gecko developed kink in his tail

gdfr2025

New member
hi my boy has recently developed a kink in his tail.

he has an arcadia D3 6% T5 lamp, and eats arcadia sticky foot gold mixed with a dash of pangea gecko diet twice a week. insect feeding is mostly a refusal on his end. he will occasionally take a cricket or two but he does not like dubias, mealworms, waxworms…he has been on a diet due to being overweight so i don’t give him his favorite hornworms anymore. he has had large calcium sacs for a couple years now so i’ve cut back on the calcium intake but i fear it could be calcium related?
he also likes to hang upside down from the mesh screen sometimes and mostly avoids the vertical objects so i’m also wondering if it could be floppy tail syndrome but further down?
i’ve touched that part of his tail and it is not able to be straightened. all of this has developed within 1-2 months.
i know everyone immediately jumps to “go to a vet”but my concern is a vet will not know much about these guys, and does anyone know what a vet would even suggest be done? would they take blood samples, x-rays? if anyone has any input on what could be going on that would be great
 

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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Welcome to Geckos Unlimited, gdfr2025!

Please share an image of this entire gecko.
Please include an image of his enclosure.
About how old is this Phelsuma?
What are the ingredients of Arcadia's Sticky Foot Gold?
How does Arcadia's Sticky Foot Gold compare with Pangea in terms of vitamin D3 & calcium content?
Is it possible that this Phelsuma is getting too much vitamin D3? How much is he basking?
IF he spends 'adequate' time basking, only a wee bit of powdered D3 is required monthly as a backup.

Hornworms might be excellent for a gecko who needs to lose weight!
Approximate nutritional content of HORNWORMS (source = Mulberry Farms):
  • Protein = 9%
  • Fat = 3%
  • Calcium = 46.4mg/100mg :) :) :)
  • Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio = 1:3. That ratio is quite low compared to other worms! [Phosphorus impairs calcium absorption. Serve plain or lightly dust hornworms with pure precipitated calcium carbonate (withOUT vitamin D3) to rebalance the calcium and phosphorus even further.]
  • Moisture = 85%
 

gdfr2025

New member
Welcome to Geckos Unlimited, gdfr2025!

Please share an image of this entire gecko.
Please include an image of his enclosure.
About how old is this Phelsuma?
What are the ingredients of Arcadia's Sticky Foot Gold?
How does Arcadia's Sticky Foot Gold compare with Pangea in terms of vitamin D3 & calcium content?
Is it possible that this Phelsuma is getting too much vitamin D3? How much is he basking?
IF he spends 'adequate' time basking, only a wee bit of powdered D3 is required monthly as a backup.

Hornworms might be excellent for a gecko who needs to lose weight!
Approximate nutritional content of HORNWORMS (source = Mulberry Farms):
  • Protein = 9%
  • Fat = 3%
  • Calcium = 46.4mg/100mg :) :) :)
  • Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio = 1:3. That ratio is quite low compared to other worms! [Phosphorus impairs calcium absorption. Serve plain or lightly dust hornworms with pure precipitated calcium carbonate (withOUT vitamin D3) to rebalance the calcium and phosphorus even further.]
  • Moisture = 85%
hi he is around 6 years old. the SFG has no calcium in it and the pangea is probably 0.5:3 ratio mixed in with the SFG when feeding. he is under the UV light at certain points throughout the day but not all day. basically nothing has changed for him for like 9 months now except his tail. he did lose some weight from his tail and body but his calcium sacs are still prominent. here is the most recent photo of him.
 

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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Thanks!

Is Arcadia's SFG a complete diet? If so, how about ONLY feeding that & discontinuing any Pangea Gecko Diet? All Pangea's Diets are 'complete gecko diets'. All Pangea diets supply all nutrients a gecko requires withOUT UVB! So, with UVB exposure regular use of Pangea may be excessive!

Please share an image of your Phelsuma's entire enclosure.
 
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