Rescue gecko

[chris_clemens]

So yesterday I began fostering this little malnourished leopard gecko I named Noel. I have her setup in an enclosure with 75-80 cool side temps and a 90 hot spot. I have her eating organic chicken baby food with calcium with D3 mixed in, mealworms, butter worms, and a wax worm every other day or so. She had some stuck shed on her toes and what looked like at least 2 stuck sheds on the tip of her tail that I got off this morning by soaking her. She is only about 4-5 inches snout to vent so I think she is still young.

All I know about her previous care was that she was housed with a larger, healthy gecko who bullied her. I'm not sure why the owner didn't seperate them or get rid of Noel before she got this bad but frankly I would like to give him a good beating.

My biggest worry is that she is not opening her eyes. She is active in her enclosure and when I have her out feeding (she is being hand fed), she looks around like a normal gecko would, she makes what appear to be blinking motions (for lack of a better term), and she is reactive when I try to gently touch her eyelids. I would like to see if anyone has any info for me or knows anything that would make a leo keep their eyes shut. Is she too weak to actually open her eyes or could she be blind?

Yes, I plan on taking her to my vet. I am just curious for my own information.

[Starbuck]

her eyelids are completely shut? They could be 'stuck' due to an eye infection caused by the stress of her previous home; or if the previous owner had overly powerful UV lights (not required for leos, to my knowledge) she could just be recovering…. I think the vet is your best bet at this point, as they will be able to get you some antibiotics and evaluate if anything else is going on.

pictures could help us help you

[chris_clemens]

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1470297_10202633246537439_1559298524_n.jpg

Her name is Noel.

Just to clarify, that line down her back is not just coloring, its her backbone. There is no discharge from her eyes and she doesn't seem uncomfortable or bothered by them, just won't open them. Would she have an infection without any form of discharge? There was some stuck shed on one of her lower lids but that came off when I soaked her.

She defecated this morning and it looked normal so hopefully thats a good sign.

I knew the vet visit was going to be essential so she has an appointment on monday with my vet. Again I'm just trying to get info from other, more experienced people than myself.

[Alexa]

Maybe its just the picture, but is she missing toes? The poor thing has clearly survived a level of negligence that makes me sick.

Being bullied doesn't really explain this level of emaciation and dehydration, did you ever see the other gecko? If the previous owner was ok with letting Noel get this bad, I doubt they actually know what a healthy gecko is supposed to look like.

About the eyes, it's possible that there is a major issue, but it's also possible that she is just that weak. It sounds to me like you are doing everything right, including (especially!) the trip to the vet. Good luck to both of you!

[chris_clemens]

She shed today and must have gotten some stuck shed out of her eyes or something because they both opened. She leaves the left one open but is continuing to hold the right one closed. The vet had an opening in his schedule today so that is where we will be headed soon instead of waiting til monday. So heres to hoping we don't find anything seriously wrong.

I never did see the other gecko and I never met the owner. All I was told is that the other one was healthy. She is missing at least parts of most of her toes and the end of her tail is raw due to having several stuck sheds on it.

It made me sick to see her this way also. I wish I had met the previous owner to beat some sense into them.

Thank you for the encouragement! I'm trying my best to give her some much needed TLC and care. I've never owned a leo...I've just done some research on their basic care.

[smy_749]

chicken food? why? get her some crickets if she can see well enough to eat them

[chris_clemens]

chicken food? why? get her some crickets if she can see well enough to eat them

She only just opened her eyes today for a little while, I've been hand feeding her. I chose the chicken baby food to get some nutrition into her.

She has an eye drop for both eyes, two antibiotics, and a vitamin A supplement prescribed from the vet as well as being changed to a slightly different diet plan. She won't be eating crickets for a couple weeks still until her eyes are fully healed and she leaves them open.

If it wasn't for her being so weak and having the trouble with her eyes, I would have happily offered her crickets.

[smy_749]

Gotcha. Well hope she gets better, good on ya for goin to the vet.