Metabolic Bone Disease?

[RUBYsoho]

Hi Everyone,

I have an 8yr old female leopard gecko who has recently been showing signs of metabolic bone disease. Her back seems to curve a bit when she lays down/walks & one of her back legs seems to drag as she walks. She's been very lethargic for weeks now & hasn't been eating much. Last she ate was a little over a week ago, and she only took 2 mealworms. I left a dish of gutloaded mealworms dusted with Repashy in her tank overnight, but woke up & found she hadn't touched any. If it helps to note, I also leave a small dish of Repashy in the tank at all times, which she sometimes licks at - but lately, nothing. Last night, she was drinking water, but all her movement seems so sluggish.

I'm sure you'll need more information, so please let me know what else I can include that may help! I'm considering taking her to an exotic vet, but thinking of trying to feed her some calcium-rich hornworms or butterworms first to increase her intake. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

P.S. I've included 2 photos: the first is from March 2019, and the second is from July 2019 (pardon the red light, I just didn't want to stress her out more by removing her from the tank).

 

[acpart]

It's hard to tell from the picture because it looks as if she's sleeping and that's not an unusual posture for a sleeping gecko. Be aware that you can see MBD type symptoms as I understand it, from too much calcium and D3 as well as too little. Nocturnal leopard geckos don't need too much D3. I recommend that you continue to dust her feeders and remove the Repashy from the cage. You should also consider a reptile vet visit.

Aliza

 

[RUBYsoho]

Thank you! I got her some wax worms yesterday to see if she'd take them - she ate 3! She hasn't had much of an appetite, so I'm happy about this. I read that MBD can be reversed if it's in its very early stages, so hopefully if it IS in fact MBD, I'll be able to strengthen her with some at-home treatment. If I see she gets worse, I will definitely bring her to my local exotic vet.

Thank you for your reply, Aliza!

x Ruby

 

[RUBYsoho]

It's hard to tell from the picture because it looks as if she's sleeping and that's not an unusual posture for a sleeping gecko. Be aware that you can see MBD type symptoms as I understand it, from too much calcium and D3 as well as too little. Nocturnal leopard geckos don't need too much D3. I recommend that you continue to dust her feeders and remove the Repashy from the cage. You should also consider a reptile vet visit.

Aliza

Hi Aliza,

(I hope I did this reply correctly!)

Just an update - maybe you can provide some experienced insight. I've been offering her more calcium-dusted wax worms over the last 2 weeks, and she's been readily gobbling them up! Since she's lost a bit of weight, I'm trying to plump her back up. I also ordered some butterworms from a local bait shop, but I'm worried about the sticky sludge they're producing, so I haven't offered those yet (I started a new thread about this in the feeder insects section). I still think there's a chance she's developed MBD, but I can't be 100% sure - attached are some updated photos with better angles... see how her back is slightly curved?

 

[acpart]

I do think the curvature is a bit concerning. When she walks, can she be up on her feet, or is she arm crawling? I don't recommend waxworms because they can be addictive. Some geckos like butterworms and some don't. If you can get silkworms, that's an ideal food because they're already high in calcium. Consider a vet visit if possible.

Aliza

 

[RUBYsoho]

She can be up on her feet, but I notice she's a big sluggish. Her belly does seem to touch the floor as she walks sometimes, so I think a vet visit is in order. In the meantime, I will try the butterworms and see if I can get my hands on some silkworms. Thank you so much for the reply!