Follow up on Ziggy number two

Question
QUESTION: Adding to my previous question, I have a blacklight for Ziggy and so far there hasn't been a problem for her, but recently she's been spending lots of time under her rock, and I'm not sure why. Also, how do you create a moist environment without buying something expensive? Is there a home remedy for her? Please help.
-Robyn C.

ANSWER: Hello Robyn,

A blacklight, is that the brand of light, or is it a light that emits black light?  How close is it to her?
What are you measuring her temps with?  Are you using a digital probe right on the hot spot?  
A moist environment can be created in the hide for her.  Put some spaghmum moss in the hide & keep that moss moist & make sure that the undertank heater is underneath the hide/cave partially to heat up that area & release moisture.  
How do the eyes look, are they bright or are they looking sunken in?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Her eyes are bright, but somewhat swollen on her head. Before today, she would have them open, but there was such a thick layer of mucus over her eye, I couldn't tell if they were open or closed. Since I last typed you, however, her eyes have opened on their own, with the help of some dilluded visine. I peeled the excess shed skin from her eye lids and now she's as bright eyed as ever, but before I used the visine, she was rubbing her OPEN EYE on the glass. What does that mean? Is it itching because it's healing?

There was a piece of skin shed left on her nose that I managed to take off as well, and within minutes she was already beginning to regain some color. I gave her a bath in some luke warm water as well, to help remove the rest of the excess shed, and she seemed to enjoy it. I think she's liking all this special treatment!

I went to PetCo to get the crickets. Come to find out, their crickets are the WORST rated crickets in the valley, and they tend to die of diseases pretty quickly. I got her the Fluker's Repti-Aid stuff from PetSmart and she seems to enjoy it, she's lapping it up like crazy.  Please keep me updated. I think I'm saving her, but I want to double check.
Thank you so much for ALL your help =]


-Robyn C.

ANSWER: Hello Robyn,

Great her eyes are bright.  How swollen?  What type & brand of UVB light are you using?  I need the specifics on that.
You can use visine or a regular saline solution to help keep them washed out.  If she has retained shed, that has to come off.  So continue bathing & trying to get the retained shed off.
Poor girl!  
The petstore crickets are normally dirty.  They don't take care of them very well.  Great keep using the Repti-aid & some babyfood too.  Chicken & turkey are the favorites with them.
Also, order crickets from online too, they are better.  Try:
www.premiumcrickets.com
www.armstrongcrickets.com
www.mulberryfarms.com

Keep me posted!!

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The light I was using was a fifty watt black light bulb. You know, the ones you use for the creepy effect on Halloween, she seemed to like the low wattage, but after a while she started to hide a lot more. What is the best wattage and color to use?

I came home tonight after giving her a dose of Repta-Aid, and already I could tell a major difference. She's moving so much faster and her tail is already showing signs of plumping up a little, her color has 100% returned and her head isn't as shrunken looking anymore. Her eyes have completely gone down in swelling, almost totally back to normal, besides her keeping one open all the time.

The only other question I have is, since I started flushing her eyes out, the one that I found swollen and stuck shut is always open now, even when she's sleeping [or I think she's sleeping...]. Maybe it's just me being jumpy, but I hope it's okay.

I just noticed a couple of other things that sparked my curiosity as well. Sometimes, while she's just lying there, her tail will whip back and forth, sometimes a little, sometimes violently. What does that mean? Also, occationally, when she walks across her tank, she's breathing really heavily for a moment, but it quickly returns to normal. Am I just being jumpy?

Thanks again!!!

=] Robyn C.

Answer
Hello Robyn,

Oh, I would change the black light I think.  Try a regular household lightbulb during the day & maybe you could just use a cermic heat emitter for during the night.  Are you using an undertank heater as well?  If not, she needs underbelly heat to help with digestion.  
Just make sure that there is something in between her & the heater.  Are you measuring the temps with anything?  They do need a specific gradient.  The hot spot should run around 85-90, with the cool area around 78 or so.  
I am glad that she has shown signs of improvement with the Repta-aid.  It is most likely helping with hydration.  Try to get the babyfood into her as well, that should help.
Does the other eye open & close correctly?  Does it appear that the eye is infected possibly?  Look very closely, she could have a piece of stuck shed on or around her eye that is preventing the eye from closing.  
About the tail whipping back & forth.  The main times that they will slowly whip it back & forth is when they are hunting for food, & about to strike at it, or if they are curious about something.  

There is another scenario though I hate to mention it.  It is not a pretty sight to watch an animal die.  You also mentioned that her breathing has been doing some strange things, which could not be good, either.  I do have to admit I am somewhat worried due to the fact the violent tail whipping & change of breathing are 2 symptoms of well, impending death.  I could be wrong, & I hope that I am!!!!  It is possible too, that she is just uncomfortable still.  

She could have picked up a nasty infection from a cricket possibly.  Septicemia is fairly common in geckos for some reason.  They are small animals & things affect them pretty easily.  Could you get a fecal done on her possibly to rule out parasites or amoebas?  

Please keep me posted on her.  I hope that she is going to be ok.  

Tracie