i don't know if anybody will remember this debate. the first leopard gecko i got was a female named Jeeves. She had a good life, up until right at the end, at the approximate age of two years, on 3/11/04.
my vet's initial diagnosis from the basic necropsy was that she had too much fat stored up (from being fed the usual of mostly mealies, waxies, and some crickets), which had mobilized during a brief fast (about 2 weeks), and that her liver had become clogged & ultimately failed. i paid to have tissue samples sent to a specialist patholigist. the pathologist determined that her immediate cause of death was actually not her liver, but something very odd.
she had, inside her, an egg yolk without a shell. apparently, it had become inflamed (i think from not being deposited), and caused an infection that killed her. they did not tell me whether the situation (undeposited egg yolk) was a problem resultant from my husbandry. they also didn't tell me whether it was something that could have been diagnosed and treated, had i brought her in, immediately after her vomiting (the first sign something was wrong with her, approximately one week prior to her death). i was wondering if anyone had any opinions on that. of course i deeply regret not having taken her in now, i didn't understand how serious the situation was.
my only thought was that it could have been that she didn't have access to enough calcium. however, she always had a calcium dish, and her mealies were dusted the majority of the time. essentially, her care was standard. i cringe to think that it may have been something(s) i did that led to her death.
since then, both to help with any chance of too much fat & to ensure a proper calcium balance, i have switched over to silkworms as a staple, at the recommend of my vet. all my other geckoes seem to be doing well on them. i recommend them, if you have a little extra patience & can spend a little extra money. it eases my mind to think i'm using a food that comes naturally balanced, so it's harder for me to slip up.
i just wanted to give the final update with regards to jeeves, in case anyone remembers. she was really a great girl, but i'll spare you guys me going on about her. i'm saving her remains, to be cremated by a pet specialist, who will cremate pets individually.
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marla
currently: 0.1.0 axolotls, 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 2.8 leopard geckoes, 0.0.20 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders
