Thanks for your clear explanation here. I'm hoping that I can pull River through his skinny state of affairs so that he can live the long life forecasted for many captive Eublepharis macularius.
River seems to be holding his own. Hopefully soon he will begin to gain direly needed weight.
Elizabeth
Subj: Re: [gecko]Urgent: Adult Leopard 8" long, only 17.5 gms! Update.....
Date: 9/29/03 4:34:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (dj_honeycuts)
Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hi Elizabeth!
I think I may have the reason as to why the vet has recommended against this method. I've also heard several different takes on using Pedialyte to re-hydrate, and have used Pedialyte several times myself with wild caught chameleons. The vet that I use has recommended Pedialyte administered orally, not soaked, and the amount and duration has varied amongst species, size, and individual. I think the reason for this can be explained by the idea of the osmotic potential of the animal cell. Due to the kinetic energy of molecules there is a tendency for molecules in solution to diffuse into empty areas, or areas where there is less of itself. The cell membrane allows for passive transport(diffusion) of H20 molecules from one side to the other to achieve an equilibrium. Other molecules are usually larger, and therefore need to be either brought across the cell membrane actively or allowed in through a "gating" type opening in the membrane. Pedialyte is high in electrolytes, and electrolytes are basically dissolved salts.......
What this all means.
Even though the skin cells of animals are quite tough and impermeable, if the salt content in the Pedialyte is higher then the salt content in Rivers cells this is going to cause more of a water loss then a water gain as the water tries to establish an equilibrium. If River were to ingest the Pedialyte this may increase the salt content of the cells allowing more water into the cells to re-hydrate him. Gatorade is even higher in electrolytes then Pedialyte because it is a "sports" drink, and salts are naturally lost during sweating. The vet may recommend that the Pedialyte be administered orally.
I hope this helps, and I hope that River recovers. It sounds like you are taking every step possible to help River to a full recovery. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him.
Take Care
James
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Lyle---I had previously heard somewhere about Pedialyte soaks for dehydrated animals, so actually I had already tried several tepid soaks in Pedialyte prior to my vet visit Sat. BUT the vet said ONLY WATER SOAKS! He said that Pedialyte causes additional dehydration (?) and that Gatorade is even worse.
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lappert robert hubert
15 yo r.i.p. r.i.p.
(All Lepidodactylus lugubris!)
