You are so welcome!
I don't know if it's worth a try, but you might take a shot at explaining to your pet store manager what happens to young leopard geckos kept on sand. The longer their pets live the longer folks will be buying supplies and crickets from them. If someone has a good experience with their first gecko, hopefully they might be interested in branching out.
Good to hear about the product Jumpstart. I was using a "slurry" of Reptile Fare which my vet gave me. Ultimately, however, River began to regurgitate it. I do wonder whether River had crypto. He/she was a classroom gecko.
Wonder about the size of the leopards that Julie successfully rescued.
Do keep us posted on Lucky's progress? Has she gained any weight?
Elizabeth
Subj: Re: forward: [gecko]sick leopard gecko
Date: 3/31/04 11:08:38 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Diana)
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To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hi Elizabeth!
Thanks so much for all the info, its a very big help. Unfortunately the pet store keeps all of their geckos on sand. Personally I prefer to keep even my older leopard's on paper towel, but at least "Lucky" has been defacting normally, so I don't feel impaction from the sand is an issue. I appreciate the info very much, I plan on having an acid fast fecal stain done ASAP.
Thanks so much.
Diana
----- Original Message -----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 1:15 AM
Subject: Re: forward: [gecko]sick leopard gecko
Hi Diana---
Perhaps my experience will help you. Catriona, a vet tech on this list, recommended an acid fast fecal stain for cryptosporidia for River, my rescue leopard gecko, who died last fall.
Your little leopard sounds like she is doing quite poorly. So sorry. Had the pet store kept her on paper towels? Only paper towels or reptile carpet is recommended for leopards under one year old.
Elizabeth
Subj: Re: [gecko]Catriona: Adult Leopard 8" long, only 17.5 gms! Update......
Date: 11/16/03 9:22:41 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Catriona Lindsay)
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Hi Elizabeth,
I am sorry to here that you lost River. I know you did all you could for her.
To answer your question. Cryptosporidia is a type of coccidia. It is transmitted in feces. I suspect that many of the Leopard geckos in collections have this parasite. I think the geckos do ok with this parasite, until they get either stressed or just have too much of a parasite load. I see the most problems in young leopard geckos or very old leopard geckos.
The problem with cyrpto is that a regular fecal exam will not show if the gecko has the parasite. You have to have an acid fast stain done or a necropsy. Then on top of that there really is no cure for the parasite. Treatments can make the animal more comfortable, but will not eradicate the crypto.
Catriona
At 02:02 AM 11/14/2003 -0500, you wrote:
Hi Catriona---
Thanks for your input here. If I'd have known about an acid fast stain for crypto I'd have had one run. How do leopard geckos get crypto?
River passed away shortly after midnight on October 5th at scarcely 13.5 grams. I did my best for her with the information that I had, but it was scarcely enough. A couple oxyrid eggs were found in the fecal float and the fecal C & S was within normal limits. The vet also sent out a fecal sample which showed moderate mixed enteric flora. No aeromonas species, no salmonella species, and no pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated.
Thank you for your assistance, Catriona.
Elizabeth
Subj: Re: [gecko]Urgent: Adult Leopard 8" long, only 17.5 gms! Update......
Date: 10/23/03 10:04:35 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Catriona Lindsay)
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To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hi Elizabeth,
If this gecko has lost so much weight that you are concerned about its health, then I would do an acid fast stain. Crypto geckos look emaciated and have thin tails.
Catriona
