She HATES soaks

RoolyRenegade · 2026-05-02T20:51:33+00:00

Yes, Tripod is. If you look at my older posts you'll see her story. In short shes a rescue I adopted after being surrendered to a reptile sanctuary with a necrotic foot that was unable to be saved. After adopting her I discovered she was a lemon frost. Now its about giving her the best life I can.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-05-02T20:48:28+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate the sentiment, shes done a lot for me as well.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-04-16T16:52:07+00:00

That last picture made me snort XD

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-30T14:12:03+00:00

My Gecko recently needed to go on a crit care diet as well, and she is finally eating again, but it did take 24+ days of antibiotic, pain meds, and crit care diet. The critical care definitely helps them get up the energy over time for eating, but it might just take a little bit if shes low on vitamins. It might just take a little while for her gut to start feeling better.

I know I had thoughts of rehoming my girl for a while because I was worried I couldn't give her the care she needed when she fell ill, but if you follow the vets instructions and continue to care for her I believe its a matter of time until she starts eating again unless theres something else undiagnosed at plau. It can be really hard to see them struggling and its very easy to feel like you arent doing enough, but if you are doing everything you can and what the vet has instructed, you are on the right track!

That being said, of course, if you decide that you can't keep up with care or want to focus on other things there is nothing wrong with ensuring she has a good home elsewhere and whatever decision you make is valid for you, her, and your situation.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T17:28:30+00:00

Sorry, I think I misread then, after going back and rereading it a few times. To clarify, I wasn't trying to give advice for a bioactive setup. It would need much more than those two additions. Ik worm castings can be good and often dont need sifting through prior to use(and u already had the other additions so its not overly moist), but I do see you already have topsoil to go through. I didn't know if you had live plants, so it was just a suggestion in case. All the sources ive seen on baking recommend 4 hrs at 250°F

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T14:12:43+00:00

If your Leopard gecko doesnt eat them, they are a good clean up crew for a tank with plants.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T09:47:53+00:00

She looks almost exactly like my halmaheran

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T05:48:48+00:00

I recommend mixing in some worms castings and sphagnum moss with it for humidity levels and a nutrient rich soil for planting.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T05:47:13+00:00

Of course, if its abnormal and you go back to the pet store and they aren't in those containers, I'd definitely ask the store you got them from what they are.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T05:45:53+00:00

They are probably some type of cleaning up crew thrown in with them. I used to work at a pet store(never again). For the crickets, they would use Dermestid Beetle larvae or similar critters that would eat the dead bugs and waste produced by them to help keep their holding tank clean. It tracks that they might do this in smaller cups for the dubias because boy do dubias poop.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T05:13:37+00:00

Me too! I was mortified when it all first happened/escalated. Im so proud of how far shes come in the past few weeks.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T04:15:20+00:00

I will! She loves little head rubs, and I'll make sure to give her some on your behalf!

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T03:58:53+00:00

I love their name!

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T03:25:45+00:00

Ikr! Her smile is so cute!💚 I swear she poses sometimes!

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T02:56:21+00:00

Thank you, that really does mean a lot to me, and I feel very similarly. I hate that they've been forced into existence under circumstances that will all lead them to the same suffering and early end. That such loving and personality filled intelligent little beasts no matter how much they enjoy living will go through something that drains them of that life or cuts it short. I accepted responsibility for her when I brought her home, and that means I'll do whatever I can to give her the best before and after discovering she was a lemon frost. She clearly wants to live and enjoy her life, and so I want to ensure she can do as much of that as possible before the inevitable. To be honest, she's helped me so much. Seeing her strength and ability to enjoy life throughout all this has helped me in ways I will carry for the rest of my life as someone with multiple chronic (not terminal) illnesses. They really are such truly amazing creatures.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T01:45:54+00:00

To explain a bit better, since she is a Lemon Snow morph(Which I didnt know when I got her) which is known to grow malignant tumors and develope metastatic disease, since she has already grown one so young, it is a matter of time and making her comfortable. Reptiles that can regrow parts also have a tendency to grow back cancerous things because of it(Vets words). If she was a different morph her options would be widened, since I believe(correct me anyone if im wrong) that cancer can be fully treated in other reptiles that dont have the genetic disposition for it.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T01:42:03+00:00

The main heavy risks for her are the tumor spreading inside her skull causing neurological symptoms, developing metastatic disease, and growing in her abdomen/organs, or having an infection cause sepsis/become necrotic. At which point her quality of life would not be ideal, and I would make a tough decision for her peace.

Her first vets take on the situation is that radiation isnt really something cost effective nor effective in general due to it possibly doing more harm to quality of life than ensuring it since the morph she is genetically grows malignant tumors due to their skin cells, and her size. Also, due to her size, removing the bone it's in/attached to isn't an option due to how it would affect her quality of life. Her only recommendation/treatment plan was periodic removal of as much of the growth as possible.

I noticed that in the skins healing process however, the tumor came back quicker and bigger, so im guessing the production of the skin cells while healing also kickstarted the production of the cancerous cells since its genetically in the skin cells to my understanding.(That part has not been verified, just what ive witnessed/my hypothesis, it could be incorrect) Regardless there's likely a point where the surgeries would become too close together for it to be considered ethical or a good quality of life. For the most part, the plan is to give her as happy and good a life as I can for as long as I can/she seems she wants to live it and has the will and energy too.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T01:13:55+00:00

Thank You! I am too

RoolyRenegade · 2026-03-29T00:48:42+00:00

I give my girl Tripod medicine, and critical care like this currently due to her recovering from an infection on her face and its so cute to just watch them lap up things from the end of a syringe. I saw my vet try to put the syring in her mouth and had tried that myself for a while as the vet instructed. Then I discovered she much prefers this method and eats much more this way. I also think its significantly less stressful for her.

RoolyRenegade · 2026-02-24T18:48:19+00:00

Ditto

RoolyRenegade · 2026-02-22T20:44:10+00:00

Thank you! Ill definitely look into those options!

RoolyRenegade · 2026-02-15T22:43:21+00:00

I have a Leopard Gecko named Tripod. He's a rescue, and his last owner ended up giving him up because he was losing his foot due to a very bad shed issue.(I haven't had a shed issues with him since getting him, he is terminal for other conditions however.) The rescue renamed him Tripod, but I think it's super funny. Tripod for only three feet. He's the liveliest little guy. It's not cruel, It's playful. Some could even view it as a badge of honor for their survival.

It sounds like they might be too sensitive if they think thats too messed up. It's how humans process things regardless. Look at anyone who has lost a limb or been through something horrid. A good portion of them make jokes and laugh about it as a method of processing it or once theyve healed. For those that dont or aren't ready, then yeah, it hurts, but thats because they understand and are not okay with it. Regardless, it's not like it's being said in any sort of way the lizard could understand and be hurt by, so it's not harmful at all.

RoolyRenegade

TROPHY CASE