Any herptologists in the house?

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

OK we all know that I'm a sucker for animals. Large and furry, small and furry and also small and scaley.

I never intended to fall for a reptile and this one was completely DH's fault. He trapped a baby house gecko in Puerto Rico way back in 1999 and we smuggled it back home. Said house gecko vanished, not hard to do when you are smaller than my pinkie finger, and had to be replaced for the then 5 year old DS.

Enter "Spot". 5 year olds are tremendously amusing when naming creatures. We had "Fish" a siamese beta for many years.... anyway.... Spot is a leopard gecko:


She has lived with us for 8 years and is one of my favorite creatures. Very low maintenance, can't climb out of her aquarium, doesn't make any noises, doesn't bite and will sit in your hand for hours. They live for about 20 years. She was full grown when we bought her so I don't really know how old she is and assume she is around 9 years old.

Over the last few months she has been shedding quite often and although we have not changed anything in her "house", she has had trouble with her shedding. Occasionally over the years I have had to soak her toes but now I must help with the entire shed process. Not horrible, she will sit in my hand and allow me to do that.

The problem is there may be some dead skin on her eyelids. Her eyes are not open and inqusitive. She is not rambling up to the glass when we come in the room <she lives with my son in his bedroom> and her appetite is off.

We have an appointment with the reptile vet tomorrow and I'm hoping this is something easily fixed but am also hoping someone with experience has any light to shed <pardon the pun> on what could be happening with our little herp.

I can't stand when my creatures are uncomfortable.

and if not I feel better for sharing our current drama.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Lawren,

Good luck tomorrow at the vet's. I hope that what ever is wrong with Spot, will be easily cured, and that he's feeling better soon.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

You are a better woman than me!! I could maybe handle this but NO SNAKES!! shaggy

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I would be more likely to know what was wrong-health-wise with the Betta Splendens than what was wrong with spot, so I think the vet is a good idea.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Lawren, the Vet may fix your little "Spot" with a very simple procedure. Our Vet takes care of exotic birds and little reptiles too and most of them get better. I see them coming in so I often ask what their chances are and he says that they are good most of the time. He may even know how old your son's Spot approximately is too.

I know that you won't let your animals suffer which is good, imho.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

Good luck with little Spot! Hopefully, it is something that is easily fixed.

Enter "Spot". 5 year olds are tremendously amusing when naming creatures. We had "Fish" a siamese beta for many years...

Hey, I had a cat named "Graycat" and I now have one named "Purry." I named both of them when I was about 30 years old.

OK we all know that I'm a sucker for animals. Large and furry, small and furry and also small and scaley.....

What, no large and scaley ones??? I saw some nice boas and anacondas recently at the San Diego Zoo. Don't you just love it when the middle coils of a huge snake are slithering along while the front and back of the snake are staying still?

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

I noticed there were several replies and wanted to see if anyone really had an expertise in this area! (That would have been amazing.)

We have a 19 year old cat (and I have no idea how she has lived that long) and a betta fish that appears to be indestructible and has even survived being dropped to the floor and laying there for I'm not sure how long when his bowl fell and broke a couple of years ago. Now that is one amazing fish.

Good luck at the vet's!

Sharon

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Siamese fighting fish are air breathers, so unless they dry up considerably out of water, they can survive. I had one that lived 8 years, tho anything over 4 is borrowed time. The fish is an improved version of the drab original that lives in the rice patties of southeast asia- which tend to sometimes nearly dry up.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Lawren....How is Spot doing?

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Well what she has or doesn't have was out of Dr Lerman's range. He does some exotics and he didn't like the looks of her. Referred us to the Animal Medical Center in NY AMC Specialty

Unfortunately the reptile specialist isn't in again until Thursday and they had no appointments until Saturday. I've found you don't get much time with the smaller creatures so we have an appointement with a Dr Laurie Hess over in Bedford, NY <Westchester> tomorrow afternoon. She is an avian and exotics vet.

Wish us luck or I may be banging on AMC's door Thursday begging for an appointment.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Oh no, sorry to hear that.


Lawren, Good luck tomorrow!!!! Hopefully she will be able to help Spot. Let us know how it turns out.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

Oh, poor little Spot! Please tell us how it goes!

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Wish us luck or I may be banging on AMC's door Thursday begging for an appointment.

Good luck Lawren, hope spot is OK. It always pays to phone on the day and see if there have been any cancellations.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I hope your news is better tomorrow or otherwise Thursday. Good vibes for little Spot.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

One very sick little gecko

The good news is that Dr Laurie Hess and her tech Erin know their stuff!

The bad news is we have one very sick little Leopard Gecko.

They took so much junk out of her eyes and mouth....I am so upset. To have let her get to this state. Unforgiveable.

So our little girl needs her own medicine chest. We must put Cipro eyedrops in twice daily for 2 weeks. Swab her mouth with medicine twice daily for 2 weeks. Force feed her by syringe every 3 days until she will can go back on her diet of live food. <She is all but blind at this point and cannot hunt.> With a needle <Barbie doll sized> of antibiotics, given intramuscularly for 3 weeks every 3 days.

They sent the junk off for testing, dewormed her. We have to take her back in 10 days for another deworming.

We have apparently cared for her inaccurately for 8 years. Very humbling. I have completely cleaned out the aquarium. Replaced the bedding with paper toweling. We must feed, or load, the crickets gotten from the pet store before feeding them to her.

They are very nice there and I'm to call if things get worse.

and would you believe that they have seen reptiles in much, much worse condition??? They say her chances are quite good. That reptiles get sick quite slowly and also recover quite slowly.

"Bless the Beasts".