after not long at all MBD is the result. As far as powdered diets go, Pangea is tops!