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Oxbow Animal Health Critical Care, Carnivore, 70 Gram Bag?
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> I don’t know how to safely force feed her in the meantime besides just putting solid food in her mouth.
You buy Critical Care type slurry products on Amazon and use a syringe or you blend bugs/greens in a blender and use a syringe or you buy plain babyfood and use a syringe. If you buy something look for an "Omnivore" formula or you can mix Carnivore and Herbivore.
Burrito her if she's fractious, and just go slowly. You're not trying to squirt anything down her throat, just get it into her mouth. If you go really slowly they do OK and it helps to have two people, one for holding. There are videos on Youtube about where you pull their lip down and get the syringe in- most handle it OK, I had one have a spasm on me once and I thought I had killed him but it was just a tantrum and he came through just fine.
Best of luck.
Not sure if anyone else suggested it, but while it won't help long term with parasites or illness, you can get this or something similar to force feed to help with nutrition for now. You would need to get a small plastic syringe (no needle) from a local pharmacy to use, but this one comes recommended from the local exotics vet: Oxbow Animal Health Critical... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006H38VZ0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I agree with the other comment that you should check out your temps. It’s pretty crazy how influential temperature is on all aspects of a leopards health.
Speaking from my own experience, when I rescued Mango, she stopped eating for about 2 months. She ate maybe 4 wax worms and 2 mealworms in that entire time. Her urate was yellow like that as well, and my vet said it was yellow due to the anorexia. She game me some of this https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0 to give Mango since she was losing weight rapidly. After 4 daily doses, Mango started eating again! I believe it stimulated her appetite and gave her energy to digest. Goodluck and make sure your husbandry is good!
A vet visit is always recommended after acquiring new geckos.
If the ones with MBD are able to eat solid food, begin supplementing calcium and D3 right away. If they have rubber jaw and can't eat solid food, then you will need to use this until they get their strength back.
https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0
Separate them if they aren't already, provide sterile enclosures with paper towels and very basic decorations (the three main hides, water and calcium, and heating).
It seems like he is super malnourished and dehydrated. On top of scheduling a vet visit in the meantime you can syringe feed him some healthy bearded dragon smoothies. I've heard of people feeding super sick beardies this: Oxbow Animal Health Critical Care, Carnivore, 70 Gram Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_T0698FSS7SDCJK9MADEC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Could also blend up leafy greens like collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, with some bugs with calcium powder and a reptile multivitamin. And syringe feed them water too. Keep him under a heat bulb at 95 degrees or more during the day. Hopefully an exotic vet can help you out. My advice is definitely not professional.
Thanks for the update.
Okay there's two things that are likely going on here both are due to neglect (not you)
without actually having it in front of me I can't comment further than to ask you to not use the critical care supplement I hope you didn't purchase it.
fluids are the first and easiest thing
Sub-q is damaging but might be required.
The administrating of baytril without confirmation of a infection is going to kill it. that isa strong "shotgun" antibiotic and while it's effective, it's very hard on the organs and I'm confident it'll put it over the edge in it's current state.
The lethargy, weakness is quite possibly due to a combination of D3 levels being low for a prolonged period and also dehydration.
Both are fixable and veields can recover quite well if given what they need.
Pm me your number and I'll call you to walk you though things.
You should use Oxbow critical care, it would help him recover faster- https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=asc_df_B006H38VZ0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198060275213&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9811467193607245564&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&...
If that doesn't work out, there are different slurries you can buy off Amazon. When we adopted Oscar, our leopard gecko, his little eyes were crusted shut from a failed shed due to the previous owners not taking proper care of him. We had to drop the slurry on his snout a little at a time, and the little guy would lick it off. It's pretty inexpensive. Oxbow Carnivore Care Pet Supplement, 2.5-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1HVDCbNTDZEQY
The cheap low quality stuff is typically the stinkiest and yummiest for cats. I would go buy some friskies canned food or something equally cheap.
On the other hand, I have heard that EVO brand canned cat food is very rich and high in protein and not as cheap as friskies so you could try that.
If you can find this in the store you can try this too. I bought it for my lizard and my cat just flips over the smell and flavor.
Oxbow Carnivore Care Pet Supplement https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_EM7dFbDXTJEC0
I always keep a bag of this in my freezer.
https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0 Its a 1:1 ratio and I only gave about .5ml. But I would use it as a last resort
A vet visit for sure.
May need some Critical Care if they continue not to eat.
https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0
And some new friends by the sound of it.
Oxbow Animal Health Critical Care, Carnivore, 70 Gram Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_W8XCA0EDW4TVVK4RPE9A
Use a syringe to feed and follow mixing instructions on back label.
https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0
Remove that substrate and use paper towels
go to a vet, too.
I have a special needs Leo too!
If it's just a regular heat lamp (as opposed to a ceramic heat emitter) then you're probably better off with the mat as you don't want a light to bother your buddy at night but you need to keep him warm (unless your house stays decently warm through the night). Make sure that your heat source, light or mat, is connected to a thermostat. The thermostat monitors the temperature of the hot side and will automatically turn the heat source on and off to keep it in a steady range.
Also, if he has trouble passing stool it might be a good idea to get in the habit of giving him regular warm water baths. Simply use a shallow dish with your gecko and fill it with water that's a little over 86 degrees. Make sure to just pour the water up to his elbows. This will help to keep him hydrate and loosen up stool.
Another note, if he can't go at all on his own, then every two weeks is too long in between. If you're feeding him every other day then you should be massaging him every off day from feeding (think one poop per a meal).
One last thing is that you might want to get some critical care (https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1P7RGG1NYAX2R&keywords=carnivore+critical+care&qid=1636167589&qsid=146-5644321-5244953&sprefix=carnivore+critical%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-1&sres=B006H38VZ0%2CB00CEID7MY%2CB08WX4H4WR%2CB07MYTR9XG%2CB07DN6C6P5%2CB07JQ1TMJF%2CB001FKACXO%2CB07RWDD11K%2CB07S32DBQV%2CB000634CL4%2CB005KSOIJG%2CB006X40ZQQ%2CB07JR2RMPS%2CB00ECJ5NIY%2CB004W78400%2CB012OVRJSI&srpt=PET_FOOD) which is sorta an emergency food supplement in case he has trouble eating/digesting. It's good to have on hand as you just mix it with water and use a syringe to feed him via drops on the edge of his mouth. This might come in handy if he struggles to digest chiton.
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It's awesome that you took on a pet that a lot of people would pass up on and that you're willing to work hard to keep him healthy.
I wish you the best of luck!
If she won't eat food you need to start giving a liquid diet orally.
https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxbow Animal Health Critical Care, Carnivore, 70… | - | - | 4.8/5.0 |
^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger
Whilst I agree that if you lack the ability to care for a pet it must be re-homed, it's also important for people to acknowledge that it's not always easy to find a new home, especially for an animal that's unhealthy.
OP, keep looking for a home but in the meantime I'd recommend:
Checking that she has a heated spot of at least 90-91 degrees. If you have to, you can heat up water on the stove and place it in a water bottle. Then wrap the bottle in a thin towel and place it inside her enclosure. This will help to raise the temp but will have to be changed often.
For food, you can get carnivore critical care (https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=carnivore+critical+care&qid=1633740362&sr=8-2). It's a complete nutritional supplement that you can mix up and feed with a syringe. Don't try to force feed, but instead use the syringe to feed by making little drops on the edge of her lip. She should just lick these up. It's a slow process but less dangerous and stressful than force feeding.
Also, try to give her nightly soaks for 10-15 minutes in a shallow bath of warm water. The water should come up to her elbows and will help to re-hydrate her and maybe loosen any impacted stool.
Best of luck! I know this is stressful and you obviously care for her. I'm sorry your parents are refusing to help.
At the end of his life, our bearded dragon stopped eating. The vet had us feed him this through a syringe:
https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0
I believe it's okay for leopard geckos too but I would do some research to make sure!
There's some decent advice in the related threat about syringe feeding. There's a product called Oxbow Critical Care (https://www.amazon.com/Oxbow-Carnivore-Care-Supplement-2-5-Ounce/dp/B006H38VZ0) that if you can find at a local pet store would be probably your best bet for these little guys. If they're very weak you may have to syringe feed for a while before they've recovered to the point of eating on their own. As babies there's kind of a mixed blessing, on one hand they're more fragile and given the fate of their tankmates there's a chance they're too far gone. On the other hand, if you've got them in time there's a good chance they could make a rebound and recover to live a full and normal life.
Focus on getting them nutrition, don't go overboard trying to hydrate them yet. You'll want to set them up with a vet checkup for general health as soon as you can too.
Good luck!
If you have the means to take her to a vet, that will likely give you the best chance of saving her. In regards to home care, getting her into her own cage with appropriate temperatures and daily feeding are your best bet. I would recommend picking up Oxbow critical care or Repashy grub pie. I’ve had good success using oxbow critical care for reptiles that have gone off food.
Gosh im sorry to hear that shes losing weight. Is she on antibiotics? Youre going to have to do some force feeding with a syringe. When they go long periods of time without food, they get nauseous and stop being hungry, its a terrible cycle. You have to get food into her. I recently dealt with this with my older pet skunk. She developed diabetes and had an atypical presentation. She would not eat on her own for a month, I had to force feed her 1-2 times per day, but it worked, and she regained her strength and fully recovered her energy and appetite. For your rat, there are a few things to try. You can use a pre-made formula, or a homemade formula. Heres one pre-made powder you can mix with water and syringe feed: Oxbow Carnivore Care
The homemade formula (which I used for my skunk because she hated the Carnivore Care -shes always been a picky eater-) are making slurries of fresh food to force feed. This recipe I formulated on my own but its pretty packed with nutrients: All of the following ingredients, put into a food processor and grind into a liquid: handful of lightly steamed Spinach and Collard Greens (put in a bowl in the microwave with a little water, let steam for 1.5 minutes), 3 tablespoons of flaxseed (buy whole raw flaxseeds, then put them in the food processor or coffee grinder by themselves and let the food processor grind them, unground flaxseed is not digested), handful of raw pumpkin seeds (sprouted pumpkin seeds, if your local health food store has those, are even better), one lightly cooked egg, a big pinch of pure sea salt (no "table salt", that stuff tastes bad and lacks trace minerals. Best is "Real Salt" or pink Himalayan salt), and add enough low sodium chicken broth to the food processor in order to make the slurry into a liquid that can be sucked up into a feeding syringe. I also grind up a few dog multivitamins and throw them into the food processor to go into the slurry. For my skunk I used Vetriscience Canine Plus chewables (for your rat, I would try to get 1/4 of a chewable into her daily). This recipe makes enough for days and days, it can be refidgerated for id say 5-6 days. Lightly rewarm individual portions in microwave for 15 seconds before feeding.
Then one last thing, I personally use DMG and Probiotics for myself and all my pets when they are ailing. DMG is an immune system stimulant, and i find it really helps. Probiotics are essential for a sick animal, especially one with pneumonia.
Probiotics: heres a high quality one, and inexpensive for a 4 week supply
mix 1/2 capsule with a teaspoon of something (non-dairy yogurt would be good, like cultured coconut yogurt or almond/soymilk yogurt. no dairy for rat with pneumonia since dairy increases mucous production). To that, add like 1/4 of a crushed up Tums (pick a berry flavor), the Tums, which is made of calcium carbonate, will help neutralize stomach acids which would denature much of the probiotic bacteria before it makes it to the intestines. Add 3 drops of the liquid DMG to the mixture, then administer. Give the probiotics dose in between breakfast and dinner. Do this daily for a month, if possible.
I know this is A LOT of information. If its too much, thats ok. I get a little carried away. I am a pre-vet student with 9 pets of my own, im a crazy animal person who is obsessed with nursing animals and also really big into blending western medicine with "holistic" medicine. Really when it comes down to it, the most important thing is you have to get food into your little angel. Whatever you can get her to eat, let her have. Try anything, peanut butter, pasta, fruit, rice. I wouldnt normally recommend feeding sugary carbohydrate foods to pets, but if they are just plain not eating, you have to pull out the stops. You have to get calories into them. I intern for a clinical veterinary nutritionist, and thats the number one lesson she has driven home to me, is that in times of health crisis, the body needs calories, someway, somehow.
Feel free to PM or reply comment with any questions about your rats health now, or at any point in the future. Best of luck to your baby girl, im saying a little prayer for her.
Yeah. Whenever my ferrets get sick (I only have one who is a runt who gets sick).. I will feed them Oxbow Carnivore Care.
It has a milkshake-like consistancy so it is easier to eat. When ferrets are sick - they do not have much energy to crunch their hard food. I also give them Blue Wilderness wet cat food and mix a little warm water in it.
http://www.petfooddirect.com/productimages/3021077011_lg.jpg
Duck soup also works. http://www.petco.com/product/111667/Marshall-Pet-Products-Uncle-Jims-Original-Duk-Soup-Mix-Ferret-Food-Supplement-And-Dietary-Aid.aspx
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