Any herptologists in the house?

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

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

Lawren, I think it is great that you are wiling go to this effort and expense for a lizard! As for "letting her get to the state," it's not like most people know how to take care of a gecko. Reptiles are so different from the pets (mammals) most of us are used to. I've heard of someone who put a heating pad in their snake's cage, and the snake ate it! And when I think of all the fish my husband managed to kill off in his aquarium ...

Here's hoping to a (relatively) speedy recovery for little Spot!

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

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

We have apparently cared for her inaccurately for 8 years.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You must have been doing more right than wrong for the last 8 years.

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

We must feed, or load, the crickets gotten from the pet store before feeding them to her.

I don't understand what you are saying here? Can you explain a little more, please?

They say her chances are quite good. That reptiles get sick quite slowly and also recover quite slowly.

This is good news for this little creature. Will she stay blind or will that get better too? You have done what you can and hope for the best but the outcome looks good.

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

Yikes Lawren, I was hoping you would get better news. Poor little Spot. The good news is that she will get better. I hope her recovery goes faster than anticipated, and she's feeling better soon.

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

.... We must feed, or load, the crickets gotten from the pet store before feeding them to her.....

I took this to mean that crickets one buys from the pet food store have not been fed recently; they should be fed before giving them to the gecko, or they will not be nutritious enough and the gecko will be undernourished.

As for what a cricket eats... no idea!

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

Lawren, I think it is great that you are wiling go to this effort and expense for a lizard! As for "letting her get to the state," it's not like most people know how to take care of a gecko. Reptiles are so different from the pets (mammals) most of us are used to. I've heard of someone who put a heating pad in their snake's cage, and the snake ate it! And when I think of all the fish my husband managed to kill off in his aquarium ...

Here's hoping to a (relatively) speedy recovery for little Spot!

The vet asked me before she started doing other than the exam if I wanted an "estimate". Like that would have changed my mind? Today's bill was $382, including medications. Not bad. My family will live on store sale items for a while and I'll be asking for recipes to make the sale stuff amusing. Won't be the first time and I doubt it will be the last.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You must have been doing more right than wrong for the last 8 years.

The problem is I've suspected something was not right for a while now. I know this animal. She would perk up for a bit and eat but something was wrong. I should have had her to the vet in June.

I don't understand what you are saying here? Can you explain a little more, please?


This is good news for this little creature. Will she stay blind or will that get better too? You have done what you can and hope for the best but the outcome looks good.

"Loading" the crickets. The assumption is by the time the crickets leave the wholesaler, get to the pet store and then purchased and fed to Spot, that they have lost any nutritional value. So we are to purchase them, feed them fruits and veggies for 2 or 3 days and THEN feed them to Spot.

Can anyone see my very low maintenance pet becoming a moderate maintenance pet?

The eyesight "should" come back. We are hopeful. She looks much more comfortable this evening.

Yikes Lawren, I was hoping you would get better news. Poor little Spot. The good news is that she will get better. I hope her recovery goes faster than anticipated, and she's feeling better soon.

Thanks all for caring what happens to her. Will keep you all posted with my new vet tech duties. I just can't wait to try sticking eye drops in her eyes tomorrow. Leopard geckos are one of the few that actually HAVE eyelids.

Thank goodness my great friend K is a REAL vet tech and is willing to do the needles. She will probably keep Spot at her house while we are in England as I doubt we will be completely out of the woods by then.

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

Lawren

"Loading" the crickets. The assumption is by the time the crickets leave the wholesaler, get to the pet store and then purchased and fed to Spot, that they have lost any nutritional value. So we are to purchase them, feed them fruits and veggies for 2 or 3 days and THEN feed them to Spot.

You have to feed the crickets for 2-3 days before you can give them to Spot......As if buying and feeding your pet live crickets wasn't bad enough.

Passing out at just the thought of it.

You're a very, very good mother!!!!

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

You have to feed the crickets for 2-3 days before you can give them to Spot......As if buying and feeding your pet live crickets wasn't bad enough.

Passing out at just the thought of it.

You're a very, very good mother!!!!

Yeah I'm just loving this....good thing we have the little plastic snugly covered aquarium from the DH baby gecko to store the bugs in. Cougar finds it very, very interesting....

You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

[Htoo0 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Htoo0]

Hope all turns out well. Pets really can be quite a responsibility. Just glad we don't have kids too!

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

still the same.

I did not expect her to bounce back quickly. Spot is no worse though and that is good.

She does not like this mouth swabbing thing at all but has picked up on the food via syringe. She is not thrilled with it but is opening her mouth for me. It is a powder mixed with water to a baby food consistancy. Dr Hess wants her to get at least 1.5 ml daily. <5ml is a teaspoon to give you an idea of the tiny amounts I am dealing with>. I will try to feed her a second time today.

The eyes I worry about...they are only opened a hair. I do hope I am getting some Cipro in there.

We now have new thermometers and I have to hunt down a hydrometer as the independent reptile pet store didn't have any.

I have stumbled upon a very highly respected vet and am so glad we have her to help us treat Spot.

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

If Leopard geckos are as hard to treat as our cats and dogs were, I put my hat off to you. Our most docile cat has bitten me hard. Does she let you do it easily or not? Can she harm you?

I hope she will get better but your Vet sounds confident so that is good and thank you for your update report.

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

If Leopard geckos are as hard to treat as our cats and dogs were, I put my hat off to you. Our most docile cat has bitten me hard. Does she let you do it easily or not? Can she harm you?

I hope she will get better but your Vet sounds confident so that is good and thank you for your update report.

No this is not easy. Spot could bite. They do have teeth. But she has not ever even threatened. Not even now with all she is being subjected to. Handling can be stressful to these small creatures and now I have to pick her up at least 3 times a day for medications etc. I guess all the time we spent with her all these years has made her more amenable to all this attention.

I did get another ml of gruel into her today. That's good.

She is shedding again...she just shed Monday.

I will see if I can dig out the picture I have when we first got her. It is very cute, she is on DS's shoulder way back when he hadn't even lost his baby teeth.