Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

sushi · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:01 pm Post subject: HELP

my crested gecko has like a curvy tail, ive read up on this before and it says it is signs of MBD and im very worried about her , i feed crickets (every other day dusted) and cgd, and banana which every other day is dusted.....and im stumped to find out how it occured Sad

help
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bearded dragon/ 0.1.0

crested gecko/ 0.1.0

Phil1988 · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:06 pm Post subject:

I'm sure it's fine matey - a bit of a bend in the tail could be caused be many things. It could have just been born like that, MBD like you said but that would be probably apparent around the hips and backbone too. More than likely it will just be a bit of floppy tail which is caused (I think) by the crestie hanging/sleeping upside down which causes gravity to, over time, make the tail flop a bit.

If your crestie is still active and able to move around and eat etc then I wouldn't worry. In fact I think both of mine have slightly wavy tails.

Xx_JoJo_xX · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:09 pm Post subject:

How do you mean curved? Do you have any photo's please?
And how old is the gecko? Could it have hurt itself in anyway?
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PaulG · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:23 pm Post subject:

When I got mine, a few had lil wavy tails.
after a few months of CGD they soon flatterened out!
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Regards, Paul.

:.Rhacodactylus.:.Eublepharis.:.Stenodactylus.:.Nephrurus.:

sushi · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:51 pm Post subject:

my crestie is like 9 months old now , and jo by wavy i mean like , curved in at places so the tail appears wavy ya know ? and no sorry cant get pics, cant really tell from a pic
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bearded dragon/ 0.1.0

crested gecko/ 0.1.0

Phil1988 · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:52 pm Post subject:

Is she still moving about and able to climb/stick to things etc? Eating well and acting normal?

sushi · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:57 pm Post subject:

yeh shes soon to shed so grip isnt too good, but yeh eating and acting normal, im just worried that it`ll lead to bigger problems
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bearded dragon/ 0.1.0

crested gecko/ 0.1.0

Phil1988 · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:02 am Post subject:

Yeah I know what you mean, I'll try and get a pic of my pair's tails, they aren't perfectly straight.
If you are worried about MBD then keep your eye on a few certain points. The pelvis/hip shape being disfigured, an arched or curved back and whether the lips meet and the mouth closes properly. Although I'm sure it's nothing like MBD but those are just to put your mind at rest.

sushi · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:06 am Post subject:

thanks alot phil and everyone else Smile

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bearded dragon/ 0.1.0

crested gecko/ 0.1.0

Ace · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:18 pm Post subject:

a wavy tail is normally a calcium in-balance as calcium as well as being vital for a reptiles metabolism is also one of the key ions in controlling muscular contractions so the reason for a slightly wavy tail contry to popular belief is not caused by anything to do with the bones it is due to the muscles in the tail being in a state of semi-permanent contraction. too much can have the same effect as too little and cause a wavy tail. normally it is too little that does it but a slight increase in the amount of calcium in the diet normally rectifies it in a couple of days to a week or so. its quite common to see in rhacodactylus geckos that have just laid eggs but normally goes after a day or two. as far as MBD goes a wavy tail can be one of the initial symptoms to the onset but if its only a mild case you don't need to worry about it too much and I'm sure the gecko will be fine. if you are worried there is a vetark product called ZOLCAL-D that is a water soluble calcium and vitamin D3 mix (liquid form) that can be put either in the water or in a sprayer for misting the tank, go sparingly on it though as its strong stuff and a couple of drops in the water bowl is normally plenty. as far as floppy tail syndrome goes this has no health implications for the gecko (looks a little unsightly at worst) and as stated earlier can be triggered by the gecko resting head down on vertical surfaces. that said there are other factors again such as calcium imbalance can cause it to flop more than usual but one of the major reasons for cresties getting it over other species of arboreal gecko is due to the very pronounced depression between the hips and tail which can give some geckos a genetic predisposition to the condition. floppy tail is just the twisting of the hips at the point where the depression lies and in some geckos the depression is very pronounced from the point of hatching and it tends to be quite difficult to stop them developing floppy tail in later life.
as far as the medical accuracy of these statements goes i am only going on experience and literature i am in no way qualified to diagnose reptile ailments.

cheers, will
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