This little miracle did not always look this great, but don't worry, the ending is very inspiring...
Almost a year ago, a woman (put that term loosely, though) brought a paper bag into a pet store in California and asked the pet store owner to "I dunno, run it over or something".
Well, inside that paper bag was a small, skinny and deformed leopard gecko. It was difficult to age an animal this bady neglected due to its thin and kinked body and tail. His front legs were paralysed due to metabolic bone disease, something not very common with leos unless horribly neglected, and unfortunately that was the case for this poor little one, his present owner was given him that very day becasue of her gift of rehabilitating other types of animals, but this particular species of reptile was a first experience for her, so she frantically did some research in order to try save his life.
Her and I met through the leopard gecko forum on kingsnake and due to my soft spot for this species in particular, I wanted to help her as much as I could. She has a great vet and as we had suspected, he did need a calcium injection, though it was uncertain whether he would ever gain mobility in those front toes of his. It was difficult for him to move much due to the MBD, and in return, to eat, so his owner had to help him eat until he was strong enough to eat on his own. She used Sticky Tongue Farms Brand Miner-All "I" calcium and D3 supplement every day and RepCal Herptivite once a week. Soon enough, he was eating on his own and gaining strength to start wandering slowly around his cage.
Miraculously, the appropriately named Feisty soon gained mobility in his front limbs, and even full use of his toes in one of his hands. Though he can use the other arm enough to get around well, his hand folds in to the left when he climbs and walks. Feisty did sustain an injury to his mouth that in time stopped him from eating again. Once the injury was treated however, he began eating immediately and gained weight quickly, his jaw forming properly again.
I was lucky enough to meet Feisty and his family this October. It was something really special to me to meet these guys, a gecko that truly fought the odds, and a special family that did not give up on him. I hope her story will convince others how well these geckos can recover, how important it really is to have a vet you trust with the species of gecko you own, and how to give your pets the very best quality of life possible.
Almost a year ago, a woman (put that term loosely, though) brought a paper bag into a pet store in California and asked the pet store owner to "I dunno, run it over or something".
Well, inside that paper bag was a small, skinny and deformed leopard gecko. It was difficult to age an animal this bady neglected due to its thin and kinked body and tail. His front legs were paralysed due to metabolic bone disease, something not very common with leos unless horribly neglected, and unfortunately that was the case for this poor little one, his present owner was given him that very day becasue of her gift of rehabilitating other types of animals, but this particular species of reptile was a first experience for her, so she frantically did some research in order to try save his life.
Her and I met through the leopard gecko forum on kingsnake and due to my soft spot for this species in particular, I wanted to help her as much as I could. She has a great vet and as we had suspected, he did need a calcium injection, though it was uncertain whether he would ever gain mobility in those front toes of his. It was difficult for him to move much due to the MBD, and in return, to eat, so his owner had to help him eat until he was strong enough to eat on his own. She used Sticky Tongue Farms Brand Miner-All "I" calcium and D3 supplement every day and RepCal Herptivite once a week. Soon enough, he was eating on his own and gaining strength to start wandering slowly around his cage.
Miraculously, the appropriately named Feisty soon gained mobility in his front limbs, and even full use of his toes in one of his hands. Though he can use the other arm enough to get around well, his hand folds in to the left when he climbs and walks. Feisty did sustain an injury to his mouth that in time stopped him from eating again. Once the injury was treated however, he began eating immediately and gained weight quickly, his jaw forming properly again.
I was lucky enough to meet Feisty and his family this October. It was something really special to me to meet these guys, a gecko that truly fought the odds, and a special family that did not give up on him. I hope her story will convince others how well these geckos can recover, how important it really is to have a vet you trust with the species of gecko you own, and how to give your pets the very best quality of life possible.
