Reptile & Amphibian Forums

See how her head is permanently cocked to one side? Birth defect.

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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

Uh, oh. Her head is twisted to roughly 45 degrees. Does she has trouble eating? I hope not.

Tim

I wouldn't worry about that. Sarah's pretty good with the leos who have eating problems.
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chickabowwow

I have mealworms for her. I think she is managing okay. I've had her quarantined with another rescue (adopted at same time, they were housed together), but I am going to seperate them into seperate enclosures so I can monitor each more closely.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

Well, that's a good news. Good to hear that the leo with twisted head isn't suffering much, and doing better.

Tim

She is different than other geckos, and of course one wouldn't want a gecko to be born this kind of deformity, but now that she's here on earth...it does not seem to cause her any pain or discomfort that I have noticed, and she seems very comfortable being who she is. I think she will have a happy gecko life, unless there are other internal problems that I haven't seen signs of so far.

Geckos with deformities that are even potentially genetic should never be bred. But even so, deformed geckos will continue to hatch out, either with genetic or temp-caused deformities. Just because they aren't "perfect" doesn't neccessarily mean they won't make good pets or can't live just as good of a life as any other captive gecko. They deserve to be cared for and have good homes as much as any "perfect" gecko does, just like people with deformities deserve as good of a life as they can have as well.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

It just does not look like one that is starving. Check out the regrown tail. That does not happen without food going in the other end!

Good Luck,
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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.

when you "rescue" or "adopt" animals from petco, do you get on them about how much you are paying for them?? do you pay full price for the in-bad-shape leos they are selling?

I don't consider paying for a badly cared for animal at a petstore to be a rescue. I adopted these geckos, I didn't pay anything for them. I was getting mealworms and checking up on the conditions of the geckos at the petco near me, and talking to an employee. When she heard I bred and kept leopard geckos (and she could see I knew alot about them) she went back to talk to the manager. The manager came out and explained they had a couple of geckos in back that needed a good home and would I take a look and consider adopting them. She said their policy was not to sell animals that had been in the infirmary ( I asked why didn't they just sell thae one that wasn't deformed., as it looked fine then). She said one had been removed from the group because it was thin, but had regained weight after being seperated into an enclosure with just one gecko. The other was Twink, who had this birth defect and had lost its tail. She said both had been seen by a vet and fecals tested clean, that they needed a good home and would I take them? I couldn't say no.

I don't really have the space, these guys are quarantined in my kitchen of all places (the benefit is that it is very far away from my gecko room!). Once I am certain they are okay and in good health, and larger and more established, I may try to look for another good home, someone that wants a pet that I can trust will not try to breed Twink, I am keeping my ears open.

Now I don't think all Petco's operate this way from what I have heard, but this one at least has done right by these animals. They had a couple other disabled reptiles that needed homes, too, that were also in their own enclosures in the back room, an adult male leo with no front feet (lost in a fight they said) and a skink of some kind I think it was that had some kind of spinal defect, so if anyone lives in the bay area and can provide a good home to a reptile in need I suggest you contact the manager of the Petco on Sloat Blvd.

When you adopt an animal you take on all responsiblity for its care and release Petco of any responsibility or liability for its care- e.g. you pay medical bills if it is sick, even within 15 days.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

I would be more than happy to take her when you're ready! She's a cutie pie & I'm just a pet-quality hobbyist. I've currently got 3 leos, all female (as I don't want babies) & each seperate right now. My biggest, Geo, is healthy & lives in the "main house" (big tank), my 2nd, Tang, is healthy now, but came with parasites (from a reputable breeder, as opposed to everyone here that seems to think you can only get healthy animals from a breeder & only get sick ones from pet stores) & will go to the main house when her size matches Geo's. My third I just got 2 days ago & is in quarenteen & seems to have a bacterial infection (see post "fecal question, running out of time, please help". She'll go into the main house once she's better & I'm sure she's good to go (she's the same size as Geo already).
Let me know, down the road, when you're ready, if you're ready I'm at robin_tracy@msn.com
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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

How did this leo ever GET to a pet store in the first place. The breeder was the first dip, the wholesaler the second and the store the third for accepting it! Gotta wonder about people sometimes!
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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.

But something that happened during shipping or afterwards.

I forget if the people at PetCo said it arrived like that or not... but It could have recieved some sort of trauma to the head/neck. Maybe even some sort of infection in the ear...
It could have simply jumped out of an unprepared handler's grasp as a baby and hurt itself when it fell. Something like a minor break in a bone can become much worse as an animal grows.

A hairline fracture almost started my chihuahua onto the path for hip displacia(sp?).She slipped on the floor when chasing her sister at about 9 weeks old, We brought her to the vet later that week, he said keep an eye on her, she probably just sprained her leg. And then 1 month, 3 different vets, and 4 x-rays later they found that a small fracture on the ball joint caused her bone to deform and start to dislocate her hip when she started growing.
Could have been something along those lines...we might never know. But she does seem to be in good care and a good eater despite her tilt =3
Good luck with her Starling

Quote StarGecko:

"See how her head is permanently cocked to one side? Birth defect."

That is what I based my comments on.
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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 know that Starling said that it was a birth defect, but it doesn't really make sense as to why they would have a leo with a birth defect on the premise. Particularly since an animal that has a noticable defect like that one would be listed in a separate area from the regular leos with the defect noted also. Why order an animal that you know you shouldn't sell and lock it away in the back room?

That's where it would be noted as a lower grade animal.

until it lost its tail. Then they put it in the infirmary to recover. I have heard of others sold at petstores with a similar problem- head cocked. I do believe it is a birth defect, I find it hard to imagine a gecko that broke its neck like that would survive, particularly in the pet trade. They said he was like that when they got him.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

I would definetly blame the wholesaler or the breeder they bought the leo from...
Unless of course someone in management decided to check the 'Healthy B grade animal' section. But if they seemed so determined to adopt them out to a good home that doesn't make sense either.
That whole thing just confuses me O_o
Still good to see that Twink is getting a good home tho, reminds me of a dog I knew named Tilt. =3

Hey,

Great job with Twink. I'm glad he/she ended up with you. Talk about a blessing... Also, sweet looking lizards that you hatched out. Looks like the season was good to ya...

Richie