Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a giant day gecko that seems to have MBD he is very lethargic and has an "underbite" and soft jaw. His legs seem ok and he can still climb, but he doens't want to. I found him in this condition about a week ago. He was also very skinny and dehydrated. His tank mate had apparently been getting all the food. I moved him and have spent the last week feeding him with an eyedropper. Usually a combination of fruit baby food, pedialyte, and calcium powder. I've also been giving him water the same way. He looks much better. he no longer seems dehydrated or overly skinny, but his mouth doesn't seem much better, and he still has no interest in eating on his own. i offer him fresh fruit mixtures a couple of times a day. how long before i should expect to see improvement? Also, how much should i expect to spend if i need to get him calcium injections? I apologise for the length of this post. I'd really appreciate any help i can get.

If he seems to be improving some with that therapy, I'd continue it. It may take several weeks before you see any improvement in bone hardness. You may want to also make sure that he's getting adequate Vitamin D and Phosphorus. It may be in your calcium supplement, but if it isn't try switching to a preparation like Tetra Reptocal. You also might try adding a little Hill's A/D dog food to the mixture. It's a prescription dog food available at your vet.

Thanks so much for the info. I won't give up hope. I did just switch him to a 2:1 calcium phosphorus supplement with D3. I will ask my vet's office about the dog food. I really appreciate the help. I'm fairly new to reptiles so i wasn't sure if there was something else i should be doing.