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I noticed one of my juvies has a major problem... with her front left leg. Take a look:

She can bear her weight on it, but it looks bent/broken. She uses it like she has a stump there, not a full leg. I'm guessing its a malnutrition or calcium deficiency. I'm not sure how that would happen though, she has had all her food (crickets and mealworms) dusted with calcium and vitamin powder (reptivite) and has had a bottlecap of the powder in her tank... Anyone else have a better guess that me?

She's obviously eating well; she's done nothing but get fatter.

Her little sister, of a different clutch, is looking great. I've kept them both the same (in different enclosures).

I never had this problem with either parent.

I would have already taken her to a vet, except I found out the vet I had lined up knows nothing of exotics and I would pay $35 for an office visit only to have her refer me somewhere else. Sooo the closest REAL vet is an hour away, and I plan on taking her there (unless there is a concensus here that she does not need a vet visit) once the roads clear up. I live in the northeast and the insane amount of snow is postponing the hour drive up to the vet.

I NEED some replies on this, about what to do. I'm beating myself up over this. Dave
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"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

Sorry to hear about your little one’s problem. Looks more like MDB than a broken limb. Young leos are prone to these types of problems because their bones are still growing. Do you gut load your feeder insects, and what do they eat? If you can give us some more info about your leo, setup, etc. it may help someone give you a better answer.

I hope the good vet will be able to shed some light on the problem. Keep up your good work, I’m sure you’ll be able to help your juvie.

Both juvies are in a 10 gallon divided in half by a piece of posterboard. Cheap, but practical. Each side has a bottlecap of calcium/vitamin powder, water dish, dish with dusted mealworms (I replace these with fresh ones every day), humid hide, and paper towel on the bottom.

The mealworms I breed myself. They're in whole oats with Special K cerial and a few quartered potatoes. Works great for them. Everyday I grab new worms out for the leos and throw the uneaten ones back in for gutloading. Any crickets I feed, for variety (mealworms are their staple), I keep for a day with that gel water stuff (has calcium in it) and some 'cricket gutloader' blocks, that supposedly has nutrients and such in it. The crickets go for it, anyway.

Do you think I can forego the vet visit and treat her myself? I have no problem taking her, I have the money to pay for it and any other treatment needed, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks this, but it'd be nice to save the $100 or so

Anything else you need to know just ask. Thanks, Dave.

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"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

There is a screen lid to the tank, I just hadn't put it back on from taking the pictures in my previous post. Dave
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"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

Hey

Though it seems they had good cage setup and care conditions was the calcium the kind with vitamen d3 in it if not shes likely to medabolic bone disease. I would get some calcium with viatmend d3 (www.lllreptile.com) has this stuff called minerall which I have used for 4 years consistanly with all my herps and had no problem. I would take her to the vet they can administer some heavy duty vd3 and calcium into her. Viatemen d3 perty much does the same thing a full spectrum light does accept a little stronger. It strenthins the bones and aids in there growing.

Hope this helps! I adopted a gecko that has it on all 4 legs and shes now full grown and cute but she wattles (awww) but shes really nice shes to lazy to walk much so she will fall asleep in my hand.
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Holy Molly Great Gobs Of Geckos
-Aaron-
0.2 rainwater albinos
0.1 hypo tang
1.5 hi yellow
1.3 tremper albinos
1.1 Patternless het albino rainwater
0.2 Tremper Reverse Stripe Tangerine Albino
0.1 Tremper Jungle Albino

Just a question? Why mess with the rest when you can have the best. -Great Gobs Of Geckos-
greatgobsofgeckos@hotmail.com

Geckos can still get MBD if the calium is not phosphorus-free. YOu should also have a lick dish of pure calcium in the enclosure. If it is MBD, I believe a shot of liquid calcium administered by a vet is the most effective emergency treatment
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

NO! urileagvbnerubv it isn't!

I use Zoo Med's "Reptivite". Reading closely I see there's 105.73 gm of dicalcium phosphate per kg. I'll be buying some pure calcium today.

Thanks for the help everyone, looks like I'll be seeing the vet ASAP. I'll post an update on how the little girl's doing after that. Dave
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"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

It's the ratio of calcium to phosphorus that calcium supplementation is supposed to correct. Hopefully with a shot of liquid calcium and immediate switch to correct calcium formula you will be able to arrest or even reverse some of the damage. Good luck. Throw out the calcium with phosphorus, it's not intended for leopard geckos.

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

Argh. As I was reading this thread I kept thinking to myself, gee, I'd better run upstairs and check my supplement. So, finally I did, and came to the same conclusion.

I too am a bad parent and I'm using the same silly supplement! Darnit, darnit, darnit! Good thing I'm going to the Columbus even today, hopefully I can pick up the right thing there.

Sheesh!
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I didn't do it, unless it was a good thing, then it was all my idea!