Crested geckos named Cuevo and Raven became indirect victims of the new coronavirus. They died after their owners, following strict social distancing practices, were unable to obtain the food that the little reptiles regularly ate.
Mourning their deaths is Giavanna Christian, 11, of Mt. Lebanon, who cared for them and loved them for 18 months.
Reptiles and other exotics have very specific dietary needs. Their food can be more difficult to find at times than food for dogs and cats. Cuevo and Raven’s usual food was live crickets and a special brand of commercial reptiles. Dana Christian, Giavanna’s mother, said they regularly got the geckos’ food at “a small local pet store” she declined to name.
In mid-March, the family needed more food but were concerned about visiting the pet store due to COVID-19 warnings. They made arrangements to have pet food delivered to their home, Mrs. Christian said, but the store was out of their usual food and would not deliver live crickets. So they ordered another brand.
Four days later, on March 13, Giavanna noticed that her pets seemed sick. Not all veterinary clinics treat “exotics,” but Giavanna found one in the North Hills that does.
“The vet on the phone was fantastic,” Mrs. Christian said.
But the news wasn’t good. He said the new food they were feeding the geckos was “junk food.”
Over that weekend, the geckos did not improve. On March 16, Raven died and the family drove Cuevo to the North Hills veterinary clinic. To avoid the possible spread of the coronavirus, a staff member came out to the parking lot to get the gecko and take him inside. The family waited in the car and received a sad prognosis: Cuevo could be admitted to intensive care “but he couldn’t guarantee a good outcome,” Mrs. Christian said.
Giavanna made the difficult decision to have the gecko euthanized.
“They gave us a paw print and tail print” as a memory of Cuevo, Mrs. Christian said.
Giovanna loves animals and enjoys taking care of pets, her mother said. The family has a cat named Nora Jones, an aquarium filled with fish and a backyard pond filled with frogs.
Geckos are cute little animals that have become increasing popular as pets. There are about 40 kinds, and the best-known one is a day gecko who speaks with an Australian accent on Geico insurance commercials. Giavanna’s pets were crested geckos.
Chewy.com delivers pet supplies, including food for reptiles. A recording Thursday on its customer service line said currently orders are taking between seven and 10 days to arrive instead of the usual one or two days.
Linda Wilson Fuoco: lfuoco@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3064 or at PG Pets on Facebook.
First Published: April 3, 2020, 1:31 p.m.