This poor little leopard gecko was dumped on the doorstep of Petco (of all places) overnight last week. They brought it to me with the usual allotment of other sick critters they're trying to sell. The poor gecko was severely emaciated, dehydrated, fractured forearm and rubbery jaw from obvious MBD, had retained shed constricting off half her toes, and I still can't tell if one eye is ruptured or just really infected. After explaining what bad shape it was in the store manager decided she should be euthanized because they couldn't handle that kind of rehab care (ya think?). I've seen some miraculous recoveries so instead I had them relinquish her to me. She was started on calcium glubionate, force feedings of critical care, pain meds and antibiotic drops for her bad eye. After soakings and her living almost 24/7 in her very humid warm hide for a day or two I was able to get off almost all the retained shed (just two more toes left) and the poor toes underneath were red and painful and some were already shortened.
It's only been 5 days and her turnaround is already amazing! She is able to hold her body up off the ground now and she doesn't look like a little gecko skeleton and she's trying to hunt crickets! Poor thing can't really because her jaw is so soft that she can't hold them in her mouth yet. But she's trying. Her bad eye isn't oozing pus anymore. I thought her spine was permanently deformed but she's already holding it straighter so maybe she just didn't have the strength before. Her fractured leg is a bit worrisome because it's pretty mangled, but we'll just have to see. After at least two weeks on calcium I can try to splint it gently but if her bones are still super weak that could just make it worse...
At least the people that did this to her had to good sense to realize they should not have her anymore. It's a shame they didn't just do some simple research to prevent it, and that they thought Petco was a haven...oh well. She's mine now and she needs a name!
It's only been 5 days and her turnaround is already amazing! She is able to hold her body up off the ground now and she doesn't look like a little gecko skeleton and she's trying to hunt crickets! Poor thing can't really because her jaw is so soft that she can't hold them in her mouth yet. But she's trying. Her bad eye isn't oozing pus anymore. I thought her spine was permanently deformed but she's already holding it straighter so maybe she just didn't have the strength before. Her fractured leg is a bit worrisome because it's pretty mangled, but we'll just have to see. After at least two weeks on calcium I can try to splint it gently but if her bones are still super weak that could just make it worse...
At least the people that did this to her had to good sense to realize they should not have her anymore. It's a shame they didn't just do some simple research to prevent it, and that they thought Petco was a haven...oh well. She's mine now and she needs a name!
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