A little concerned with a gravid female

[o0 Ryan 0o]

We have a female that's been hauling around some big eggs for about a week now. It's been 4-4.5 weeks since she's been with the male. I'm not exactly sure when they may have bred since he was in for a few days. Anyways, these eggs are taking up pretty much her whole stomach. At one point tonight they were maybe 3/4 in from her neck. I'm really not sure what to think or when to worry and start soaking her. Any suggestions, here's a photo:

Thanks.

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

If she is still active and eating, I'd give her a week. Try not to bother her too much. I know your concerned but have patience.

If she is sluggish or refusing food... I'd be more concerned. I would contact my vet and see what the wait is on an app. I know the feeling, I lost a girl to eggbinding this year. I took her in got the oxy, she passed the eggs but then she just gave up.

 

[o0 Ryan 0o]

She's brighteyed and active as hell, but she hasn't been eating much since she was with the male.

 

[o0 Ryan 0o]

Also, she has a 6.5in sq tub thats about 2.5in tall. I'ts 2/3 full of coconut fiber. The temps are normal, and there's always food with calcium in the dish (with D-3 since she's breeding). She's been pooping okay, but nothing big since she hasn't been eating much. I can't think of anything else right now.

Oh, she's one of our only proven breeders.

 

[gko reptiles]

Wait till you get something like this!! It scared the living *%$& out of us; but she passed the eggs and is fine (By the way, it sounds/looks like she's fine, and you're impatient like we are when it comes to our females laying the next set of eggs! Hang in there, the eggs will come!!)

 

[Grinning Geckos]

When Lost was carrying her first set of eggs, she looked a lot like that. She wallowed around and generally looked uncomfortable no matter what she was doing. A few days later, she passed her eggs just fine.

I agree with Jeremy....give her a little more time. If she hasn't laid them in a week, I would think a trip to the vet would be in order.

 

[Val]

It's not really impatience, it's worry that we'll lose a gecko. Her eggs are soo huge and it seems like she's been gravid forever. But we'll give her a little more time before officially freaking out. Thanks everyone

 

[leopardgecko95]

Give it a couple more weeks and hopefully she will be ok
we just gotta keep our figners crossed.

 

[Val]

I wanted to give an update on her and see if anyone may have some info for us. We took Rhiannon to the vet, where he checked her out and took two x-rays. He was feeling her stomach like crazy, telling us that he didn't think she had eggs at all and then showed the x-rays which he said pointed to the same thing. He said that one egg could sort of be seen so he assumed the clutch we were worried about was absorbed and she was now working on her second. We asked about oxytoxin to induce laying, and he said it wouldn't work because she either didn't have eggs or they weren't ready yet. In the last few minutes of the visit he was astonished that she had laid 10 clutches for Jackie (Storm Gecko) last season without dying, and sent us on our way with liquid calcium and the advice to give her plenty of UV rays because her bones did not appear too 'dense'.

A few days later, we were going through our normal feeding/misting routine and Ryan came to Rhiannon's tub. He opened up the lay box to find her inside but she didn't greet us with her normal huge eyes and goofy antics…she had passed. Her stomach was very bloated and I really have no doubt in my mind that she was egg-bound. I was absolutely heart broken to see her like that, because you always think there was more that you could have done.

Needless to say, we will be finding ourselves a new vet. It's the first (and last) we've been to him because our usual vet left not too long ago.

One question I have, which I'm not sure anyone has an answer to, but is there any possible correlation between a male prolapsing and the female becoming egg bound? I only ask because her first time breeding with us, the male prolapsed…and she laid ten clutches last year for Jackie, which was her first year breeding.

Well, sorry for the long post. I'll end this with a few pictures of her, the first from Jackie's site before breeding and the other from ours. Thank you, Jackie. She was a joy to have.

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[Golden Gate Geckos]

Oh no... I am so very sorry this happened!!! What a tragedy for you... she was a beautiful gecko. I almost lost a female last year to what my vet referred to as "uterine inertia", or in otherwords, her uterus could not contract and she just couldn't push the eggs out. I agree that it is probably necessary to find another qualified veterinarian.

is there any possible correlation between a male prolapsing and the female becoming egg bound?

No, not to my knowledge.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

That's awful!! I'm so sorry for you guys. She was lovely! I don't blame you at all for finding a new vet!!

 

[brandy101010]

I'm so sorry that happened to your poor baby! I would never go back to that vet. and I would call him and tell him what happened so maybe he can learn from his mistakes. doubt he would admit he diagnosed her wrong though anyway.