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Everyone NEEDS to READ AND SEE THIS!!!

icedearthgoddess Jun 07, 2006 03:27 AM

This is the same post under a new name.

This is the workst case of impaction I have ever seen! I work at a petshop and about half hour past close a man came up and knock on the windows. He showed my the leo in this tiny terrarium and said he found it sitting by the door and wondered if it was ours. I gasped and almost fell to tears when I saw this. Not only is he malnurished, he must have broken two feet and walked on them and they have healed very deformed. His tail is kinked several time from bad shed I assume. My guess is that he was deprived calcium and ate all the blue sand in his tiny habitat to try and fill his malnurishment and maybe even hunger. When I re-examined the plastic terrarium, there was a hint of blue sand left along some of the edges. That is when I knew exactly what happend to all the sand. I am soaking him in warms baths and he seems be calm and sleeps in the warm water. I don't want this beautiful guy to die. He is livly, but I know he's in a lot of pain. He has clear eyes and has energy to walk around. Please let me know if there is anything I can further I can do for him. I don't have the money to get him surgury and I hate myself for that, please if anyone is willing to help me, please contact me me ASAP!!!! My email is iced_earth_goddess@hotmail.com. Or just reply to this post and I will email you back.
Here are some pictures, I warn... they are not for the weak, this is MAJORLY heartbreaking...


-----
~Laura

Rejoice, the age of the fall has begun
We'll dance as the palaces burn.
--Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn

Replies (6)

Kaili Jun 07, 2006 04:01 AM

I honestly don't know what to suggest for the impaction. That looks terrible...

As far as the legs go... to me they look more like a severe calcium deficiency. The same goes for the tail... I've seen a geco that had the same syptoms. She ended up being fine except the kinks were always a bit noticable, and she walked with her feet a little twisted once she had her calcium levels back up.

With the one I nursed I used pedialyte with calcium powder mixed in once a day through a syringe. She was eating well enough on her own that I didn't need to force feed food as well as the calcium. With this one's condition do not try and get anything else down it's mouth right now. It'll just make the impaction worse.

The baths probably do make the little one feel a bit more comfortable. Good luck. And even if you don't have the money to bring him to a vet at least you're trying to do something. That's better than whoever left it there tried.

grouchyrocker87 Jun 07, 2006 08:51 AM

Is it possible that it has retained a pair of eggs? Just an idea. I had a beardie that did this.

I've heard that you can give them a few drops of olive oil or something along those lines as a laxative to help get the impaction hopefully broken down and moving through a little better. Definately don't try this though unless you get someone else's opinion first.

Also, if you have it on sand, calci-sand, walnut bedding(basically anything it can fit in its mouth) move it off of that onto paper towels. Its quite likely that it is calcium deprived(like you speculated) and will try to consume anything in order to recieve the calcium it needs.

Thats absolutely rediculous that someone would let this animal live like this, its lucky it found its way to someone who cares.

Geckohappy Jun 07, 2006 10:04 AM

I sent you an email. I think there is also a chance that it is eggbound... I didn't put that in my email, but it is also something that could kill it if not seen by a vet propmptly

icedearthgoddess Jun 07, 2006 10:11 AM

DEFINATELY not egg bound! THIS is a MALE. Check the pics, he has some nice bulges on him (for his size and condtion). I would like to know exactly what to use as a "laxative". Olive oil? Vegtable oil, what type? Please I seriuosly need all the help I can get! I am calling my vets this morning to see what I can do. PLease any help would be appreciated!
-----
~Laura

Rejoice, the age of the fall has begun
We'll dance as the palaces burn.
--Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn

Geckohappy Jun 07, 2006 10:38 AM

You got me there... I should hae looked more carefully. Well. I guess we can rule out eggbound. It's just such a shock to see that size of an impaction in a live animal.

Olive oil works very well, but any vegetable oil is fine if you don't have it in.

I just got a pair of rescues who were kept on sand, and they have been crapping out such huge quantities of sand I can't believe it. I'd be concerned that there is already such a block that the bowels can't function, and as far as I know, surgery is the only way to remedy that. If you are lucky though, the warm baths and oil may actually work.

If you save this baby, you deserve a medal.

BrianSkibinski Jun 07, 2006 11:31 AM

At this point surgery really is about the only thing that can help. The legs look like a sever case of MBD from a lack of calcium, and given the age of the gecko increased calcium will make them harder, but I doubt they'll ever 'fix' themselves. The tail is a good indication of this as well. I'm actually quite surpised the gecko is still alive with all that sand pushing on its internal organs.

I hope it turns out that you can give the little guy the quality of life he deserves.

Brian Skibinski
http://www.MilwaukeeReptiles.com
http://www.Geckolist.com
http://www.Rhacs.com

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