Thanks Keith and Julie for the words of wisdom. She is taking some babyfood mixture and I have seen her licking up a lot of calcium yesterday. She did pass urine and fecal matter last night too. To answer Keith, yes she is our only Gecko and our first. I will check with the vet to see the specifics he ran on the fluid. Just a thought... her abdomen seems smaller is it possible the cyst ruptured and the free fluid has accumulated in the armpits? Is it worth a trial of empiric antibiotics? Lynn
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 1:01 AM To: [email protected] Subject: gecko digest, Vol 1 #1045 - 4 msgs Send gecko mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.gekkota.com/mailman/listinfo/gecko or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can reach the person managing the list at [EMAIL PROTECTED] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of gecko digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: the saga continues (Barbie Heid) 2. the armpit dilemma (Lynn Hall) 3. Re: the armpit dilemma ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) 4. Re: the armpit dilemma (Julie Bergman) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: "Barbie Heid" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [gecko]the saga continues Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 10:11:13 -0500 Reply-To: [email protected] > Geckos don't have lymph nodes [in my best Johnny Carson] "I did not know that!" :) Barbie >^,,^< [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Save the whales - collect the whole set." --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Lynn Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 10:59:45 -0500 Subject: [gecko]the armpit dilemma Reply-To: [email protected] Thanks again for all your input-all of you have been wonderful. I can tell you the original fluid they aspirated from her abdominal cyst was clear like water and was not infected. And the repeat ultrasound seemed to be the same. We chose not to aspirate it because the vet felt it would only reaccumulate. I do not think it is fat since it appeared overnight and she has only eaten for about a week in the last 9 weeks. I am fearful that it is not a good sign since she has stopped eating again and does appear much more lethargic. I do have a call into my vet which he should return on Monday. However, I really can not see doing anything further invasive in nature to her. Both the vet and I do not think the chance of cure out weighs the negatives. I will keep up supportive care but how do I know if she is suffering and if and when she should be euthanized. Both my son and I will be crushed if it comes to that although I fear it is only a matter of time. I guess we really got our hopes up after she resumed eating for a week. I do not think a necropsy is in the cards unless our vet offered to do it for free. We have already spent close to $300.00 on vet bills and the vet has not even charged us for some of her care. I would like to say that money is no object but I have to be realistic at this point. I will let you know if the vet has anything to contribute in her diagnosis when I hear from him. Thanks again for all your input. Lynn --__--__-- Message: 3 Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 11:12:15 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [gecko]the armpit dilemma To: [email protected] Reply-To: [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: Lynn Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sunday, November 13, 2005 10:59 am Subject: [gecko]the armpit dilemma > Thanks again for all your input-all of you have been wonderful. I can > tell you the original fluid they aspirated from her abdominal cyst was > clear like water and was not infected. Many is the time that I was surprised to find my culture on a crystal clear fluid was growing a pathogen. Well, OK - not entirely surprised - I did have it cultured for that reason . . . ;) Oh - and that should be aerobic *and* anerobic, sometimes a negative culture simply meansthe sample wasn't cultured for the right things. There is a reason we have microscopes and culture media - because visual examination is not accurate enough. >And the repeat ultrasound > seemedto be the same. We chose not to aspirate it because the vet > felt it > would only reaccumulate. A distinct possibility, however, if there is more to be learned by sending off for a fluid analysis, it would be worth it. I.e is the a transudate? Modified transudate? Are WBC present? How many? What's the protein content? Any bacteria? Specific gravity? Taste? > I do not think it is fat since it appeared > overnight and she has only eaten for about a week in the last 9 weeks. You are probably right. > I am fearful that it is not a good sign since she has stopped eating > again and does appear much more lethargic. I do have a call into my > vetwhich he should return on Monday. However, I really can not see > doinganything further invasive in nature to her. Both the vet and > I do not > think the chance of cure out weighs the negatives. Another US guided aspirate might be technically invasive, but the morbidity/mortality associated with the procedure is very very low, so aside from the money, there is little cost compared to the possible benefit. > I will keep up > supportive care but how do I know if she is suffering and if and when > she should be euthanized. Both my son and I will be crushed if it > comesto that although I fear it is only a matter of time. If the animal fails to eat again in the next week or so, and you have decided to persue this no farther, then you might want to start considering such now. Starving to death is decidedly unpleasent - regardless of what else is going on. > I guess > we really > got our hopes up after she resumed eating for a week. I do not > think a > necropsy is in the cards unless our vet offered to do it for free. We > have already spent close to $300.00 on vet bills and the vet has not > even charged us for some of her care. I would like to say that > money is > no object but I have to be realistic at this point. Do you have other geckos? I am not trying to be argumentative, but I suspect you may be working off of a set of assumption here that might strictly pply to this case. Keith PS: The "taste" thing was a joke. --__--__-- Message: 4 Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 11:17:24 -0800 From: Julie Bergman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [gecko]the armpit dilemma To: [email protected] Organization: Gecko Ranch Reply-To: [email protected] The fact that this gecko still ate at all in recent times without being force-fed is a beacon of hope. Sometimes a gecko like this can be force fed to good body weight, then will get back to eating on their own if they can get over their health issues. I'd give them that chance. Julie B. Lynn Hall wrote: >Thanks again for all your input-all of you have been wonderful. I can >tell you the original fluid they aspirated from her abdominal cyst was >clear like water and was not infected. And the repeat ultrasound seemed >to be the same. We chose not to aspirate it because the vet felt it >would only reaccumulate. I do not think it is fat since it appeared >overnight and she has only eaten for about a week in the last 9 weeks. >I am fearful that it is not a good sign since she has stopped eating >again and does appear much more lethargic. I do have a call into my vet >which he should return on Monday. However, I really can not see doing >anything further invasive in nature to her. Both the vet and I do not >think the chance of cure out weighs the negatives. I will keep up >supportive care but how do I know if she is suffering and if and when >she should be euthanized. Both my son and I will be crushed if it comes >to that although I fear it is only a matter of time. I guess we really >got our hopes up after she resumed eating for a week. I do not think a >necropsy is in the cards unless our vet offered to do it for free. We >have already spent close to $300.00 on vet bills and the vet has not >even charged us for some of her care. I would like to say that money is >no object but I have to be realistic at this point. I will let you know >if the vet has anything to contribute in her diagnosis when I hear from >him. Thanks again for all your input. >Lynn > >_______________________________________________ >Global Gecko Association >http://www.gekkota.com >Classifieds >http://www.gekkota.com/cgi-gekkota/classifieds.cgi >gecko mailing list >[email protected] >http://lists.gekkota.com/mailman/listinfo/gecko > > > > > --__--__-- _______________________________________________ Global Gecko Association - Digest Version http://www.gekkota.com Classifieds http://www.gekkota.com/cgi-gekkota/classifieds.cgi gecko mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gekkota.com/mailman/listinfo/gecko End of gecko Digest _______________________________________________ Global Gecko Association http://www.gekkota.com Classifieds http://www.gekkota.com/cgi-gekkota/classifieds.cgi gecko mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gekkota.com/mailman/listinfo/gecko
