Hellllp!

nouserpif · 05-12-03, 07:34 PM

HELP! QUICK! My fantastic leaftailed gecko (uroplatus phantasticus) is in shed right now, but he is having problems.

The loose skin has stayed on him for the last couple of days, and he hasn't been to active. Today, I found him, looking like normal, and in his "daytime position", only his mouth looked like it was full of dirt. I got him out of the cage, and he barely moved his limbs (when, usually if disturbed in the day, gets right up and walks around for a minute).

I misted him lightly, and he didn't seem to react at all (he usually does). He had little twisted "ropes" of shed wound around his arms and chest, and back legs. I put him on a paper towel, and opend his mouth lightly with tweezers. There was dirt (well, coconut fiber) around the entrance of his mouth, but the throat was almost clean (one tiny piece by the back of his mouth, but it probably fell there when I opend the mouth) and when I rolled him onto his side, he did not move or anything... I realized it probably could have been three things:

1. The temperature was hot for the last couple days, and reached 76F in my room (they need high 60s to low 70s), and I was going to do something about that this afternoon, but when I went to put a cold bottle in there, I found him.

2. the humidity went a little low, and was 60% when I got home, and it needs to be like 75%-85% or about there

3. He shares a divided tank with two mourning geckos, and when I fed them yesterday, one snuck into his half of the cage, and I removed it this morning, and maybe they got in a little fight or something last night, or got it sick (but this isn't the first time the damn mourning gecko got into the leaftaileds half).

I will stay up late and observe him tonight, seeing if anything happens at dark. Any help would be great...
Dan Conner

geckoguy157 · 05-12-03, 07:39 PM

well i know the people you got it off of and they had troubles with some of them sheding a couple times and all as they did was took some twezzers and removed the skin that wasnt sheded but the dirt in the mouth thing i dont know what to say about that how muchsheded skin was still on him ?

nouserpif · 05-12-03, 07:44 PM

Most of his abdomen was covered with it, and there were holes in the skin, and I forgot to mention, there was a bunch of loose skin on his face/ mouth area, and it looked to be bugging him, and he was trying to rub it off, so maybe he did that on the ground... I just misted the cage lots agian, and he still isn't moving...
Dan Conner

geckoguy157 · 05-12-03, 07:50 PM

it may be the increase in the tempature i know it afects cresteds ad gargoyles when there temps go up but u might wanna take it to the vet hole's in your reptile is never good

sara · 05-12-03, 08:54 PM

It sounds like he's dehydrated. If you're having trouble with humidity in your enclosure try switching to a rubbermaid. It might be worth investing in a misting system, phantasticus don't handle recurring low humidity very well.
I think the best thing to do at this point would be to remove some of the shed (parts that aren't stuck to his skin), and put him into a humid rubbermaid (85-90%). Try using paper towel and egg-crates instead. Good luck with him.

nouserpif · 05-12-03, 09:27 PM

Yeah, he's not looking to well... He is kinda moving his legs if I pick if up or move him (just kinda wiggling them) now, but I think its a little worse than dehydration... I brought the humidity up to about 85%, and i'm going to make sure his little "wet house" I have there is wet, fill up his water bowl, keep temps low, and try not to stress him, and hope he lives

Dan Conner

ThEmAdHaTtEr · 05-12-03, 09:33 PM

Good luck with him man..Maybe a vet trip? I wish you and him both well.

nouserpif · 05-12-03, 10:25 PM

his toes don't react, his eyes don't look right, he doesn't move... I think he's gone. I have been given the Idea that he fell and injured his spine, which would put everything in place. He is either paralized, or dead, or POSSIBLY "playing dead" (one in a thousand chance).
I'm going to give him hte nght, and hope for a sign, although I don't think he is still even alive.

Dan Conner

05-12-03, 10:41 PM

sorry to hear Dan, I was going to suggest a shed box but don't think that would help now. The possiblilty of a fight not good. But really sounds like inaccurate husbandry or pre-exsisting health problem (I does good hip) to me.

nouserpif · 05-13-03, 11:57 AM

Yeah, the temps and stuff were everywhere for the last two days... It was fine, but all of a sudden my room started REALLY heating up, and it averaged 75F when I was at school, and I was goign to get going on somthing yesterday afternoon too keep it cool and wet, but... Anyway, he's gone. His pupils started to dialate at nightfall, and then stopped, and he's not breathing.

I am thinking he did fall, though, since I found him right under one of his "climbing sticks" on his side, not looking right, with his head in the dirt... I think the shed on his arms might have got in his way. Damn, and oh well. He must have been my favourite animal...
oh well
Dan Conner

Tim and Julie B · 05-13-03, 04:04 PM

Sorry Dan that really sucks. I hate it when that happens. You always wonder why. I hope you find a new favorite animal. Take care.

geckoguy157 · 05-18-03, 09:12 PM

it was probably the heat that got him i know with crested geckos and gargoyle geckos it hapens and thats exactly what they do and they do it right after a shed i think i think thats what might have happened to my crested but not sure hope things go better for u there

garterguy · 05-18-03, 09:23 PM

Take it to a Vet.dont take chances

DNA Reptiles · 05-18-03, 09:24 PM

Hi Dan....just caught your news on the satanic. So sorry you lost him. They do not like the heat, as you now and there has to be 50% humidity minimum. Give us a ring when you feel like it. David and Andrea.

nouserpif · 05-19-03, 10:00 PM

yeah... It was a fall, I jsut noticed a relatively deep imprint where I found him, adn his position reassured me... Yeah, he is dead now

The temps wouldn't have bothered him, as it only reached 76 for about half an hour, and most of the time it was about 73, and the humidity was 63 when I got home, but it dropped from 72% to 63% in about an hour (digital thermometer and hygrometer that tell time) right before I got home... So he probably wasn't affected by either, as he fell before it got to that, and even the day before wasn't to bad... His shed was kinda wonky, and it looked as if he could have gotton tangled up in it and fell from his branch... It was a weird shed, ESPECIALLY considering he has a water dish he could bathe in and drink out of... So, it must have been a fall.
It is very sad, and I am wanting another one (these guys are NEAT), but, I don't have the money for one...

I will miss you, Prometheus!

Dan Conner