Golden Gecko on ground

[marisa]

Hi. I purchased a young Golden Gecko at the January show. Things have been going perfect, the gecko has shed a couple times...eats crickets and has been thermoregulating. She is around 5 inches long. 90 degree basking spot, 70% percent humidity, although it goes much higher as I mist daily. Heavily planted tank (fake plants) paper towel substrate, and large shallow water dish.

Roughly five days or so ago I saw her on the ground and really didn't think much of it although she (or my older male, housed seperatly) NEVER sticks on the ground for long.

She is still on the ground and hasn't left the ground since. She is alert, looks fine...no swellings or injuries, nothing in the eyes nose or mouth......she will lap at water still although I haven't fed her since I noticed this.

I *KNOW* something is not right here especially since she will have been on the ground for almost a week. Can anyone give me some guesses as to what might be going on, or some ideas on how to tell for sure? Or anything? Since she looks so healthy and alert I am lost as to whats going on.

Marisa

[JeffT]

Yeah I never see mine on the ground either, hes a male too. Is it possible she is gravid? Have you tried breeding the two?

[Stockwell]

That is a bad sign and it usually means not enough calcium or other ailment, either nutritional or parasite.
Take her out and see if there are mobility problems. If the legs seem twitchy or stiff she might be calcium deficient.

I have had several cases of white lines, flyers, and day geckos that were found on the subsrtate usually subsequent to egg laying.
In some cases I fixed the problem by simply putting a pinch of repcal right into the mouth.

[marisa]

Thanks. I will take her out tonight and try to get some vitamins in her and check for mobility. I dust crickets 1 out of 3 feedings and offer baby food w/ calcium in it. She eats both but maybe I should start dusting every cricket feeding.

Marisa

[Stockwell]

Is she producing eggs? You can usually see them through the abdomen. If the lizard is producing eggs or has done so, possibly prior to your purchase, this might be the problem.
They normally have calcium deposits inside the neck which should be visible.
I find many geckos seem to require more calcium than normally offered and the onset of IBD is often twitchy toes, then the inability to climb, followed by a hunched back.
They should have a bowl of Repcal or powdered cuttle bone at all times

[marisa]

No no eggs that I know of. She is very small still. 5 inches including tail. If they can produce eggs this early then maybe....she is housed alone as well. I don't see any egg shapes in her belly....

I went in there and fed her some apricot baby food mixed with lots of repcal by placing drops on her nose with a syringe. She had quite a bit, but then got sick of me and walked to the other side of the enclosure. Her back legs both seemed to be working and she wasn't dragging them. It's really weird. But definitly still on the ground.

Marisa

[Stockwell]

One other thought...Make sure her toes pads have shed properly.
Occasionally if kept dry by the wholesalers, they fail to shed their toe pads and this can keep them off the walls if their toes aren't working

[BlkMambaVenom]

i hope she turns out okay.. .. if anything take her to a vet , if you cant seem to figure out whats wrong. Good Luck! :)

Brittany