We have been posting a few times about our impacted leo. Her abdomen is darkening more every day, she rarely opens her eyes, thrashes about when we give her drops of mineral oil and will not lick the baby food from her face. The vet says surgery would surely kill her, and we have now realized that it is only a matter of time.
I know that we did this to her by keeping her on calcium carbonate "digestable" sand. I feel horrible that my arrogance in thinking that "it would never happen to me" has led to our first and most beloved leo suffering. I can't stand to see her this way and feel conflicted as to my next move.....
So I ask you all this, what would you do? Wait it out and let her suffer until she dies or would you consider euthanizing her. I don't even know if I could make myself do it.
And to anyone out there who has either refused to remove the sand from their leo's cages, either out of arrogance like us, or ignorance, I ask you is it worth taking the risk? I now know that it is not.
Thanks for reading
Tony
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Please read!!!! My heart is breaking.... What would you do?????
Replies (10)
Hi
I can really feel your hurting inside. I myself have had to take a gecko to the vet. earlier this year to have her put to sleep. I had her on newspapers and papertowels myself. I had her body sent to have a necropsy done and they, my vet., nor I could figure out why she had gotten in the body shape that she did, and everything was checked from A to Z, tank wise to medical and everything was alright. Her tank mate of four years was just fine and never got sick or anything. Let me tell you, that is hard to live with (no answers why) and she would still eat.
So as you can see I now how gut wrenching it can be to loose a gecko that you love so much.
Have the vet. put her to sleep, it is easier for you and very humaine.
I am so sorry to hear about your little one...I really dont know what to say....Ive had 4 animals put to sleep do to suffering (none leos)....so I know that deciding to do so is very hard....But you have to think is she in pain?...day to day pain that never stops???...because if so to keep her alive only to make you feel better would be wrong...I'm not telling you this to be mean at all....I know it is VERY hard....But if I were you I'd spend as much time as I could w/ her for another day or so and then end her pain....And remember your doing it because you LOVE her and she means enough to you....That you would go through any heartache to make her pain go away.....good luck w/ her.
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Mommy 2 Autumn Rose (daughter) 2 1/2 yrs
Reign Michael(son) 6 months
Duncan (Budgie) almost 7 years
Asia (Juvie Leopard Gecko)
Russia (NEW Baby Albino Cornsnake)
OH, And Ron the geckos #1 FAN!!!
(owned by BlizzardGecko)
Aww.. When I read that, I could definitly feel the sadness and emotion.. I agree on everyone else's opinion, to euthanize her wouldn't be "killing" her.. It would be helping her die, but in a relaxing, pain-less way. I thought as I read "What would I do..?" and I know in my heart that even though it would take alot from me to even think about putting her to sleep, I would still be brave and do her a loving favour.. If you decide on putting her to sleep, DO NOT feel guilty or horrible! I'm more then positive that if your gecko could speak to you, she would be telling you that your doing what she wants you to do and she would thank you. Try not to be afraid to let go of her, I am sure you've heard this before, but she will be going to a much better place and the pain will be gone forever. I wish you luck with your decision and I hope you choose the right one. I sympathize with you(I'm sure everyone here does!). Take care.
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-Britney
"AHH!!! MY GOD!! THERE'S BLOOD RIGHT NEXT TO THAT BROKEN KETCHUP BOTTLE!!!"
well...first of all..if u haven't already...keep her seperate..ive heard a sick gecko stresses out its cagemates..and some people say thats a myth or just rarely happens...but hey...people say calcium carbonate sand i totally digestible...so i would keep her seperate just in case...as for me...i would definitely put her out of her misery...some people prefer the vet doing it...but one way or another...keeping her alive won't help...i'm sorry you had to go thru this....I hope that this helps...one way i have coped with lost geckos is to get another one...
...preferably the same morph and look almost identical..and name it the same name...and it usually helps ...just a suggestion...
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"you won't know success if you haven't failed..."-eric chen
1.1.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard Geckoes
0.0.2 Blizzards
0.1.0 Western (Plains) Hognose Snake
0.1 Boxer Dog
Thanks for replying. My husband (whom posted the original message) bought me for our anniversary 1 albino giant and 1 normal giant het for albino. It's very hard on all of us because Spike was our first leo. As I said we are all taking it hard, but the one that is taking it worse is our 3 year old. We have explained to her all that is going on because she started asking questions. It brightened her mood when we went into our other cages and found that our albino female had layed 2 eggs today. That made her happy. We are just trying to cope with this the best way we know how. Thanks again for your suggestions.
Thanks,
Rhonda
1.3.0 normals
0.3.0 albinos
0.4.0 tangs
0.1.0 jungle
1.1.0 Giants (on the way)
good to here!!!! i hope ur little one will understand 
...its hard enough on u guys...post pics of your babies!!!! i hope they hatch and become nice fat leopard gex
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"you won't know success if you haven't failed..."-eric chen
1.1.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard Geckoes
0.0.2 Blizzards
0.1.0 Western (Plains) Hognose Snake
0.1 Boxer Dog
I've been on the edge of this decision many times as well with other pets and always had to weigh how much suffering the animal is going through and disregard my own. I am sorry to hear about your geckos.. but the wisdom of nature shows itself.. it never takes anything away without giving something in return....
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Lucien
1.1 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)(Sutekh and Isis)
2.2.1 Leopard geckos (2 Blizzards (Caine and Goliath), 1 het Blizzard (Lilith), 1 Tangerine Albino (Tequila Sunrise ...Tiki for short) and 1 dbl. het blizzard x tang albino (Malice))
0.1 Savannah Monitor (Kiros)
13 rats
1 Gerbil
2 Dogs (Loki and Storm)
2 cats (Sahara and Hercules)
as i said in the other post...sorry but sadly, euthanizing is the best option in my opinion...as for the mineral oil...some geckos don't respond to that well...another way that ive heard that u can make a geckos digestive tract more liquidy is by feeding it many waxworms..i heard it serves as a laxative for geckos...i hope it works!! but if not...then i would just get another baby after shes passed away ...i hope u feel better!
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"you won't know success if you haven't failed..."-eric chen
1.1.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard Geckoes
0.0.2 Blizzards
0.1.0 Western (Plains) Hognose Snake
0.1 Boxer Dog
so sorry for your pain. I can feel your hurt right now. I would euthanize it because the pain that brings dieing is often much worse than dieing itself.
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
1.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, and Bear)
Did you try putting her in warm water for an hour everyday, or as long as you want to. Make sure its either an hour or more.
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