Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought a new gecko yesterday, the place only has a 48 hour guarentee, so I need advice quick. I've watched her for months at the pet shop. She lost her tail several months ago & it's grown back nicely. She seemed healthy in all ways, so I bought her. She's 32 grams & about 7-8 inches long. Her stools been very little of anything, just wet puddles w/ some greenish spotting in it & some urates. She ate 5-6 mealies yesterday when she first came home, but nothing since. I took her stool puddle in today for exam & the vet said no worms, just bacteria, but hard to tell as there was so little there & call him to let him know what I'm thinking or if there's other symptoms, but he was gone before I could call back. Now I look in the cage & there's a big stool consisting of nothing by undigested mealies in the shape of a stool- all dead & pasted together!
Has anyone experienced this type of illness before? If so, is it curable? Please advise!
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

That obviously sounds like it has a serious digestion problem. Have you tried crickets or waxworms? Waxworms/silkworms especially have soft skin and are more easily digestable. If you are willing to commit to making the gecko better, I would stay away from the mealworms, and stick with soft things for the time being. Make sure, expecially if it is not digesting properly, that you are dusting it's food with vitamins and calcium. If the worms are coming out whole, then it is not breaking them down and getting any nutritional value from it. I would suggest bringing it back though and getting a healthier leo. It is definately experiencing a problem that is nothing you could have caused in the few hours you have owned it. I'm sure the store was either aware that they sold you a sick gecko, or didn't pay it enough attention to realize and catch the problem. There are many people on this forum who breed and sell their leos, those I would trust much more than any retail or local shop. But, best of luck in whatever you do decide.
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Ten million dollars on a losing campaign, Twenty million starving and writhing in pain, Big strong people unwilling to give, strong in vision and perspective, One in five kids below the poverty line, One population running out of time...

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She just pooped again (this is like the 4th time today) & it's very foul smelling (like the monkey house at the zoo!), greenish puddle of stuff w/ a lot of water. She's still drinking. The leopard Gecko Manual says gastroenteritus is most often from a bacterial infection & since the vet saw no parasites, but did see bacteria, I think I'll take today's "products" in for another fecal tomorrow & see if he can treat the bacteria or if he advises something else. Any other ideas? Thanks
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

The green color and foul odor (does it smell like ammonia?) is diagnostic of a bacterial infection, and the bacteria seen by your vet confirm that as well- your gecko will need to be treated with antibiotics to get better. Antibiotics can be tricky with reptiles, it's important that the right ones are delivered with the proper frequency and dosage, or it either won't work or may cause liver and kidney damage. You can ask the vet to do a bacterial culture to identify the bacteria, or he may just prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic like Cipro or Baytril. If he prescribes Baytril make sure he doesn't do what my vet did- one shot and other shot 5 days later...I found out after consulting another more experienced herp vet that the gecko body flushes it out far before then, so the dosage wasn't frequent enough, which is why it didn't work. We tried Cefa-drops next, which I dosed orally 2x a day, and that worked. Though as I understand it if you don't know what kind of bacteria it is, something more broad spectrum may be better.

Bacterial infections are completely curable. Coccidia is treatable but not curable. Cryptosporidium is always fatal. Detecting crypto is very difficult, an acid-frast stain can be done, but it will only show up positive even in infected animals 25% of the time. Necropsy is the way it's most often diagnosed.

The clumped mealworms you saw are not poo, that's vomit/regurgitation.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

From what you described, I would say your gecko is throwing up. Anytime you see a poop shaped mass that is very undigested, you can assume it has been thrown up. I’ve found it can be common for a gecko who’s over eaten to regurgitate once or twice. It sound to me like this is more serious than just a case of the geckos ‘eyes being bigger than its stomach’. Keep plenty of fresh water available, and make sure she see the vet asap. When offering food, give her freshly molted (all white) crix and mealies if at all possible. They will be mild to her sick stomach. Hope this helps, and keep us posted.

Either she ate too many mealworms... or she is sick. If she has nasty stools take her back.

If you are seeing signs of a sickness bring him/her back and order one from someone online or try to find a local breeder. No point in them selling you a sick animal, then you having to pay a vet for treatment. And I wouldn't think of this as a rescue either, they will just replace him/her with another gecko that will be exposed to the same illness.

Good luck.
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-Ross Payan - www.LeosAnonymous.com

Leos Anonymous

Ball Pythons, Red Striped Leos, W.Hognose and Screaming AFT's

Thanks everyone. I, too, think it's bacterial & am SOOOOO bummed I tossed the Baytril from my last sick gecko (actually my first sick gecko, so I had no experience then). I think I'm pretty decided not to take her back. I care about her & feel a commitment to an animal once I've purchased it-it's my responsibility through thick & thin. Unfortunately my exotics vet isn't in today, but I've scheduled for first thing tomorrow morning. Until then, I'm keeping her cage immaculate w/ plenty of water. I've seen her drink, so I think she'll be OK until tomorrow (hope so anyway, there's not really a choice).
Thanks again! I'll keep you posted.
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

>>Thanks everyone. I, too, think it's bacterial & am SOOOOO bummed I tossed the Baytril from my last sick gecko (actually my first sick gecko, so I had no experience then). I think I'm pretty decided not to take her back. I care about her & feel a commitment to an animal once I've purchased it-it's my responsibility through thick & thin. Unfortunately my exotics vet isn't in today, but I've scheduled for first thing tomorrow morning. Until then, I'm keeping her cage immaculate w/ plenty of water. I've seen her drink, so I think she'll be OK until tomorrow (hope so anyway, there's not really a choice).
>>Thanks again! I'll keep you posted.
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>>0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
>>0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
>>0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
>>1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena
>>
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-Ross Payan - www.LeosAnonymous.com

Leos Anonymous

Ball Pythons, Red Striped Leos, W.Hognose and Screaming AFT's

Only problem is she got a basic clean bill of health from the vet and has obviously been growing since it has been observed for quite a while in the store.

The problem with a 48 hour time is there is not enough time to observe anything at all. The regurge and other symptoms could just be stress induced.

I would notify the store that you had the fecal done and that they found bacteria. I would then negotiate with them to give you more time to observe and evaluate. If they will not, then return it. That is an indication all they want is a quick sale. Then contact a private breeder, like myself, for your next leo. I know I can usually sell a leo for about the same cost, including shipping, that most pet stores charge for theirs.
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Steven
Royal Gold Reptiles
Offspring available now from LV Patternless Albino stock for '03 and '04.
Working towards Bell Patternless Albinos for '05.

I called the store today to ask what they'd do with her if I returned her. They said they'd soak her daily in a bath of water & Teramycin until the problem cleared up. Does this sound resonable? I plan to take her to the vet tomorrow, & expect he'll prescribe an antibiotic, which Teramycin is, but to be administered orally. Is this Teramycin soak suggestion a real alternative to the expensive vet trip, or is it just the store's way of sort-of dealing with it?
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

sounds like she regurgeitated the mealies. They do this sometimes if they eat alot more than they can or if there temps are not right. She could have a bacterial infection sounds like or something more serious. Did the vet recomened any medications?
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Even if your on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there
20 leos,1.1 redtail boas,1.1 rainbow boas,1.1 cornsnakes, 1.0 tokay gecko,1.0 veiled cham, 5 dogs and a cat. Oh, can't forget Tater my parrotlet.

She can't see the vet 'till tomorrow- he's out. I was asking the opinion of the medication regimine the store would use. Is that legit. or just lame?
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0.3.0 leos, Geo, Tang, Ginger
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
0.0.5 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton & Olivia Newton John
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

oh, no sorry I did not see that part of the post. No I don't think a soak wouild do it at all. The vet is the best idea, keep the stool in the fridge so it stays fresh in a baggy. The vet may give her a shot or an oral medication. The pet store is I beleive to be pulling your leg. Ask your vet about the soak though and let us know. It is interesting to hear what a expert says about it. Good Luck.
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Even if your on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there
20 leos,1.1 redtail boas,1.1 rainbow boas,1.1 cornsnakes, 1.0 tokay gecko,1.0 veiled cham, 5 dogs and a cat. Oh, can't forget Tater my parrotlet.