Reptile & Amphibian Forums

You know, I can't speak for other breeders, but I get discouraged and frustrated with the countless emails I receive each week from people who want advise or "quick-fixes" for their sick Leopard Geckos, but will not take them to a Vet. I honestly feel that if you cannot be responsible or accountable enough, or cannot afford to provide your pet with the necessary veterinary care, then you have no business having a pet at all. This includes reptiles. It's bad enough that pet stores have the attitude that reptiles are simply inventory items that do not deserve the same care and treatment that other animals do... but it makes me heartsick when the pet owners are no different.

While I do not agree with everything she says, here are some excerpts from Mellissa Kaplain's website that I do subscribe to:

quote:

"I'd like to ban:

-People who refuse to take their pets to an appropriate vet, because the vet is too far away, or they don't have transport, or they don't want to spend the money, or they don't have the time, or their spouse or parent doesn't want them to, and why should they spend more on a vet than the animal cost to begin with?

-Parents who let their kids have pets, or people who buy them but then refuse to accept primary responsibility for the pets, ranging from overseeing daily care and feeding, to getting the pets to the appropriate vets for routine checks and when sick or injured."

Rarely does a day go by that I do not get an email, phone call, or see a post that falls into one of the above categories.

Rarely a month goes by that I don't encounter someone who, tired of their pet, or unwilling to spend the money and/or time necessary to keep that pet properly, decide to let it die or dump it outside some where.

Rarely a month goes by where someone doesn't try to guilt me into taking their sick animal off their hands: "If you don't take it or give me the name of someone who will treat my animal for free, I'll kill it/let it die/turn it loose."

Rarely a week goes by that I don't hear from someone who writes, "I've read everything at your site but didn't see what I'm looking for, so can you tell me everything I need to know about how to care for my leopard gecko?"

end of quote

END OF RANT (thank you)
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Marcia McGuiness
Golden Gate Geckos
www.goldengategeckos.com

Marcia, you should sell the Leopard Gecko Manual on your site - and just refer them to the book. Autograph it - and make a couple of bucks.

See, you're so compassionate - that's why they call you.
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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos
Email

No Fru-Fru morphs in the herp room

..of being too compassionate. I was going to get a pair of mice so I wouldn't have to pay retail price for pinkies, but my husband reminded me that I would just name them and could never possibly feed something with a name to any of my animals! Anyway, I think I like your idea on the autographed manuals!!
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Marcia McGuiness
Golden Gate Geckos
www.goldengategeckos.com

I just started my 'collection' of Leos in Sept. I had started with one cage and one leo. I am an art teacher in a middle school, and before I knew it I had been given three unwanted babies, two unwanted sickly adults, and been shown two of the most neglected leos I had ever seen. They made me want to cry- they were deformed from not being able to shed properly and after I had given them a good long soak and tried to remove as much shed as possible, I tried to take out their eye caps. It turned out there were no eyes under the ball of green puss... It made me so mad!!! How could anyone treat an animal with such neglegence? I wanted to call the mother and just chew her out- if you buy your teenager an animal you have to realize that you are going to be their primary caregiver- teenagers can't even take care of themselves!!! Well, sorry for the long post- Had to get it off my chest
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1.1 SHCT Leopard geckos Big Papa and Big Mama
2.5 jungle & leucistic morphs Van Gogh, Monet, Manet Pissarro, Speckels, Mouthy, and Mama Cass
0.1 Ragdoll cat Tinkerbell
2.0 Devon Rex cats Gryffindor, Tigger
0.1 Cat Dinah
1.2 Bassett hounds Bogart, Sadie, Hermione
3.0 Feretts Blizzard, Coco, Fuzzums
3.1 Chinchillas

.

like today at school, some random person came up to me and asked me if i wanted a "basic python or a general python or somthing"the guy didn't even know what it was...

the person wo is getting rid of it is doing it so she can get a puppy.....

thanx
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Hello peoples

I did research a good couple of months before I got my leo. It's something that HAS to be done. Buy a good book!! Ask here for advice, but try to read a book first! A book can answer many questions, instead of asking a tons of questions here. Leos are just like any other pet, you have to be responsible and caring and knowledgeable. Please....jeez
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Raydeohed

0.1.0 Leopard Gecko "Lego"

as well as patience.

one of the main reasons why i downsized my collection a few years ago to mostly "mid range to higher end animals" is in general (don't quote me on this), if someone is willing to dish out $250 on a single animal, i can assume they have done their research, as well as afford any vet bills if needed. just my experiences...have a good holiday season!

-SFgeckos

What you said holds a lot of truth, but believe it or not the vast majority of these problems come from young people who got their geckos from somewhere else... usually PetCo or PetSmart. Also, since I sponsor this forum I probably do get more mail than most, and I am glad to answer questions and help in any way.

I think the thing that was the clencher in my rant was the following emails I received from someone who bought one of my juvies last spring and told her she needed to take her gecko to the vet ASAP because his tail was 'pencil thin':

"GACK!! How much does this treatment normally cost? I really need to know as soon as possible! Thanks for your help so far...I hope my mom will have the heart to spend some money...*sighs*"
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"My mom thinks that we should give both of my geckos to this really big reptile...well, freak. lol He loves reptiles, and he owns a big pet-store. We're probably just going to give them to him, and he'll nurse them back to health. Although, my mom says he'll have to keep them...*sighs* I wish I could keep my 'Gecks', but my mom doesn't have the money to buy crickets or the care required for the Geckos, and I'd rather see them happy and healthy with someone else rather then sick and sad with me. I'll miss them-and I'd definately let you have them if you lived closer. I'm gonna miss Xerxes, and "Big momma", but, that's life. *sniff* I just hope that Xerxes lasts it through the night... I know that it must be killin' ya that you can't come down here and fix the problem-that's how I feel with me and my friends' computers...It makes me natious! But don't worry, everything will work out for the better in the end. Thank you so much for your help, and I still will keep in touch. This might sound odd, but you are kinda one of my friends now. Thanks alot.=3"
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See what I mean? I actually "lost it" with this kid, and am heartbroken to think that one of my beautiful, precious, babies may die because of that!
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Marcia McGuiness
Golden Gate Geckos
www.goldengategeckos.com

One of the big reasons why I wouldn't want to become a breeder is because of not knowing who I was selling to. I can't even trust some of my friends to be responsible, since a few of them decided to go out and buy leopard geckos without realizing how much the set-ups would cost. With as much money as I've already spent on my leos, I wouldn't be able to make a profit by breeding anyway, so it seems pointless for me to try.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

You know, when I first got into breeding professionally, I was told by my dear friend Arlen Evins from Walkabout Reptiles that I would have trouble selling my geckos. When I asked him why, I expected to hear something like, "They aren't good quality," or they are priced too high." But instead, he told me, "You are too attached to them." At the time, he was pretty accurate.

Since then, I have (and still do sometimes) turned down sales because I just knew they were not good candidates for my geckos. There is still a part of me that worries that they will not be taken care of properly... perhaps it's because I expect others to feel the same way I do about my animals. I know this is not always fair or practical, and at times I wonder myself if I am truly cut-out to be a breeder. But then I realize that one of the qualities that makes a breeder "good" is that very thing... sincere love and concern for the gecko's welfare.

But to answer your question, no, it isn't something I worry about often any more. However, I still get frustrated and heartsick when I get email like the one I posted above when I think that one of my beautiful, gentle little geckos might die because of irresponsibility and neglect. I don't think that is unfair or impractical to expect.. or is it?
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Marcia McGuiness
Golden Gate Geckos
www.goldengategeckos.com

I've never tried to breed my geckos, but both of my adult females were gravid when I got them. Just seeing how hard they worked to produce the eggs made me feel like I had to work hard too. I feel like I would be letting my girls down if I let anything bad happen to their babies.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

Marica you are the most caring breeder and it shows cause your geckoes are beautiful and healthy so don't wonder if your cut out to be a breeder. The ones that should not be breeders are the ones that sell to petco or petsmart. cause they don't care about them or if there sick or who buys them.
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danny h.

1.3 leopard geckos