Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i got 2 today that look very skinny i will be keeping them in there own tank till the show some improvement they run from me with a good speed so i think they have a chance but the problem is the are keeping there eyes closed and are showing no intrest in crix or water im worried that if they dont get some food in them soon they wont last long, is force feeding an option they are only about 4 inches long and what would i feed them and how, is there another way to spark there apetite

i had to try to give tese 2 a chance i just couldnt stand to let them stay in that condition
please help!

well gosh that really sux. if they are only 4 inches that seems young. i am just suggesting but other ppl might know better. i was reading in a prior post that when they keep their eyes closed they are dehydrated, you might want to get an eye dropper or a siringe and put drops of water on their noses so they can lick it off. i have also had to feed one or two of my geckos baby food. i mix the calci and vitamin dust in and feed it to them the same way as the water. there is also this stuff called jump start. it is an appetite stimulater, i am currently using it on a few of my geckos, it has worked on some and others i am still waiting to see some results, it has only been 3 days. you can buy jumpstart at reptile stores or you can go to www.reptilesupply.com they have it for sale somewhere on their website arround $14 dollars all together. my geckos that i have been trying to get to eat on their own still havnt started to eat on their own and it has been months now but the jumpstart has improved some. So it may take a long tome to get them better. I HOPE SOMEONE ELSE POSTS WHO HAS MORE EXPERIENCE THEN I....

thanks for the dropper idea i will give that a try.
here are some pics to give you an idea of there condition

It is very nice you are trying to help, but do not expose yout healthy animals to these two! Even doing it for the pic is risky.

There is a good chance there is a reason they are so skinny and it could be something fatal, a Strict Quarintine is needed, preferably in another room. Hands need to be washed even before using feeders for your healthy ones. Some things can be spread very easily. Whole collections have been wiped out by a crypto infected animal.
The pink dots could be ovulation, internal bleeding, organs, can't tell from the pic.

Now you need to see if you can get a fecal from those two and get it to the vet ASAP. SInce they are not eating I suggest you go to Golden gate geckos site(link at the top of forum) she has a recipe for a slurry. Try and get some of that in them, then you will have a fecal. Hopefully they don't have anything serious and some meds and the slurry will bring them back. Many parasites can be treated quite easily.
Good luck I hope in a few months they are looking great.

Where did you get them? Do you know any backround on them?
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Sarah H

www.fototime.com/inv/500FFD9910FF842
[email]ghia12345@aol.com[email]

You can just dropper feed then some squash baby food to get a fecal, then try her slurry receipe after getting the fecal tested at the vet. I couldn't find it on her site, I swear it was there,lol. so here it is

In a blender, combine:
1 small can Hill's A/D pet food (available at most vets)
1/4-1/3 cup Ensure (not chocolate)
1 jar baby food squash
1/4-1/3 cup Pedialite
2 tablets or contents of 2 capsules milk thistle (herbal supplement, liver purifier, found at most drug stores.)
1/2 tsp. each calcium powder and herp vitamin powder
1 large handful of mealworms, added slowly while mixture is blending

Puree all ingredients until completely smooth, and pour into ice cube tray(s) and freeze. Store cubes in zip-lock bag in the freezer until ready to use, then thaw out 1 cube at a time and store in fridge for 2-3 days. I use the empty baby food jar for this purpose, washing it thoroughly after each batch.

Using this mixture, draw a full dropper (eye dropper type) and place a drop on the gecko's nose. It will lick it off, and as it does, slowly squeeze out a little at a time. Most geckos love this food, and will lap it up. Feed them as much as they will take a couple of times a day.
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Sarah H

www.fototime.com/inv/500FFD9910FF842
[email]ghia12345@aol.com[email]

sorry about the bad pic but i had to mess with the color to make to spots show up there are 2 spots right before the vent they are blood red any idea what this is

OH MY GOD!! thoughs poor things! i wouldnt get them anywhere near that other one, patternless it actually looks healthy. wow it might not be too late for the lighter color one but the other looks far far away.. now i know why you were asking about the snows. if you can save thoughs poor little guys i will bow down, kiss your feet and call you the gecko king/queen. haha. so anyways ouch, i have no idea what the red spots are, maybe its kidneys gone bad and infected. i hate seeing animals like that, i know you are just trying to help but you will probably get scolded by some ppl, or they will keep quiet because i said that. if you do end up saving thoughs guys it may end up getting more yellow and healthier brighter colors, however if it gets healthy and stays white and blak like that, you and your gecko will be very lucky. If I were you I would have raised H*LL seeing thoughs guys like that! i always yell at the petco ppl too, they dont like me anymore hehe. im not sure if it is a good idea or not but they probably also have parasites. you may consider consulting a vet, it wont be cheap and i dont know how mutch more money you want to spend. i dont know if it is a good idea to treat such an unhealthy little guy for parasites beeing as it is basically poison in amounts harsh enough to kill the bugs but not the gecko, if you know what i mean. anyhow we all know my major isnt english. OH also keep your substrate temp at a steady 92-93 but no higher. sometimes a slightly high temp helps kickstart a little,i have herd from some VERY good breeders. Good LUCK!

Unfortunately, that pic of red spots does look to me like a serious kidney infection. A vet visit is mandatory. I would also recommend feeding some turkey baby food w/ calc and vit powder mixed in, dropper fed the day before the vet visit, b/c a fecal will be very helpful. Kidney infection in geckoes does not carry a very good prognosis, Im sorry. It may also have other problems, most likely some underlying nutrition problem which allowed the infection to take hold. That gecko needs antibiotics, possibly deworming, hydration, and maybe more. I recommend keeping them at the slightly higher temp mentioned earlier, in the 80-90 range (cold/hot) and increase humidity. You can do this easily by keeping them on paper towels, damp, and cover half the tank with saran wrap to keep the humidity in. And dear god, follow strict quarantine procedures. You may want to quarantine the other gecko as well, since it has possibly been exposed. good luck
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in reply to some of your comments i will be keeping these 2 in there own tank untill/if they get better i just wanted to show a comparison to my healty one shewas givin to me a few mounths ago alittle on the skinny side but know where near this bad

i think there biggest problem will be impaction, after finding the water dish the darker one drank for 2 min solid then pooped out walnut shell bedding, thats what they were keeping them on. the lighter one has only drank from the dropper that i have seen so far.

things are looking up for the lighter one, although she isnt chasing crix on her own yet i got her to eat some wax worms, i held one in my hand and tapped her nose 2 or 3 times till she opend her mouth and i droped it in there she must have liked it cause when she saw the next one coming she took it from me, i stoped with 4 wax worms so i wouldnt overload her belly, by the way i did coat them with vitamin powder first. the darker one however would just spit them out at me so i gave him food in the droper for now.

and as to where they came from my local pet shop witch is usually very good about careing for there reptiles, and other animals for that matter had a pretty healthy looking one that i was eyeing for a while, no yellow, and when i asked to see it i found these 2 hiding under a plant they had in ther. i had a talk with the manager about the shape they were in and suggested they let me take them to se if i could save there lives,

so thats the story pretty much so far
whish them luck

Tony

p.s. thanks for the suggestions everyone i will also be contacting a vet tommoro