The Phantom Blot

[x_dimension]

I went out for a few hours tonight and came home to find a strange splotch on the floor of the terrarium and I’m not sure what it is. For some background info, I adopted Dexter on Tuesday from a friend of a friend. She hasn’t eaten her crickets, something I’ve attributed to her needing time to adjust to a new setting, but she has pooped. From what I can tell, she hasn’t been too lethargic and I’ve caught her out and about a few times. I just want to know if I should be worried about her health or if she needs a visit to the vet.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Welcome to Geckos Unlimited, x-dimension!

I can barely see that "splotch".

Is Dexter a leopard gecko?

Please help us out by sharing

1. Dexter's approximate age
2. Dexter's length from snout to tail tip
3. Brand, exact name, & frequency of supplements
4. Size of enclosure
5. Ground temps of enclosure

Please include a 60 second video of Dexter walking around on a solid surface like a carpet so we can check her out for MBD.

 

[x_dimension]

Thanks for the reply. The blot disappeared this morning. I would think it was water, but it wasn’t too close to her bowl and it didn’t look like any of it spilled.
Dexter is likely 3-4 years old. Her previous owner told me she got her from PetCo 3 years ago. I’ve dusted the crickets with Zoo Med’s Reptivite supplement, but she hasn’t eaten any of the crickets that were dusted. I also keep a cap of Mazuri Gut Loading Diet in the cricket pen for their food. I’ve also tried tong feeding her a few times every other day and she wouldn’t eat. For her enclosure, she has a 20 Gallon tank. I try to keep the warm side between 80 and 90 degrees while the cool side stays between 70 and 80. She’s in her cool hide now and I’d rather not stress her out. I can get the video/measurements later tonight.

 

[x_dimension]

And yes, Dexter is a Leopard Gecko! I forgot to put that in my previous reply!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Thanks for the reply. The blot disappeared this morning. I would think it was water, but it wasn’t too close to her bowl and it didn’t look like any of it spilled.
Dexter is likely 3-4 years old. Her previous owner told me she got her from PetCo 3 years ago. I’ve dusted the crickets with Zoo Med’s Reptivite supplement, but she hasn’t eaten any of the crickets that were dusted. I also keep a cap of Mazuri Gut Loading Diet in the cricket pen for their food. I’ve also tried tong feeding her a few times every other day and she wouldn’t eat. For her enclosure, she has a 20 Gallon tank. I try to keep the warm side between 80 and 90 degrees while the cool side stays between 70 and 80. She’s in her cool hide now and I’d rather not stress her out. I can get the video/measurements later tonight.

You're welcome.

This blot could also have been urine. Leos excrete feces, urates, and urine.

Sometimes both male & female leos go off food, but maintain their weights.

Have you a thermostat for Dexter's heat source? That will prevent spikes and keep enclosure temps to her liking. If her room temps are about 67*F plus during the night, it's safe to turn off any enclosure heating during the night.

1. How often had you been dusting her crickets with ZM's Reptivite with D3 while she was still eating?
2. So she NEVER ate a dusted cricket?
3. Light or heavy dusting of crickets?
4. Please include an image of your leo's full body and her total length from snout to tail tip.
5. Please include a close up of Mazuri Gut Loading Diet's ingredients.

I look forward to your video.

 

[x_dimension]

I don’t have a thermostat, but I use a regular basking bulb during the day that usually gets up to 90 degrees and a heat mat underneath the tank. At night, I switch to a ceramic emitter that keeps the warm side at 75.
Ive tried lightly dusting a few crickets every time I’ve fed her while leaving a few insisted to see if she would prefer one or the other. She didn’t eat off the tongs and she didn’t hunt either. Her previous owner would dust her crickets, but I haven’t seen her eat any since I got her (no worms, previous owner said they made her sick). As far as length goes, she’s about 8 and a half inches. I’m having a little trouble uploading the video.

 

[acpart]

Welcome! It's not unusual for a gecko in a new place not to eat for days, and to be honest, sometimes even for weeks! When you say 90 degrees, are you talking about the air temp or the floor temp. If it's the floor temp, great! If it's the air temp, I think it's too hot.

Aliza

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I don’t have a thermostat, but I use a regular basking bulb during the day that usually gets up to 90 degrees and a heat mat underneath the tank. At night, I switch to a ceramic emitter that keeps the warm side at 75.
Ive tried lightly dusting a few crickets every time I’ve fed her while leaving a few insisted to see if she would prefer one or the other. She didn’t eat off the tongs and she didn’t hunt either. Her previous owner would dust her crickets, but I haven’t seen her eat any since I got her (no worms, previous owner said they made her sick). As far as length goes, she’s about 8 and a half inches. I’m having a little trouble uploading the video.

As you post a new message, do you see 3 lines of icons right above the message? Go to the 2nd line down. The video icon is a ladder 15 pictures in.

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/\ Does that make sense?

 

[x_dimension]

I'm talking about the air temp. If it's too hot, I can get a weaker bulb or turn up my apartments AC.

 

[x_dimension]

[video]https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/my-drive[/video]

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[x_dimension]

[video]https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1X9jhdCUXcIhSRAK3OSRUp0ssG3NV3Iu9?usp=sharing[/video]
Still having trouble uploading videos from my computer. This should take you to the video on Google Drive. Let me know if it works! Thank you so much for your feedback!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Here's Schedule 126. That's the Zoo Med supplement schedule I recommend for 3-4 yo Dexter. Dusting 2x per week with ZM Reptivite multivitamins with D3 = too many vitamins, especially vitamin A acetate (retinol)!

Lightly dust prey with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium withOUT D3 @ the 2nd dusting per week. That's pure calcium carbonate.

Vitamin D3 is fat soluble. A single dose per week sticks around in a leo's body all week long and metabolizes pure calcium during that week.

Weekly Schedule 126 for Leopard Geckos 18 months old +​

(withOUT UVB)
Adapted for your 3-4 yo leo Dexter​

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) symptoms include uneven (lopsided) gait, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, and an underbite. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.

The Reptile Supply Company (916-226-4089) based in Lodi, California stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.

• Monday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins with D3
• Thursday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with Zoo Med's Repti Calcium withOUT D3
• Saturday > > Optional: mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting

For link 126 click: Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 126 for leopard geckos 18 months old +

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

[video]https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1X9jhdCUXcIhSRAK3OSRUp0ssG3NV3Iu9?usp=sharing[/video]
Still having trouble uploading videos from my computer. This should take you to the video on Google Drive. Let me know if it works! Thank you so much for your feedback!

You're welcome.

I can see Dexter on your short video. While she is still awake, how about a ~60 second video on a carpet outside her enclosure. I need some extended footage in order to see how her legs bend as she walks.

 

[x_dimension]

Uploaded another video to the google drive, hope that's better. I'll try to get some supplements without d3, but I don't know if she'll eat the crickets. (She's very new, I just got her on Tuesday so she might not be fully adjusted to the new environment yet.)

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Welcome! It's not unusual for a gecko in a new place not to eat for days, and to be honest, sometimes even for weeks! When you say 90 degrees, are you talking about the air temp or the floor temp. If it's the floor temp, great! If it's the air temp, I think it's too hot.

Aliza

I'm talking about the air temp. If it's too hot, I can get a weaker bulb or turn up my apartments AC.

Ground/floor temps are the ones you need to know. What is the temp underneath the warm dry hide as measured by the probe of a digital thermometer? Zoo Med makes a yellow digital thermometer that some PetCos carry.

A better way to heat Dexter's home is to purchase an 11 x 17 inch Ultratherm heat mat. The Ultratherm will last for years! It will heat half a 20 long to satisfactory temps with NO problems.

Temperatures - A temperature gradient from warm to cool maintains your leo's health. Here's a temperature guide for all leopard geckos as measured with the probe of a digital thermometer or a temp gun. Set your thermostat at 91*F/32.8*C.

Tape the thermostat's probe and a digital thermometer's probe together, but offset a little. Place them right on top of the substrate underneath the warm dry hide. If you use a UTH + a CHE you'll need 2 separate thermostats, because ground and air temperatures are substantially different.

• Warm dry hide ground temperature: 88-92 F (31.1-33.3 C) inside a leo's warm dry hide.
• Warm humid/moist hide: Place the humid hide 100% on top of the heat mat. Keep temperatures similar to the warm dry hide.
• Cool dry hide ground temperature: 70ish-75 F (21.1-23.9 C) Usually the cool end ground temperature matches the room temperature where the enclosure sits.
• no greater than 82ish F (27.8ish C) surface temperature - 4 inches (10 cm) above ground on the warm end
• no greater than 75 F (23.9 C) surface temperature - 4 inches (10 cm) above ground on the cool end

Leave your heat mat on 24/7 IF ambient room temperatures drop lower than 67ish*F (19.4*C). If NOT, during the night turn off overhead lighting/heating (~12 hours on and ~12 hours off)

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Uploaded another video to the google drive, hope that's better. I'll try to get some supplements without d3, but I don't know if she'll eat the crickets. (She's very new, I just got her on Tuesday so she might not be fully adjusted to the new environment yet.)

In your 2nd video I see no signs of Metabolic Bone Disease in Dexter's gait. Metabolic bone disease (MBD) symptoms include leaning to one side when walking, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, and an underbite. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.

Dexter is beautiful! I love her yellow. She has good body proportions for her ~8.5 inch length! Missing some meals while she settles in to her new home is nothing to worry about.

PetCo carries Zoo Med's Repti Calcium withOUT D3. You could also get NOW pure calcium carbonate via Amazon. Pure calcium carbonate never expires.

Mazuri Better Bug is a GREAT gut loading product! It contains some vitamin A acetate (retinol) and some vitamin D3.

How about a feeding bowl? That doesn't let her hunt, but keeps crickets contained IF you amputate half their back legs. A bowl also does better keeping supplements on the crickets. I use an 8 ounce Anchor bowl. I place a slanted rock next to the feeding bowl, so my leo can access it better. Walmart carries these.

​

 

[x_dimension]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input! I don't know about feeder bowls (seems unnecessarily cruel to the crickets, even if they are going to be eaten...) but I will definitely look into it if she doesn't have the best luck with hunting/tong feeding. I'll also look into Ultratherm mats as well, but that might have to wait until a bit later in the future. Thank you once again for all your input!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

You are so welcome!

I send best wishes that you & Dexter enjoy a long companionship.