Hello, I've had 3 female leopard geckos for about a year now. One of them has lost a lot of weight and her tail is pencil thin. She just looks like skin and bone. I put in crickets and she eats, often more agressively than the others. She also eats wax worms occasionally. I cannot figure out whats going on. She was once the healthiest looking of all 3. Now, they have reversed roles, with the others looking fine. They came to me in a tank with gravel and woodchips. When that needed to be tossed I put them on green felt. Now they are on reptile sand. Her decline in health did not seem to correlate with terrarium substrate... I've attached a pic if that helps. Any suggestions? Thanks, Jeremy
ok, well I can't figure out how to post the pic, so just trust me that she skinny and her tail is quite skinny as well. She is only about 3-4 years old. Jeremy
She may have a parasite you should take a fecal to a vet and you also need to get them off sand right away they might not have trouble now but they could in the future.
Woodchips and sand are the worst substrates, you would have been better off sticking with the reptile carpet (green felt). I'm assuming, since she is eating, that she is also pooping....that's really good, she is not impacted at least. Although, seriously consider changing back to something solid, loose substrates do pose a terrible risk and they all could be well on the way to impaction. That probably leaves parasites or disease....get her in her own tank immediatly, what ever is going on could, or may have already, spread to the others. She needs to go to the vet with a poop sample (another reason to separate them, it has to be her poop). Check www.herpvetconnection.com for a qualified herp vet near you. Here is the photo posting tutorial
so why is this sand sold as if its good for reptiles, including geckos. Some have told me that its good for them since it has calcium in it... I bought 3 bags on sale, should I just throw them out or do they have a place? Thanks again.
It has got to be a parasite or disease if the other are doing well. GET IT TO THE VET and also get off the sand, gravel, anything loose. I use reptile carpet and my leo loves it.
It doesn't have to be parasites or disease, could be the start of an impaction. Only the vet can tell for sure. It's sold because they make money off it, a lot of money. That's really the only reason. They know it kills lizards and they don't care. There are no regulations in the reptile supply industry, none, zero, nada so they can tell you anything they want and don't have to back it up at all. Seriously, they could say it will make the poo smell better and get away with it. It is not digestible and the Leo's intestinal tract is very short, so instead of moving along and dissolving it just clumps and builds up, eventually forming a total blockage (impaction) that is fatal. It's not pretty. Any loose substrate is dangerous, they just are not digestible or passable, and Leo's lick everything, repeatedly so ingest a lot of it. Best use for it? Holding the trash bags in place on a windy day
my leopard gecko wont eat or drink anything. she started to shed a lot when she didnt even eat and instead of getting bigger she's getting smaller. her tail is really thin. she shed 3 times one week. it started to get gunked up on her eyes and mouth. when she got it off her eyes she kept blinkig a lot and one of them looks like its hurt. when she got it off her mouth she pulled out her teeth and part of her gums. she doesnt have any claws because every time she sheds she puls at least one of. now she has stubs for fingers. you can see every bone in her body and i have to check on her every day to make sure she's still alive. i have another gecko and we treat them equally the same but he's perfectly fine. im really worried about her but i've had her for 6 years. she's probably 7 years old so maybe her time is just running out, but i dont think geckos die that way. can anyone tell me what's wrong with her?
i cant take her to the vet cuz we dont have enough money. we use the repti sand but thats probably not the problem since we've been using that since we got them. she just stays in her cave on her heat rock all day and night.
you should make your own thread, you will get more answers. plus we would need to know more about your setup
Lexie, Posting on a topic that is 3 years old will not get many replies, you should have started your own topic. I just happened to spot it, same as Shanna66. If what you say is true, gums missing, teeth out, shedding 3 x a week, stubs for toes, bones sticking out etc This has obviously been going on for sometime not suddenly happened. I hate to say this but your leo is in great pain and suffering, it is beyond the help of anyone on this forum. You say you cant afford a vet, but you must find one immediately it is their duty to end suffering, regardless whether you can pay or not. PLEASE GET TO A VET NOW AND STOP THIS POOR LITTLE GECKO SUFFERING ANY LONGER If you are an animal lover it's your duty to end this suffering Then I suggest you start a new post and give details of your complete setup so we can help prevent it happening to the other one.
It sounds like your poor little gecko is suffering from a few different things. she is probably stressed from being housed with another gecko and from less than ideal husbandry She probably has mouth rot. She will need special meds for that. She probably does not have a humid hide. All leos benefit from having a small enclosed humid area where they are aided in shedding. Skin left on his toes from some previous sheds will cut off the blood supply to the toe, and eventually cause it to fall off during a shed. A humid hide and regular check up will go a long way in preventing this problem. To help her eye feel better, you can try rinsing her eye with pure saline solution to help her get the gunk out of it. Be careful not to get any into her nose or ears. Because of the stress she is dealing with, an opportunistic parasite may be taking over as well. Check out the care sheet in the sticky at the top of the forum here, and make as many adjustments as possible to try to keep your other leo healthy, and to make her as comfortable as possible. If you are able to take her to the vet and get her mouth rot and eyes treated, and check for possible parasites, she may still have a chance.
Not much to add here - bruno covered it all. This leo needs serious help - and FAST. If you dont have the money for a vet then humane euthanasia is the best option at this time...at least you can end her suffering.
