My African fat-tailed gecko is sick: pale, thin, slow breathing. Help!

Thanks for reaching out about your gecko and including photos. This animal is emaciated and starving for nutrients. A veterinary visit if highly recommended, ASAP, as it appears severely ill. Intestinal infections/parasite and metabolic disorders (liver, kidney) are among the most common causes. Check and correct husbandry as environmental parameters (heat, UVB exposure, humidity) are extremely important for recovery. Offer water and food through a syringe until a veterinary appointment can be made. Good luck.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Pinky is severely emaciated and weak. She needs to see a reptile veterinarian immediately for any chance to save her. They may be able to help diagnose her underlying disease and offer supportive care or nutritional support. If her disease had progressed too far they can offer humane euthanasia to prevent her from suffering further.

Bump the temperature up to between 26 and 28 C. It's a small change, but 25C may be a bit to cool for Gargoyle geckos. Low temps can affect appetite and activity. The heat mat should be on one half of the tank. Lights can be turned off at night, but the heat source should stay on if nighttime temps drop. Makes sure the diet contains adequate amounts of vitamin D3. Without it, he is at risk of developing metabolic bone disease (MBD). A recommended diet is Repashy Crested Gecko diet. It is a powdered diet that can be reconstituted as needed. It can be found online or in most pet stores. The locusts fed should be gut loaded 24 hours prior to feeding. If he has a healthy appetite, submit a stool sample to your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose intestinal parasites. An exam with an​ experienced herp veterinarian would be strongly recommended to diagnose metabolic bone disease and to begin treatment. Supportive care may be indicated in light of the recent rapid weight loss.

He should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If there is infection, antibiotics will be required for treatment. Gently clean the area daily with a cotton swab and some diluted betadine or Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens). Use paper towels as substrate and change daily to prevent contamination. Provide a moist hide (at least 60% humidity) for him within his enclosure as well. Consider increasing temps slightly to aid in recovery

Make sure any prey is appropriately sized, no bigger than the space between his eyes. They should be gut loaded for at least 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Consider adding LaFeber’s Emeraid for Carnivores, Oxbow’s Carnivore Critical Care or Fluker's Repti-Boost to get weight on him. Submit a stool sample to your herp veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. If there are cryptosporidium in his stool, they may be responsible for his condition.

Hello, "Stick tail" refers to generalized weight loss in these species. Weight loss can commonly be caused by intestinal infections or parasites. Weight loss could also be a sign of a more serious problem, such as an internal cancerous tumor. I would recommend taking Delta into a veterinarian to be seen. They will likely recommend x-rays, a fecal exam, and testing of the stomach fluid. Those results can help guide whether Delta has something like a curable infection or a more serious disease and the best treatment course for her. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.