EMERGANCY!

[Geckomaster743]

My Leopard Gecko Achillies ( Matured Male ) Is having some sort of heart attack. Is Pulse is going Crazy and His tail was wagging really fast. He was fine Seconds ago. Im scared, Really, Really Scared. Ive never seen him like this before. He's lying in a Corner right now, Before that he was Zipping around his Cage like crazy and Trying to get out like he was Mad in his head. Some one please reply. His Stomach is moving really fast and I just fed him about 5 min ago. The Noise of when i removed his Light startled him as well. Some one Please Answer fast.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Hes Fine now, But i noticed He's had a LARGE amount of Tail wagging. His Cage is Next to 5 other Leopard Geckos ( 1 Male & and 5 Females )

 

[Geckomaster743]

Sorry about the Original Post being so well Crazy but i just freaked out. The way he was Acting was Crazy. He Zipped around like he was a Leopard Gecko in the Wild ( Really Really Fast and Untame ). Then he begun jumping against the Wall. Then he begun lying in the Corner, His Stomach and Pulse were Moving up and Down Really Fast. After I picked up him he jumped on the Floor and did exactly what he did in his cage. Then i held him and Sat him in my Lap and he calmed down. I took a Syringe and tried to give him water ( He may have been Dehydrated ). He's back in his cage now but I'm really nervous about his Behavior. ( His Tail Wags During and Before he Goes Crazy )

 

[Geckomaster743]

Well Once again he's going Crazy. I can't put him back in his Cage with out his Pulse going Crazy. He's Really cold and we just Washed his Cage. I'll just keep him out with me for now and Make his Cage carpet really warm.

 

[Jetfire]

Could there have possibly been some sort of contaminant on what you fed him? that's the only thing that immediately Congress to mind, sorry

 

[Jetfire]

Comes, not Congress. Stupid "smart"phone

 

[Geckomaster743]

Heres what happened. I fed him a Meal worm in the morning and he was Fine, When i got home after school to feed him the next 3 He was fine. As i begun feeding my other Lizards he begun to panic and it begun. It took place about 5 Min after he ate.

 

[Jetfire]

Short of him swallowing a live mealworm, and it biting him internally, i'm officially stumped. I can only hope he gets better, and keep us posted!

 

[Geckomaster743]

Im seriously worried. Ive tried putting him in that Small Container to Calm down/ His Enclouser with out the Big Tree and I replaced it with the Small Cup, Every time i come back to check on him he's Slouched against the wall. Going to go check on him now..

 

[Geckomaster743]

Well he's Slouched again, He may have gotten Bit in the Stomach by the Mealworm =/ What do i do if it did bite him, He feels easier when he lies on my hand because i touch his stomach... Hmmm that explains the Pulse.... The pain. Any way could what ever he has be dangerous to his life?

 

[Jetfire]

I don't honestly know.everyone has heard the urban legend about the bug chewing its way out of a lizard, but its a really rare phenomena from what I've seen.I would just keep him warm and hydrated, and try feeding him waxworms or some other soft bodied prey if he pulls through.I wouldn't try to feed him for a couple days at least.

 

[Gopherhockey03]

If he seems fine now... just monitor him and keep an eye on him. Maybe he's just being cranky?

 

[Apocalypse910]

From everything I've seen the mealworm thing is just an urban legend. I think there have been a few cases where superworms chewed into a dead / dying lizard but It is highly unlikely that a mealworm consumed earlier is hurting him like that. Leos are meant to eat insects, and mealworms don't have much of a bite so I wouldn't worry too much on that count.

I've seen something similar in my lizards - pupils go super wide, darting around like crazy, hyperventilating... Don't know what caused it but they've always been fine afterwards. I don't want to downplay the situation but I wouldn't panic as leo's can just be strange sometimes. It is also possible that he is extra excitable due to the change in environment and is just freaking out a bit because of the new cage. My males always spaz and try to escape after I clean the cages because the smell is different. What you are describing sounds a bit more extreme but it is a possibility.

First thing that comes to mind is heat stroke, as that can cause hyperventilation and over-excitement/hyperactivity but from what you said he was cold so it sounds like that probably not the cause. The next possibility is that something used when cleaning the cage is causing an adverse reaction. Did you use any cleaning products on the cage / decorations? Any change in substrate in the cage? It is possible there is something else going on, or he is in pain from another condition but given the high level of activity and quick onset my guess would be either an issue with the cleaning chemicals or just a run of the mill gecko freakout.

You may want to call a reptile vet. As I said I've had geckos have similar incidents without any ill effect but it is much better to be safe and get some professional advice rather than regret it later. If you did use any cleaning chemicals you may want to move him to another enclosure and re-clean everything to remove any possible residue. Other than that I'd leave him alone as much as you can, try not to stress him out. They are also very unpredictable in that state so be very careful moving him to avoid any injuries. Keep us posted - hope he's ok.

--

Edit - One other question: was the tail wag slow and exaggerated or a quick buzzing?

 

[Geckomaster743]

His Tail wagging is Super Fast like he's Starting at a Female Ready to Mate, He Darts Insanely fast like he's ready to run for his life, He ends up exhausting him self. I didnt change Enviorment - Substrate - Or any thing. His Pupils are Super Super Wide and he won't Sit still, Right now he's Struggling to move and I think he's getting worse. I don't clean his Cage with " Soap - Bleach - Any Products " Just water. His Condition is Making VERY Nervous. This was very Sudden, Tail wagging has been going on for a While but he has never Rushed out and gone crazy like this.

 

[Apocalypse910]

Anything else change that you can think of?

I've anecdotally seen accounts of leos going into full stress out meltdown mode over seemingly trivial things like a change in their owner's deodorant, or random new objects by the cage. It could also be a response to another male's scent on something in the cage. Remember they are far more attuned to scent than we are so it could be something subtle.

It is interesting that he is calming down when being held. Even in very tame leos being handled can be stressful. If he is quite obviously calmer when you are holding him he may be reacting directly to something with his cage. If possible you may want to consider moving him to another enclosure temporarily to see if he calms down. I'd normally avoid moving him when he's this worked up but given the difference in his behavior it may be worth a try while you try to narrow down what he's reacting to.

This really sounds like a stress response to me so I'd start there. Again it is possible there is a health issue causing this behavior so I'd at least consult with a reptile vet on the phone to rule that out. I wouldn't panic - but I'd rather you play it safe as I could be wrong.

 

[Jetfire]

I don't honestly know.everyone has heard the urban legend about the bug chewing its way out of a lizard, but its a really rare phenomena from what I've seen.I would just keep him warm and hydrated, and try feeding him waxworms or some other soft bodied prey if he pulls through.I wouldn't try to feed him for a couple days at least.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Hes not interested in food at the moment, When he is i'll try and feed him, He was honestly very tame before this and he acts very tame in my hands though the Amount of fear he is displaying.... He digs his nails in to my Shirt/Skin because he knows ill put him back... He hates getting off. Any way I hope he makes it through the night. He has a Small Cup to hide in, Waterbowl and UV Light.

 

[Apocalypse910]

When you say small cup.. is it opaque and large enough for him to hide in completely? I wouldn't worry about him eating right now but do every thing you can to make sure he feels secure.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Oh yeah he can fit in it, Its like a Big Plastic Thingy, They Gave me my Gecko in it So i cut a hole in it and now all my Geckos Sleep in one, He liked it earlier so i decided id give it to him.

 

[Maddy123]

So hows he doing?

Oh yeah he can fit in it, Its like a Big Plastic Thingy, They Gave me my Gecko in it So i cut a hole in it and now all my Geckos Sleep in one, He liked it earlier so i decided id give it to him.