New gecko owner

[Jessaltman]

Hi! I’m a new leopard gecko owner. I was given a gecko who seems to be underweight and extremely skinny. My brother saw her at a store and the owner offered a discount because they did not have the equipment to look after her and she appeared to be sick. I want to give her the best possible care I can and am looking for any tips on how to look after her. She seems to be quite young. Any advice would help!

 

[acpart]

Find a reptile vet, make an appointment and have her tested for cryptosporidiosis and for other parasites as well. Since you just got her, if she is positive for crypto, I highly recommend that you have her put down. Crypto is a highly contagious and ultimately fatal parasite. I'm not saying that she has crypto, but if she does and is already skinny, she will not live and it's painful to watch them waste away. How do I know this? My geckos were infected with crypto 8 years ago. I still have about 25 geckos (less than half the population I had 8 years ago) and I have watched many geckos waste away, It's not pleasant. If she does have it, you will have to disinfect her enclosure and all her furniture with ammonia and let it air dry outside for at least a few weeks.
If she doesn't have crypto and they can't find anything else wrong, see if you can get her to eat or at least drink and hope for the best.

Aliza