Leopard Geokko ill

Question
QUESTION: I am having a problem with a female Leo Gekko. She was kept with a male gekko, they copulated, and she seemed to be pregnant. However, examinations shows no eggs, yet her belly is huge and swollen, she does not eat for 4 weeks now. Most of time she is inactive, but when taken out of the tank, she runs around ok. We've been to a vet, and now I'm doing her a course of injections of solcoseryl and heptenal, (8 injections done already), and vitamins, but nothing seems to change in her condition. I'd appreciate any help\advice.

ANSWER: Hello Juli,

Wow that is very odd.
Did the vet do an x-ray, or just an exam?  They are so small, it is hard to do an x-ray on them.
Can you see any visible outline of eggs on her belly?  
Do you have any pictures of her?  
Does she get calcium daily, or at least several times per week?  What type of foods does she eat?
What type of substrate do you have her on?  
If she has not eaten in 4 weeks, that is not good.  Is she losing volume in her tail?
I would get some chicken or turkey baby food to feed to her, with a plastic dropper or syringe.  
She could be having some egg binding issues, possibly.


Tracie

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QUESTION: Hello, Tracie,
thank you very much for your attention.
- The vet did just an exam, no x-ray, visibly there are no eggs, just the white enlarges areas where eggs might be, but they are not shapes as eggs;
- I'll take pictures and attach;
- she always had a small bowl with calcium, plus when she was eating (and she used to have a very good appetite) I would always give her crickets or roaches dusted with REptiCal+vitamins; now I try to give calcium to her by putting it wet no her mouth to lick; and she had two shots of vitamins at the vet;
-substrate is small pebbles and two shelters with coco-substrate in them, which I sprinkle with water; in one of them she like to sleep;
- her tail is more or less the same, she lost a bit, but not really dramatically;

Thank you for the advice about baby food, I'd do that. I tries to give her some yoghurt mixed with pureed cricket, but without much success,and I still hope to avoid force-feeding - but the problem I think is with the belly.

I'd upload photos a bit later.

Thank you so much again.

ANSWER: Hello Juli,

Ok, great.  That is very strange then, if visibly there are no eggs.  She could be forming the follicles though that are not visible on x-rays, but by ultrasound because they are still soft tissue & not calcified yet.
Yes, try the baby food to see if you can get some food into her.
You don't think that she has ingested any of the small pebbles, do you?  They have a tendency to ingest loose substrates.  
The insect choices are fine for her.  The calcium frequency sounds good, along with the dish of calcium for her to get when she needs it.  Is she housed with the male?

Tracie

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Leo gekko female   QUESTION: Dear Tracie,
about the follicles - that's the what the vet said too, however I do not understand what to do, and why this is happening, and how to help the animal. The vet talks about possible surgery, but I think that's the death sentence to her.
I'll try baby food.
The food and calcium - generally, yes, it seems ok, but the problem is she'not eating, nor she's licking calcium , so she's not getting much, - I try to give her some with water or yoghurt..
The male now is separated for about 3-4 weeks. Maybe i should put him back? Maybe then she'd form proper eggs?
About her swallowing the stone - it might be, however I cannot imagine how this could happen, since when she was eating, I fed her with tweezers, so she would swallow the insects right from the tweezers, and did not hunt.. If this is the case - what can be done?
I also attach a photograph of her.

Answer
Hello Julia,

No, if she is still not doing well it is best to house her alone.  I would try the baby food feedings for right now, unless you can get some insects into her.
Her belly is quite round, indeed.
So you can mix some calcium in with the baby food to help her out.  
If she does have follicles, they just need to be shelled which takes time.  How long has her belly looked like this for now?
Surgery for tiny animals is very difficult for sure.  It can be done, but for geckos only in emergencies.
Is she lethargic right now?  
I am not sure why this happens, other than possible genetic issues, or calcium deficiencies.  

Tracie