Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how serious would you guys say vomiting is? the only reason i hesitate is because i literally just took jeeves to the vet (about 2 weeks ago, she got a sterling bill of health), and she is the vomitee. i had just switched over all of my geckoes to a staple diet of silkworms (per my vet's recommend). the only thing i could think of was that i have ant traps in other areas of my apartment- perhaps they somehow dropped the poisoned food, and it somehow got swept up to being on a silkworm (the ants did not have a chance to get on the silkworms she was fed- i watch & remove them if i see this starting up. also, silkworms are kept in ant-proof container)?

she has been somewhat more lethargic & miserable looking than usual, since then. it occurred to me that i may have fed her too much, and her overeating was the source of the problem.

this happened on saturday, and i have avoided feeding her since then.

there is nothing in her setup that could cause blockage (on paper towel, the whole 9 yards), but just in case, i'm keeping an eye out for her next poop, or signs of bloating.

please, any advice would help.

on a side note- i just got my 8th gecko- a female patternless albino! she is adorable (& in quarantine).
-----
marla
currently: 0.1.0 axolotls, 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 1.6 leopard geckoes, 0.0.20 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders

i would really like to know the answer to that too. because my leo shed last night and this morning she threw it up. why would she do that? it seams like she has no acid in her stomach because her food is coming out not fully digested.

The first thing to check for is proper temperatures. The temps may have changed and you may not have noticed. The very best way is to use an infrared temp gun. I use this to double check my digital thermometers(the second best way). If you don't have one already you should get a digital thermometer at the least. They are available at most hardware and walmart or target type stores. A hot spot of 90 degrees is needed to aid in proper digestion. Not having warm enough temps could lead to regurgitation. Next with a fairly new food source it is possible to overfeed. If you were using mealies or crickets before. Silkies are alot larger prey items and they do not need to eat as many. If you were feeding like 10-15 mealies probally only need 3-5 silkies. This will vary depending on the gecko but you may have to stop them from eating to much. I call this the big dumb dog theory.
-----
Sleep, what is that???????
Just my thoughts and opinions based on my experiences.
Jeremy Letkey
jletkey@yahoo.com

hmm.... interesting. i think i may have overfed, in my enthusiasm. i will continue to keep an eye on her. though she still looks kind of uncomfortable, she still moves around. perhaps she's just overly full? i will try raising the temps a weeny bit during the day, until i can get to a store to find a digital thermometer.

can an infrared thermometer gun take temps through glass?
-----
marla
currently: 0.1.0 axolotls, 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 1.7 leopard geckoes, 0.0.20 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders

well, i went to go inspect jeeves. and she does look 'fatter,' which could be bloating from getting an impaction, or a really full stomach from too many silkies. i still don't know if impaction could even be possible, though, because the only thing that could do it would be a bunch of fibers from her coconut hut (i've never seen her munching them), or possibly silkies. or maybe if she randomly ate some of the sponge in her humid hide, but i doubt she could pull a piece off.

either way, what really worries me is that her mouth & tongue are almost white. this is not normal for her, they are usually pink. any ideas? she's been sitting in her humid hide all the time for the past 36 hours or so. also, her color looks dull, though this might be related to shedding, i'm not sure. also, no poops so far.

i am thinking i just need to take her to the vet again. i'm just afraid they might think i'm some kind of nut or gecko hypochondriac or something. any more opinions?

thank you.
-----
marla
currently: 0.1.0 axolotls, 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 1.7 leopard geckoes, 0.0.20 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders

Don't worry about what they think of you, at least your trying to take good care of your gecko. Good luck with everything and let us know how it goes.
-----
Sal
Geckos "R" Us

www.geckosrus.com

Hi

How many silk worms did you feed her in one sitting?.

TLB

not more than 3 in one sitting. she seemed fine until at least 2 days after the last one she ate, which she threw up about 1/2 to 2/3 digested. i am contemplating seeing if she will try and eat...

i am so worried. i lightly palpitated her gut area, and there were no hard lumps... but her tongue is almost white still! she continues to look kind of torso-heavy (she's not gravid), and her color is dull-looking. and still no poop.

i'm going to talk to some friends to see if i can get a ride to the vet, since last time i took her (feb. 25th), she was pretty stressed out by the 2 hour bus ride each way... then i'll see if i can somehow get an appointment at some time where they'd be available...
-----
marla
currently: 0.1.0 axolotls, 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 1.7 leopard geckoes, 0.0.20 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders

Hi

A white tongue is a sign of dehydration, so you should make sure to get some water into her. No, that wouldn't be your fault at all, it just sounds like maybe she isn't taking in enough water on her own right now.

Good luck and let us know what the vet. say's.

Take Care, TLB