Comments | herpers: Lexie has been sick

el_esteleth in herpers

Lexie has been sick

Sep 29, 2013 15:47

My leopard gecko has been sick, not eating. She does this not eating thing periodically, so I was keeping an eye on her, but she's gotten worse, and her tail is skinnier. I'm feeding her with a dropper. Anyone else got ideas? She's intent on biting me, which ends up being funny, if I weren't so worried about her.

Comments 6

harliquinnraver September 29 2013, 23:28:21 UTC

I'd recommend a vet visit and fecal exam.

el_esteleth September 29 2013, 23:57:08 UTC

That's what I was planning but she didn't make it.

neumeindil September 30 2013, 05:26:00 UTC

I'm sorry you lost your girl. :( Not that I want to rub salt in a wound, but for the future animals you keep, it might help to figure out what this was. Were you keeping her on sand? Had she ever eaten stuff from an outdoor source, like bugs from the yard or unwashed veggies? What was her diet like? Had she ever laid eggs or been around a male after breeding age?

It could well have been a parasite, or she might have had an impaction, which is common on sand and mulch used as substrate. If she had eggs/slugs she couldn't pass, that could be a fatal issue as well.

I really am sad to hear you lost her. I've got a soft spot for Leos even though we mostly keep snakes. They're such funny little things.

el_esteleth September 30 2013, 12:00:08 UTC

She was not on sand as I did much research before getting her three years ago. She ate gut-loaded and calcium dusted crickets as well as phoenix worms. She ate regularly except when she went through her phases of refusing to eat, usually around when she shed. She was not exposed to outdoor stuff, because I like to KNOW where her food comes from. I'm a careful pet owner. She was 5 years old, had had two owners before me, both of whom were not the best. She never had eggs or slugs she couldn't pass. I'm baffled and I'm not certain I intend to keep Leos again as this has been very painful. She was my companion, and now I have lost that.

neumeindil October 1 2013, 05:08:07 UTC

I understand. :( I'm so sorry. From the sound of it, she was probably exposed to parasites before you got her; they can live for quite some time in a digestive tract without any signs. We've seen them in animals that have been captive for *years* and simply lived in the same room as another animal that had parasites. If she wasn't well-cared for in her first homes, cross-contamination is a likelihood. The only thing that might have helped were yearly fecal exams, and that's not a normal thing keepers would do for a single animal. Usually yearly exams are reserved for larger reptile collections or people who import animals. There wasn't a thing more you could have done. I say this because I know how hard it is to overcome the hurt of losing a pet, and I often find comfort in figuring out the cause. Unfortunately with reptiles being such fragile little creatures, this kind of thing is common. I would encourage you to take whatever time you need to grieve and then think about another type of pet. Maybe Bearded Dragons or Uromastyx would ( ... )

teefers October 1 2013, 16:40:32 UTC

if its too soon to start talking about other animals, I apologize, es.
but if its not too soon, a friend of mine breeds crested geckos and when she told me all their requirements, i was shocked. like, its not a lot of requirements o_O no heat lamp, no live insects, they don't need giant enclosures.. they are totally easy to take care of and can be really friendly too! each has lots of personality and if you get a mellow one, totally great to handle. i feel like they'd be a good match for you.