Oliver, Tim, & Kit - Abandoned Geckos

[Katherine]

Am just going to use syringe to suck out. When i tried, again, he made lkie a litttle gag noise. Do I just keep doing this until I leave for vet at 11:45

[Katherine]

Is liquid-will keep trying to suck out. He;s sitting still again in my hand. Not used to body temp but he still feels cold. What antibiotic should vet give me? Friend will be driving me. She can pick-up whatever needed from pet store . 10 g tank, heat lamp & what else. This way, if she does that, while I'm at vet, I can bring him right home. Pneumonia, I guess, right?

[Loopy Squirrel]

If he continues to ooze out the discharge you can keep cleaning it away w/ the wash cloth. If it starts to clot up again and he can't breath then try sucking it out again. Geckos are one of the only reptiles that actually can make vocal noises. Most others just hiss.

[Loopy Squirrel]

I guess we were typing at the same time. Get baytril from the vet but ask him if he will do an intramuscular injection while there. It is absorbed better and faster and will give him a boost since the vet will probably prepare an oral solution for you.

[Loopy Squirrel]

It sure sounds like pneumonia. Yes, I would get the aquarium set up with the heat lamp again. Warmth is the best thing for him right now. You can do a warm water soak if he isn't warming up, but don't use hot water. Start w/ room temp water then slowly add warmer water. You don't want to shock his body so do it slowly. Let him soak until he feels warmer then keep him on the heating pad. Just keep feeling him so that he is warm but not overheated.

[Katherine]

I guess we were typing at the same time. Get baytril from the vet but ask him if he will do an intramuscular injection while there. It is absorbed better and faster and will give him a boost since the vet will probably prepare an oral solution for you.

Will do re: intramuscular.
Loopy, pls tell me what supplies for friend to buy for him..10g (all I have roon for right now.), cramic heat lamp, like Tommy's (?) & what else. He;s on towel on my lap while I work w/him. Likes the warmth.

[Loopy Squirrel]

He will need a UVB light too but that is not critical right now. The heat lamp is more important. He will need a small shallow soaking container for later use. I use tupperware containers. One he can climb in and out of. As far as the substrate in the aquarium I just use newspaper. It's easy, cheap, and safer than the crap they'll try to sell you. He will eventually need some small crickets to eat too.

[Katherine]

I have him on towel on my lap w/heating pad on low, underneath towel. Little body is feeling warmer. Do you still want me to do soak

[Loopy Squirrel]

No, if he is getting warm then leave him there.

[Katherine]

While He's on my lap in towel, I', still wiping mucous . Dripping but at east, the nostrils are open enough to let it out.

[Loopy Squirrel]

Good, it means you got the flow going. As long as it comes out and drains he can breath better. Once you get home and set up his aquarium you can keep it humid to help keep his nasal passages clear. If you position the heat lamp over the water container it will create humidity for him. What I do is put a branch or something high enough for him to sit on and bask over the water container and in the heat. He'll get warmth and humidity at the same time.

[Katherine]

Am stopping wiping nostrils for a bit. he moved back-must be irritating him

What kind of SOB would leave this little guy on top of garbage can in sub-freezing weather. .Gonna try wiping again, just more slowly. Little more nucous coming out

[Katherine]

Good, it means you got the flow going. As long as it comes out and drains he can breath better. Once you get home and set up his aquarium you can keep it humid to help keep his nasal passages clear. If you position the heat lamp over the water container it will create humidity for him. What I do is put a branch or something high enough for him to sit on and bask over the water container and in the heat. He'll get warmth and humidity at the same time.

In a 10g, what size water container do I put in, You said tupperware ok, right & when I put water in, I put in in at room temp & let heat lanp warm up, Should lamp be in low 90's like, Tommy

[Loopy Squirrel]

A idiot who probably either thought he was already dead or dying and didn't care.

[island rehabber]

What kind of SOB would leave this little guy on top of garbage can in sub-freezing weather.

a nasty, selfish, jerk of a kid who disposed of his pet because it became sick, and just wasn't cool anymore.

[Katherine]

When you said branch, this should be from bottom to top of tank? What temp from Lamp. Should tank have anything else in it other than water container. What about food. Even tho, so sick, shouldn't he eat after we get home from vet

[Loopy Squirrel]

What I would do is to put in a very shallow square container big enough to put enough water in it for the lizard to be able to submerge at least 50% of his body. I would try to avoid letting him soak in room temp water now that he is warm. You will need to make sure the water is warmer to keep him warm while he is sick. I would try to avoid the soaking for now until he feels better. I only use soaking in warm water to do a faster warm up if they are not able to regulate and are having a hard time getting warm. He may not want to soak right now anyway but the water in the tank will allow for extra humidity until his nose clears. The container should be low enough for him to get in and out of. I would try to keep the open areas of the tank at 85-95 for now. He may need it to be closer to the 90's while sick. I am trying to look up the basking temps for sick gecko's right now.

[Katherine]

Loopy, When i leave for vet in 1/2hr, I will take him in container. Sould I wrap it in towel. Vet is only 15 min away. Want to maintain temp in travel

[Loopy Squirrel]

If the gecko is too weak to hold onto a branch then I would just create a low basking area w/ the water container near him. I wouldn't want him to fall if he can't hang on. You can set it up later with the branches higher for him to climb when he is feeling better. He will eventually need a little hiding area. They sell little caves & such at the pet store but for now you want him in the heat and not hiding under something. If he is a small gecko then you can get him pin crickets and some small meal worms. Get the repto cal vitamin supplement too. It comes in powder form. You can dust his crickets & worms with it for him to eat.

[Loopy Squirrel]

I'd try to keep him as warm as possible. You could either fill a zip lock bag w/ warm water and cover w/ a towel and put him on it or you could also carry him in your hand too. Your body heat is good for him as well. Whatever you're more comfortable with.