Blind Leos???

[bjleemkuil]

Is there anyway to tell if your Leo is blind? I purchased Hermes (http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=57818) from a show on Saturday and when I got him his eyes were very white (small bits of reddish veins) with only a small sliver of pupil, I realize now this is from overly bright lights, etc. But often I will catch the little guy with his eyes closed. He doesn't have anything on his eyes like pus or crusted bits. He doesn't really sleep in his hides, just out in the open and I haven't gotten him to eat anything yet, but I thought that may have been because he wasn't adjusted yet. He's thin (only 27 g) and I don't know how old he is, but if he IS blind, how do I feed him?

Thanks in advance,
-Britney

 

[Mel&Keith]

From the photo you posted his eye looks normal to me. Albinos can be pretty sensitive to light even at that age. If you take him into a darker room do his pupils get bigger? Not eating may be unrelated. It can take Leos a few days to a few weeks to settle in and get back their normal appetite.

 

[bjleemkuil]

Yes, his pupils dilate when in a darker room, etc. I was just concerned because of how often I do see him with his eyes shut, even in a dark room with only the infrared light on. I hardly ever see any of my Leos not sleeping in a hide.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Honestly, I'd give him a while to settle in, try not to bother him too much, and just keep an eye one him. Some geckos are just weird. We've got a few Leos that are never in their hides. I'm not a vet but his eye looked normal in the picture and if his pupils react normally to light/dark so he's probably not blind. Hopefully he's just getting used to his new home.

 

[Shera]

Yes, his pupils dilate when in a darker room, etc. I was just concerned because of how often I do see him with his eyes shut, even in a dark room with only the infrared light on. I hardly ever see any of my Leos not sleeping in a hide.

I'm not sure about the eye thing, but I just wanted to say that one of mine likes to sleep outside of her hide. She probably spends more time out than hiding, even in the day time.