Extensive-looking prolapse

[MedicalAuthor]

Got a new leopard gecko three weeks ago for my son. Wasn't eating the first week or so but was eating really well recently, dubia roaches, phoenix worms, and superworms, gobbling them down as recently as yesterday morning.

Today, though, has an undeniable prolapse. Called the pet store and they recommend a warm bath for 20 minutes tonight and tomorrow morning and to bring him in tomorrow if still there.

I did the warm bath. I don't see how this would be fixed without professional intervention but crossing my fingers it will look better in the morning.

Also, someone on the forum suggested first thing I do would be to change out the substrate but I didn't listen because the pet store person picked the substrate for me and the pet store is a specialty reptile/exotic animal and they've been pretty knowledgeable. But it seems like the substrate may be what's lead to an impaction? Smh

[Bogertophis]

You need to keep the prolapse moist - this is an emergency!- and you need a qualified herp vet ASAP: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

A shallow soak in luke-warm sugar* water has been said to help reduce the swelling so the prolapsed tissue may be more easily retracted- but I'm not a vet, nor any sort of replacement for one. (*dissolve some white sugar in the water) DO NOT allow the prolapsed tissue to dry out.

From a quick search, here's an example: https://oddlycutepets.com/leopard-gecko-prolapse/ (BTW- Does he have adequate humidity?)

Excerpt: "Hemipenal prolapse in leopard geckos is caused by excess strain or trauma from constipation, impaction, mating, improper sexing, or a lack of humidity. In some cases, prolapsed hemipenes will retract independently, though they usually require veterinary treatment, i.e., sutures or amputation."

[Homebody]

Also, someone on the forum suggested first thing I do would be to change out the substrate but I didn't listen because the pet store person picked the substrate for me and the pet store is a specialty reptile/exotic animal and they've been pretty knowledgeable.

Consider changing the substrate for paper towels, damp ones. I would think that would help keep the prolapsed tissue clean and moist.

[mlededee]

That is an extremely, really very severe prolapse. You need emergency medical treatment from a qualified reptile vet. It looks like an intestinal prolapse (not a hemipene prolapse), and a very serious one.

You should keep it moist and soak in sugar water, but that is only until you can get him into the vet. This is not going to resolve on its own.

I’m sorry you are dealing with this with such a new addition. Definitely remove that substrate. That type of substrate is generally not great for most reptiles, and especially any that might accidentally consume it. Paper towels don’t look as natural but they are so much more safe for use with leopard geckos. Some people cut ceramic tiles to fit the bottom of the enclosure and that works well depending on how you are heating the space.

[mlededee]

Also, after the soaking you can coat the prolapse with plain neosporin (with no added painkillers). This will help to keep the tissue moist.

Keep on plain paper towels in a minimum, quarantine style set up until prolapse is treated and healed.

[Bogertophis]

I truly hope this cute little guy makes it-

[Malum Argenteum]

Just chiming in to say I agree with the previous posts. Keep it damp, damp paper towels for now, and an emergency vet visit tomorrow AM. Make sure the vet is aware that this is an emergency, and they should bump a routine visit for you. Even if it does look better tomorrow the gecko needs to see a vet.

I agree that the bark chip substrate isn't the best choice, but that's something that can be addressed after the medical situation is resolved.

[MedicalAuthor]

Some update:

We tried a a warm sugar water bath and that didn't help.

Gecko passed more stools and one of them was a huge braid-like wrap of superworms. So I think that's where I messed up. In trying to get the gecko to eat (which was probably just him needing time to adjust to the environment) I tried different foods and with the superworms he gobbled them up and I think I gave too much. And I read now that they are hard to digest. In the stool the superworms looked almost completely intact.

We couldn't afford the vet bill (we just so happen to have a lot of co-occuring financial hardships right now) so we found a Reptile Zoo that takes sick reptiles as a rescue and we surrendered it there.

Sad timeline of events and it's hard for my son, who is 9, and the gecko was very cool to have and interact with and I feel terrible and all of those things. Felt I was trying my best and to be informed but obviously wasn't enough.

[OatBoii]

I'm sorry that things turned out this way for you, but I think that surrendering the gecko was the right choice here. I'm glad you're trying to learn, it's a very good thing. I would not advise getting another reptile any time soon though.

I say this for two reasons- One, the pet store you have mentioned in this post does not seem to be as knowledgeable as they claim. This also seems to be a trend in a few of your other threads as well. I would be cautious in the future about taking advice or getting any other animals from this store. Misinformation is rampant in the reptile hobby, and even the most well meaning people can be working off of untrue or simply dated advice.

Two- and the most important one- you mentioned having financial hardships right now, and from your other posts, you have a BP currently as well. I understand that hardship comes for us all, but I would strongly recommend waiting until you have recovered before attempting to bring in another pet. I would also recommend setting aside even just a little bit of money for your BP from now on- Pets need help sometimes, and it is our responsibility to help them as their caretakers. Even $10-$20 out of every paycheck starts to build up over time, and that money can make a real difference when the inevitable vet visit comes.

[Bogertophis]

@ MedicalAuthor- thanks for the update. I'm glad that you figured out what went wrong, & I agree with OatBoii that it's always best to plan ahead for the medical needs of our pets, just as it is for our own emergencies, & hold off before acquiring any other pets if finances are this tight. Pets are almost always more than just the purchase price, a cage & some food- even a tiny gecko can be a big responsibility when something goes wrong.

By the way, when I used to keep lizards (various geckos, a bearded dragon etc), I used to grow my own feeder mealworms- just the regular (smaller) size ones, & I'd feed them one at a time- offered from tongs- & with my tongs I'd pinch (destroy) the worm's head just as the lizard took it- otherwise, even the small mealworms have been known to chew their way out of a lizard that swallows them whole, without chewing. Keep that in mind for future reference. Their exoskeleton is hard to digest, plus the little stinkers can chew better than you think. All the best.