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What are the symptoms of crypto. I have seem picture of infected animals and there was one in the petstore when my gecko was purchased. Is it possible my gecko is infected as well? She seems to going downhill at a pretty steady pace. She hasnt eaten on her own in months.
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2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)
The first symptoms of cryptosporidium are very similar to pin worms & coccidiosis. Lack of appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, weight loss, & regugitation of food or eaten shed. To get an exact diagnosis, you will have to take your leo & a fecal sample(if possible in this case) to a vet who specializes in reptiles. If obtaining a fecal sample isn't possible, the vet should be able to do a swab. Be sure to request that a cryptosporidium test be done. The fecal floats the vets usually use won't detect crypto.
To answer your second question, Crypto spreads like wild fire. So if the other gecko you saw at the pet store has Crypto, then odds are yours would to. Befor you panic, there is also a chance the other gecko has pin worms or coccidiosis & the pet store isn't making an effort to take care of a simple problem.
Good Luck
Also, be aware that crypto is one of the few things that make lizards sick that also make humans sick. Extra care with hygiene will be necessary to ensure that you don't get it either. Be sure you're washing your hands very thoroughly after every time you interact with your gecko or its enclosure. If it is crypto, my understanding is that it's a pain to cure, and you'll basically have to clean your gecko's tank out, including replacement of substrate, at least once daily (switch to paper towels if you're using something else, it'll save you lots of headaches).
Here's hoping it's not crypto, and best of luck with the vet.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear
This link may prove helpful, at least in terms of understanding the parasite:
http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/DPD/parasites/cryptosporidiosis/factsht_cryptosporidiosis.htm
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear
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