Chevy Update

Question
Reptiles/Sick leopard gecko part 2
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Expert: Tracie Kretzschmar - 1/12/2011


Question



ChevyExpert: Tracie Kretzschmar

Subject: What's wrong with my Leopard Gecko????

Question: I've had my leopard Gecko Chevy for just over a year. I was cleaning out his cage when I noticed that he was dragging his back legs. Then When he finally decided to move his back legs he looked like he was having trouble moving and it's almost like it's out of his socket. When I tried to pick him up he excreted a lot of liquid. What is wrong with chevy???

Answer: Hello Carmen, What type of substrate do you have your gecko on? What foods have you been feeding him? Could he have gotten injured on something in his tank?I would like to see a picture of him, if possible. Is the leg swollen that you can see at all?Do you provide calcium for him on a regular basis? When was the last time that he ate and went to the bathroom? Tracie   


Chevy's on reptile carpet, He eats mostly crickets, and some meal worms. He might of gotten hurt in his tank since he tends to jump from the top to the bottom of his cage all the time. I have a little dish in his tank filled with calcium powder plus I dust his crickets with calcium all the time, I feed him every day to every second day. I'm not sure the last time he went to the bathroom he hasn't gone since I've cleaned his cage yesterday. I fed him Sunday night and he ate his crickets right away and he looked fine. I don't think the leg looks swollen. I have him on a underheater and a red light his temps seem to be at about 90. I included a pic of him dragging his leg.  I think it might be impaction because his belly is swollen and he let me rub it for a bit which he never does, he doesn't like to be handled to much normally.  I gave him a warm bath and he didn't poop, I also just tried a few drops of olive oil.  He is still very alert and active dragging himself around his cage but he keeps falling off of things which he never did before. If it is impaction, would that make him drag his legs?  Is there anything else I can do to help?
Thank You
Carmen

Answer
Hello Carmen,

Wow he has a fat tail!  He must have been eating well for awhile now!
What type of substrate are you using?  
It sounds like he is probably either not absorbing his calcium very well, or that he hurt his leg somehow.  At least the leg doesn't look swollen.  
Impaction shouldn't cause him to drag his legs, not normally anyway.
If you think it could be impaction, you can continue to give him soft foods like canned pumpkin along with sugar free applesauce mixed, & a couple of drops of olive oil daily.  That may help him pass whatever he needs to hopefully.
I hope it is not kidney or liver related.  Where did you get him from?
Let me know how he is doing.

Tracie  


Just thought I'd update you a bit,  I finally brought him to the vet I was so worried about him, The vet put him on some antibiotics and made me make this special blended food for him that I had and still have to feed him with a syringe everyday.  It took him 2 weeks but he finally pooed a much larger than normal and extremely hard poo. He has pooed twice since then and only when I give him a bath.  The vet had also told me to put a uvb light back on, I had taken it off after reading so many websites about that he didn't need one I think That helped him a lot.  I haven't given him any crickets yet since he is still constipated.  He seems to be using his back legs more and more which is good although he still drags them and doesn't seem to have a lot of strength in them to climb or hang on to things like he used to.  I also still give him a few drops of mineral oil on a daily basis.  He's slowly going back to his old self where when I pick him up he doesn't like it so I think it's a good sign.   

You asked me a few questions he is on reptile carpet and I got him from a pet store called petsmart. I think he will be ok but I think it will be a long process till he's back to normal, the vet was confused as to why he was refusing to use his back legs. Thank you for your help.
-Carmen.

Answer
Hello Carmen,

How is he doing today?  So has the antibiotics seemed to help him thus far?
I agree, I feel that geckos benefit from a UVB light.  He may have been slightly calcium deficiency as well as a little dehydrated.  If he was calcium deficient then it can cause them to become constipated.
That is great he is using his back legs more now.  It does take time though & it will take some time for him to get back to normal.  Sometimes if they are impacted & can cause some initial nerve damage which will take longer to heal.  
Try to help him out by making it easy on him to eat, so he doesn't have to work too hard right now.

Let me know how he is doing.
Tracie