# Leopard Gecko is dying...Need help!



## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

This has been going on for about two months now. My leopard gecko (who is 6 years old and has never had this problem before) had a problem shedding and some got stuck in his eye and got infected so I cleaned it out and took him to the vet to have it checked and they said it was fine. It seemed clear for about a week then it came back but this time in both eyes, and outside of shed time. He has stopped eating and already his tail has become worryingly thin and some of his ribs are showing. He never opens his eyes and wont open his mouth to be hand fed either. He's been to the vets a number of times during this time and every time they just say "oh it's just a bad shed it'll be fine." this is supposed to be an exotic specialist vets.

Even I can tell it is more than a "bad shed" his eyes go between being pitch black and really milking white, it's hard to get this layer off in batheing without really digging away at the eye, which naturally I don't like doing so avoid doing it for to long as it clearly hurts and distresses him. 

I don't know what it could be, so any suggestions of things it could be...If only just for me to say to the vet "could it not be this instead?".

He has always been a little "special" and half the size of a normal full grown leo, he reminds me of the runt of a litter. He has always eaten the same as my other adult leo's but just stopped growing when he was still small. He is normally really social and friendly but as of late doesn't want to do anything, he doesn't even open his eyes anymore.

Please help 

P.S

Don't bothing responding if all you will say is "Take him to the vets" as this is already being done but I need some other suggestions of things to suggest to the vet on my currently weekly/fortnightly visits...


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## yacker (Jun 17, 2005)

Is he housed on his own or with the other gecko's .


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Do you have a picture of him? There are loads of things it can be, like Crypto, but Crypto doesn't cause bad shed, just the weight loss and lethargy.


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

He lives on his own. 

As for photos of him, outwardly he looks like he just has his eyes closed. Nothing out of the ordinary.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Kahn said:


> He lives on his own.
> 
> As for photos of him, outwardly he looks like he just has his eyes closed. Nothing out of the ordinary.


You said he's thin, and small like a 'runt', a picture would help.

You don't want people to say 'go to the vets' please do as we ask so we can advise you.


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## yacker (Jun 17, 2005)

Are all his temps spot on and his viv set up with hides in each end and a moist hide . What are you feeding him .


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

I don't know what the problem is but I'd say getting some nutrients into him is the immediate priority, even if just to get a fecal sample. Before food though, he needs to be hydrated. Let him soak in a solution of 1 part blue Powerade and 9 parts warm water for 15-20 minutes and repeat this every 3rd day. Inbetween these baths use a pipet or syringe to put drops of water on his lips, usually they will lick anything that touches their lips.

If he doesn't pick up when he's rehydrated and start eating again, assist feed him. My method is to hold the body and legs of the gecko in one hand with just the head and neck sticking out, gentle yet firm is what you are going for. Then take a meal worm and use the pointy end to 'tickle' along the side of his mouth, this will make him open his mouth. Then just put the worm in his mouth and he should bite down on it. If this ever doesn't work, I'll burst a mealworm or take the head off a cricket and squeeze bits of the innards onto the gecko's lips to be licked off.

Many people make some kind of slurry to put on the gecko's lips but I've always found well gutloaded and dusted livefoods do the job.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Could you try and find a different exotic vets? There is a list in the general herp area I think.

You say it sometimes has milky white eyes, to me that could be discharge or stuck shed. Either way the vet needs to take a proper look at the eyes and probably clean them out for you. Another thing to consider that is common in leopard geckos is vitamin A deficiency. This comes from not gutloading and supplementing live food properly/regularly.

In the meantime - along with Graham's advice on feeding - get some eyedrops (Hypromellose 0.3% is good) and drop this in the eyes a couple of times a day. This will help to loosen the shed and hopefully soothe the eye.


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

Heres a picture of him taken when you asked so this is up to date. He eats the same amount as my other full grown adults.

They are on a mixture of crickets and meal worms. He has always spent a large amount of his time curled up in his water bowl with his head propped on the side so I can't see dehydration being anything to do with it.

@Graham

Thank you for the suggestion of soaking it on his lips. I was told about stroking the side of his mouth to get him to open it but he just turns his head away instead!

I tried brushing a mealworm on his face and showing him it when he did open his eye for a split second but he just turns away like he's not interested. I know it sounds silly but he's doing the typical things a person does when they have an upset stomach?

@Vgorst

There are very few vets where I live and this exotic one covers a huge area as it is. (one of the problems with living in the middle of no where!)


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## Madhouse5 (Jun 6, 2011)

oh my , as he lays in the water bowl could you not but some repti boost in there for him not saying it will help well i dont know what to say really 

Paul


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

Is there anything "around the house" I could put in there in the meantime?
As I live in England alot of the shops round here will be closed by time I get to them.


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

Looks severely dehydrated and probably has all kinds of vitiman deficiencies. You say he spends alot of time in his water dish, I've only ever seen 1 Leo do this, a rescue I took in too late to save him. He also had real problems shedding towards the end and looked just like yours when he died. I'm afraid your gecko appears to be days from dying. I hope I'm wrong.

What substrate do you use? If it's sand, do you find any in his water dish when he's been soaking in it. The rescue that died on me was passing this horrible blue sand he'd been kept on into his water dish when I had him. It was impaction (blue calcium sand from [email protected], I hate that stuff).


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## Rawwwrchazli (Mar 16, 2012)

I'm a bit reluctant to advise this, but you seem to be in a similar situation to one I was in a little while ago.
My Blizzard, Aura, refused ANY food for 3 months.
She saw multiple vets, had multiple tests and nothing.

Mal and a lot of other gecko people helped me out, I upped her temps by 2 degrees and was advised and bought something called Reptiade, it cost about £23, not the Reptiboost. This stuff is an all organic product by a company with Amber in the name, can't recall of from the top of my head.

Anyway, a 10 day course of this and Aura hasn't refused a single meal since.

If you've exhausted all other avenues it may be worth a go. But it is no substitute to a good vet.


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

Yeah Graham, the thing is though he has always spent alot of time in his bowl and like I said he's 6 years old now. And yes there is sand in the bowl but I wasn't sure if that was just where he is climbing in and out with wet feet.

And thanks Raw for that, I'll see if I can find any!


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## yacker (Jun 17, 2005)

was it this you used

Amazon.co.uk: Reptaid: Pet Supplies


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## Rawwwrchazli (Mar 16, 2012)

yacker said:


> was it this you used
> 
> Amazon.co.uk: Reptaid: Pet Supplies


Yup.
If he's days from death a the vet hasn't/ can't/ won't help, what have you got to loose?


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

I'd like to think that's not the case!

Thanks I'll give it a go! Like you said, what have I got to lose.


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## Madhouse5 (Jun 6, 2011)

is this it too Reptaid - Lizard Lunch


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

I ordered the first one from Amazon, should be here next week.


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## scotty667 (Oct 14, 2011)

If he's on sand get him of it this could be whats causing the eye issue i've had this happen before when i owned leos a while back now and it constantly got in one of his eyes and the shed made a little like lens around it so the vet had to take it off and his eye went back to normal after a week and he was normal again obviously this might not be happening to yours and the look of the photo it doesn't look the same as mine did.


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## Rawwwrchazli (Mar 16, 2012)

Kahn said:


> I'd like to think that's not the case!
> 
> Thanks I'll give it a go! Like you said, what have I got to lose.


Depending on his weight he will need hardly any. Aura was 54g and only needed 0.25mls every day for 10 days. Then you have to give them a break. There was a marked difference in her after only a few days.
It lasts a year in the fridge too.

Best of luck mate.

_I'll say again though, as Mal said to me, in case anyone is reading this and thinking of trying it WITHOUT having exhausted a vets abilities, this is NOT a substitute for a vet and should be a last resort._


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not rushing into this without talking to a vet...But I have been to the vet alot since this happened and everytime they say the exact same thing even after I say "Are you sure?" and while I don't have the money to keep paying vet I'm not going to give up on him because of that, that's not the idea of having a pet. But I'd rather spend that money on something like this that might actually get us somewhere.


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

Reptaid is good stuff, I've seen it perform miracles but a couple of warnings, DO NOT OVERDOSE YOUR GECKO and it says on the box that it keeps for a year in the fridge, it doesn't!


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Kahn said:


> Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not rushing into this without talking to a vet...But I have been to the vet alot since this happened and everytime they say the exact same thing even after I say "Are you sure?" and while I don't have the money to keep paying vet I'm not going to give up on him because of that, that's not the idea of having a pet. But I'd rather spend that money on something like this that might actually get us somewhere.


He does look really very ill, I hope he makes it until the Reptiade arrives at least. Please keep us updated.


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

Sorry, forgot to mention earlier, regarding him not opening his mouth for you, hold him the same way and use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the corners of his mouth. The mouth will open, he's trying to bite you but at least his mouth will be open!


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

I'm always paranoid about doing that to lizards as I'm worried his jaw will break! I'm going to try brushing some mashed up meal worm on his first so he licks it off, if that works I'll use that method as it's much less stressful on him. At the moment he could do without stress.


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## scotty667 (Oct 14, 2011)

I believe my post got lost at the end of page 2 LOL.

If he's on sand get him of it this could be whats causing the eye issue i've had this happen before when i owned leos a while back now and it constantly got in one of his eyes and the shed made a little like lens around it so the vet had to take it off and his eye went back to normal after a week and he was normal again obviously this might not be happening to yours and the look of the photo it doesn't look the same as mine did.


​


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

You haven't actually said what it's temperatures are, what is his hot temperature? Him staying in the water could be dehydration but also too hot temperatures and even to alleviate pain


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

Ah, thank you anyway Scotty. I'll have to work out another substrate, I'll try anything right now!


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Kahn said:


> Ah, thank you anyway Scotty. I'll have to work out another substrate, I'll try anything right now!


Just pop him on kitchen roll for now, it's the most hygienic when they're ill. Could you grab a pic of his set up at all? It might help


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

The temps are between 85-90 during the day but at night it drops a few degrees as to be expected.

As I said he's been doing the water bowl thing ever since we got him. Surely if it was dehydration (and I'm not saying it ISN'T at the moment) wouldn't it of had an effect by now?

Edit:

Unfortunatly I can't get a picture of the set up at the moment as the camera has been taken out.


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## Rawwwrchazli (Mar 16, 2012)

Kahn said:


> Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not rushing into this without talking to a vet...But I have been to the vet alot since this happened and everytime they say the exact same thing even after I say "Are you sure?" and while I don't have the money to keep paying vet I'm not going to give up on him because of that, that's not the idea of having a pet. But I'd rather spend that money on something like this that might actually get us somewhere.


Aura went to the vet a lot, I think it did more harm than good for her in the end, she's timid at the best of times, and going on and off the bus (no car) was not good for her too much stress. All I was told after many tests over and over:

'it's not parasites'
'she's not egg bound'
'she'll be fine'
'she'll eat eventually'

Sometimes, Reptiles baffle even the best vets.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Kahn said:


> The temps are between 85-90 during the day but at night it drops a few degrees as to be expected.
> 
> As I said he's been doing the water bowl thing ever since we got him. Surely if it was dehydration (and I'm not saying it ISN'T at the moment) wouldn't it of had an effect by now?
> 
> ...


Does he have a moist hide? Sorry it seems a bit obvious but no-ones asked


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## Kahn (Sep 24, 2011)

Hah it's ok, sometimes it's the obvious things that go unchecked and tend to be the answer!

But yes he does have one


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