This is a story about how even the most obscure things can strike.


2 night ago our tiger crestie was happy, healthy and had a spotless bill of health. He even ate, stuffed his face full of food (crickets) that all the other Crested Geckos ate too.

Last night he had facial and throat swelling. Strange, I thought. I touched his throat gently and he began gaping with his mouth. Strange. Even stranger was when his tongue became paralyzed and was hanging out of his mouth and he couldn't control his pupils dialating and undialating. Also, he was exhausted...yet strangely enough, alert. His breathing became irregular and heavy at times.

I pondered, looked in the vet textbook; No two symptoms matched up! The tongue and facial paralysis was especially strange, almost nothing on that...Called some friends, friends with degrees and experience...Not one answer. All we had to go on was 2 possible solutions: Anaphylaxis from a severe allergy to food he's eaten repeatedly over his life or (and everyone said I was a moron for this) a Spider bite. Some thought maybe bacterial, but again, all the Crested Geckos and all the skinks ate the SAME CRICKETS and all the Crested Geckos ate THE SAME BABY FOOD.

I noticed some pus tonight; strange, as it was on the other side of his nursery tank than him and he doesn't move too much, except when it comes time to go back in his cage. Tongue still out, I noticed a bit of fluid near his cloaca. I picked him up to see, to my shock, blood and pus draining out at what appear to be a steady rate. I then notice that on the widest parts of his skull (you crestie owners know what I mean) are darker, redder. Blood reddier. Internal bleeding, which goes nicely with the draining from the Cloaca. I call my invertebrate specialist friend (with a PhD no less). What a surprise! Spiders have Haemotoxins (toxins that demolish and affect blood, causing among other things, INTERNAL BLEEDING). Here I thought they only had Neurotoxins...

If a spider bite has neurotoxins and haemotoxins, that would totally explain:
-facial and tongue paralysis
-eye dilation problems
-internal and internal bleeding and pussing

For any of you in Edmonton region, you know our compliment of spiders isn't exactly what would would call "the remotest danger to anything at all". They are weaklings. However, a small house spider could, in theory, slip through the meshing on the roof, or a big one slip in while he's being held. All it would take is one nice bite to the face on his thin skin and tiny body or a bite to the tongue during an eating attempt and POOF! Extremely painful death.

Suffice to say Apollo is almost dead, I'm holding off on the freezer because I doubt he has more than an hour to live. I think it's my curse to observe, helplessly, reptiles die in obscure, unlikely and ultimately painful ways.

Stunning update:

I put some water on his drying tongue, to comfort. Seconds later, he brought it back into his mouth!! A few seconds after that, he licked some water up off the ground of his own free will! He's moving around, alert, the cloacal bleeding has completely stopped and the swelling is subsiding...all within 5-10 minutes of each other.

He's not out of the woods yet, but this is looking fantastic! Good thing my girlfriend didn't let me euthanize yet...

wow, I am so sorry to hear I hope everything turns out for the better! My thoughts are with you!

Another (and last for the night unless he dies) update:

Cloacal bleeding returned. Cranial/cervical vertebra blood pooling/ bleeding continuing. Internal bleeding still likely. Breathing very very heavy and awkward. Tongue moveable, finally, but hardend in some places; likely means he'll lose at least part of it. He only moves when held, runs around as if nothing is wrong. When not held, displays obvious stress behaviours.

His only improvements have been when he was held by me. Strange. Prognosis is bad, but I've seen lizards do some amazing comebacks with some TLC (Re: Pika and the hemipene eating adventure).

Any news ? Good ones ?

I'm glad to hear the others are alright. I would still keep a close eye on them as well though. Hopefully he'll pull through, without any longterm efects.

__________________
Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

=( what a lousy post birthday.
I find it hard to believe that a common house spider can have that effect on a crestie. We would probably have a lot more reports on similar deaths than we have. Maybe a less common spider with higher toxic/venomous capabilities?

__________________
Wish list: Blue Tongue Skinks and Uruplatus =)

What a horrible thing to have to watch. I hope he makes a recovery. To think a common spider would cause all that. Reptiles must react differently to spider venom.

__________________
"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

__________________

Zane Neher.

The great and strong man is one who bears within his character many contradictions.
Crocodilian care.

aww, so sorry to hear.. the poor little critter... hope he's not in to much pain..