My gecko has MBD and won't eat, drink, or move. What should I do?

As you probably know MBD is a metabolic disease due to lack of Calcium. Treatment must be done properly at your local vets, while prevention (or cure of mild forms of MBD) can be achieved by following these recommendations: Gut load live food prior to feeding making them more nutritious, dust live food with Nutrobal, Calcium, and/or Calcium D3, use correct UVB light, avoid excessive phosphorous in a diet (most fruits are high in P and low in Ca).

If MBD is suspected you have to make sure all the lights are adequate as this can play a very important role in the calcium metabolism. it's recommended to start the treatment with a Calcium injection, try to check with some regular vets in your area of living, they all have injectable calcium in their clinic, hopefully they will be willing to treat them.

Hello, I’m glad you are taking steps to correct the MBD. Oral calcium is important as well as vitamin A and hydration. I like Repashy vitamin A dust on crickets every 2 weeks and calcium powder dust with every other feeding. Make sure the humidity stays above 50-60%. This is very hard inside in the winter so it will be a constant battle. Gut load and dust all insects fed, if you have a drip or misting system, ensure that is working well. The UVB light should be changed every 6 months. MBD lizards are at higher risk of infections and fractures so keep a close eye on his appetite and activity. Pad branches and lower branches if he seems unsteady. Most of all, be patient. Reptiles take a long time to get sick and take just as long to recover. It can take several months for him to bounce back, and any distortion or trauma to his bones may always be noticeable. If you’d like to discuss this more, don’t hesitate to request a consult. Take care!

Usually the treatment is based on dietary improvements, calcium and vitamin D supplements, and greater access to full-spectrum ultraviolet light. More severe cases require calcium and vitamin D injections, oral supplements, fluid therapy, and nutritional support.

Hello. Sorry to hear Zorro is not well. Unfortunately when these guys stop eating from MBD it is hard to get them started again. It is recommended that you start force feed him some Oxbow Critical Care. https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1518202419&sr=8-6&keywords=oxbow+critical+care Here is a link to a video on how to force feed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mIJmeebvss Don't even offer any insects for now. Give it 5-7 days of force feeding before you try again. You should be dusting and gut-loading the insects before feeding. Calcium in a dish is not sufficient. Once you start getting some nutrition into him he should start eating on his own again. Be sure all his other husbandry is 100% correct (ie: lighting, temperature, etc). Here is a good care sheet. https://avianandexotic.com/care-sheets/reptiles/leopard-gecko/ Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Check the temperature in his enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. If he isn't eating or not exposed to high quality UVB lighting, he can become calcium deficient which could account for the tremors. If he is less than 30 inches long, confirm a basking temp of around 115 F. If he is bigger, bump basking temp to between 125 F and 135 F. Multiple lower wattage lights over a larger area are recommended over one high intensity light source. Try to get him to eat and offer a calcium supplement. If you can get a liquid supplement, that would be best right now. Zoo Med and Fluker's offer such a supplement.Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. if he doesn't eat or if the tremors worsen, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles as soon as possible.

Most house geckos are nocturnal and do not require UVA/UVB lighting, but it won't harm them. Ideally, Dartzilla should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose illness or injury. The paralysis may be compounded by constipation, especially since there has been no stool recently. Soak Dartzilla in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored Pedialyte for 15-20 minutes. This will provide warmth and hydration. Both can aid in digestion and promote GI motility. A gentle abdominal massage, front to back, during the soak may stimulate defecation. Offer appropriately sized prey, no bigger than the space between his eyes. Gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. You can use a quality fish flake or high protein baby cereal for this. Rep-Cal Herptivite and Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 are the gold standards for vitamin and mineral supplementation. You can find them online or in the local Petco. Follow label directions for dusting prey.