Ok, I posted a similiar message to this last year but I think it is time for it again, seeing as how we have many new people here. Some of it has been said MANY times before but can never be said enough.
We all love our reptiles and hate to see any of them suffer. It breaks my heart to see animals that are not being taken care of, I know it does yours to BUT we have to keep several things in mind.
1. Rescues: Before you buy that skinny leopard gecko at _____ or before your buddy gives you his gecko that he has not been taking care of, think about a few things. Do YOU have the personal knowledge to care for this animal yourself? Have you successfully been able to care for a healthy leopard gecko for a period of time? Do you have the basics down pat? Next do you have the MONEY available to take care of this animal? It can cost ALOT to rehabilitate a reptile. I can't tell you how much I have spent at the vet on some of my rescues. DO NOT take in an animal that you can not afford to take to the vet.
2. Vets: I can tell you that I am very tired of people who think this forum is a substitute for a vet. Not every skinny leo has crypto/worms/etc. We CAN'T tell you what is wrong with your animal. We can make some guesses but we are not vets. An animal that doesn't eat for a couple of days is not necessarily sick, but watch him closely. If he keeps the hunger strike up and begins to lose weight, TAKE HIM TO THE VET! Don't wait until he is too skinny to recover well. Once leopards are extremely skinny, it is very hard to pull them back.
3. Quarentine: This is very important. Yes it is fun to get a new animal, but make sure that you also have the funds to house this one separate from your other geckos. Reptiles are very good at hiding signs of illness. Sometimes it can take weeks before you realize something is wrong with your new pet. Everything, reguardless of origins, that comes into my collection gets quarentined in a separate room from the main collection. Call me paranoid but I have seen too many people that have lost ALL their animals because they jumped the gun and dropped the new male in with the breeding colony. Only to realize that the new one was sick. Think it is expensive to take ONE animal to the vet, try taking 5 (or more).
This forum (and others) were put here to let people who like reptiles share experiences. It is always good to bounce ideas off others but this place is not the only source of information. It is never good to get ALL your information from one source. I can't tell you how many books I have, how many magazines I have, how many hours I have spent reading to LEARN MORE. I am still learning new things everyday. Please don't stop learning.
