Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think my little crested gecko might have hurt her front leg, it is swollen and she doesn't put any weight on that leg. First I thought she might have MDB, but the swelling came in one day and I haven't noticed any other symptoms of MBD (in any case I though I add more calcium and vitamins to her diet to be sure). Then I though she might have sprained or fractured her leg jumping after insects or water drops running down the walls (she sometimes tries to cath moving waterdrops, thinks they are food). I removed all her climbing branches so she cant fall and hurt more.
She is quite small and not tame enough to let me touch her properly. I quess all I can do is to wait and see how it goes.

I would really, really appreciate all tips and advice you can give.

Thanks,
Eveliina

Generally, MBD aka NSHP doesn't affect one limb, it affects all limbs & bones symetrically. If you have the Crested gecko with cagemates, there is a chance that she may have been bitten & the wound is abcessing w/ bacteria; however, if there are no cagemates, then she may have fallen & fractured the limb. If fractured, she would need x-rays & splinting for the bone(s) to mend.

Abcesses can become septic, so the sooner she is taken to the vet, the better. The wound would have to be aspirated & cleaned of bacteria.

The sooner the bone is set, the sooner mending can take place & heal without excessive calcification of the bone.

In either case, a vet should diagnose and be able to treat the problem.
Goodluck.

Thanks for your quick answer!

She lives alone. So she can't be hurt my two other crested geckos.
There is no wound and the leg isn't reddish, its just swollen and she doesn't like to use it ( I saw her use it a bit, the leg moves allright so I thought she might not have any broken bones).
I have thought about taking her to vet but the are some problems: she is still small and doesn't let even me touch her (she just runs away, I have started to "tame" them just recently) so I don't think she would let a strange person touch her either, secondly the only vet I would take her to is about 2-3 hours drive from here (vets who can help with reptiles aren't so common here in Finland) so I wouldn't want to stress her that much because she is still eating and drinking.
I think I'll a wait few days and if it goes worse I'll take her to that vet.

Thanks,
Eveliina