Please help, Leopard gecko in bad condition...

[LazyGecko]

I have posted on here before, but I didn't get any responses to help me out...I'm in desperate need to figure out whats going on with my leopard gecko. Shes even worse now than before. My vet doesn't take exotic pets, and a vet that could is really far away and VERY expensive for this. I just don't know what to do. I'll again post this hoping someone will respond. Here is the problem, if you dont want to read all that below.--- She stopped eating about a week before she shed. Since she shed she keeps her eyes closed all the time. Walking around and all she keeps them closed. She opened her eyes last night a minute, so I looked closely at them, they look perfectly fine. One did look like it had liquid in them a little. I went ahead and put a couple drops of sterile saline in it to see if it would help. -Update-: She now is VERY pale, when she walks around its pretty much a crawl and tripping over herself. Eyes still are closed, but when she does open them a sec they look perfectly fine. She hasnt eaten or drunk anything since she shed which was on march 28th. She can barely stand up it seem...

- Sex: Female
- Age & Weight: 1 year old, weight I'm not sure.
- How long have you owned your leo: A little over a month
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend): From a breeder

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo: Only have a couple times since I have had her.
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now. : Ever since she shed, about a week ago, she has been.
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe. : No
B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal)
- When was the last time he/she went: I haven't seen her use the bathroom since before she stopped eating, about 2 weeks ago.
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on: She stopped eating about a week before she shed. Since she shed she keeps her eyes closed all the time. Walking around and all she keeps them closed. She opened her eyes last night a minute, so I looked closely at them, they look perfectly fine. One did look like it had liquid in them a little. I went ahead and put a couple drops of sterile saline in it to see if it would help. -Update-: She now is VERY pale, when she walks around its pretty much a crawl and tripping over herself. Eyes still are closed, but when she does open them a sec they look perfectly fine. She hasnt eaten or drunk anything since she shed which was on march 28th. She can barely stand up it seem...

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size: 20 gallon
- Type (ex. glass tank): Glass
- Type of substrate: Reptile carpet
- Hides, how many, what kind: 2 gecko caves, and 1 moss pitt
B) Heating
- Heat source: under tank heater, and cermanic heat bulb
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side) 90-92 on hot side, and room temperature on cool side
- Method of regulating heat source
- What are you using to measure your temps:
- Do you have any lights (describe): No
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females) 1 female
- Describe health, or previous problems: Fine other than hardly eating

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much): Mealworms everyday and crickets 2-3 a week
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect): In a dish
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands): calcium dust and multivitamin( But they arent getting any where they are hardly eating)
- What are you gut loading food with: potatoes and carrots mainly.

 

[LazyGecko]

Picture of her right now in the moss pit.

 

[ballpythoncrazy]

Ok first of all, when a gecko is sick you want to separate it from other geckos. Whatever it is, if it's contagious your other gecko may catch it.
Secondly, both geckos look very thin. Yes. Even the other gecko in the photo.
Third, the gecko in the photo is an albino which means it's eyes will be more sensitive to light and should not be in a tank.
I'm fairly certain that your gecko probably isn't eating due to stress from the light and from the tank mate. Move him/her to a small plastic storage tub BY ITSELF and cover it with a towel to prevent light from getting in. Your gecko willprobably calm down and begin eating and opening its eyes again. Keep the tub covered until your gecko becomes healthier.
OR.
Since both geckos are so thin they may have parasites, which will require medication from an exotic vet.

LEOPARD GECKOS ARE NOT COMMUNAL ANIMALS. They don't live together in the wild and they do not enjoy company. They stress each other out and can break out into a fight at any moment. YES, even if they're both female and YES even if they have been together "since birth". Reptiles do not have the section of their brains that form friendships or bonds, so your geckos won't get "lonely".


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[Neon Aurora]

I agree on separating them to decrease stress level. They do both look thin (actually the non-albino looks quite a bit worse than the albino), which makes me think they are probably both sick. It could be parasites, or something else. They will need treatment either way.

As for being pale, she looks to be in shed again. Perhaps a fungal infection or external parasite could explain excessive shedding.

Sometimes its okay to keep geckos together if they get along (I have a pair together even though I generally think its better to keep them apart), but not if one or both is acting sick and not before a 1-2 month quarantine.

To the above: I don't think there is a light. The OP mentioned a ceramic heat bulb, which I'm sure if why the fixture is in the photo. A ceramic heat bulb is fine as long as the temperature is not getting too high.

I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but both geckos need to go to the vet or you have a pretty good chance of losing both of them. They both look sick to me and nobody on the internet is going to be able to diagnose or treat them. This looks like it may go beyond husbandry problems, which is often the most we can help with on the internet.

I do think it's extremely important to make sure you have access to a reptile vet before getting reptiles, and to be willing to take them if they get sick. I treat many things at home, but if one of my reptiles is clearly ill, it's off to the vet.

If the albino was purchased healthy and became sick during the month you've had her, than your non-albino is almost certainly sick with something contagious and transmitted whatever she had to the albino.

 

[LazyGecko]

There isn't any light in the tank. And both of the leopard geckos do perfectly fine together. She did just shed, which I figured she would after I took that picture. But it's stuck to her major, so currently soaking her in warm water then will remove it. Yes I know they are both really skinny. I've been trying every possible thing I can do to get them eating and doing well. I've been stressing out of my mind about them. I've asked multiple experts, did everything they want me to do, this was my last option. I don't have a vet that takes exotic pets around me at all. I thought my vet did, but turns out they don't. So before you go on a rant about it all, ballpythoncrazy, maybe read everything I put or ask me more questions about it. I've been trying everything I can do, I am new to owning leopard geckos...I came on here for help. I didn't know who else to ask...I'll try putting that one in quarantine for a bit and see how it does...

 

[LazyGecko]

As I was taking the shed off, I noticed her eye is completely cloudy....I know this is a serious problem. I'm going to try giving her to someone who can help her out, as it is out of my hands now...

 

[Neon Aurora]

I think it's a good idea to give them away if you can't get them medical attention. No one is trying to be mean, there is just nothing anyone can do for them except for a vet. They likely need medication and won't make it without it.

Do you have a reptile rescue in your area? It might be worth checking out, as they may be able to help.

 

[LazyGecko]

I found someone that will take the sick one. So I'm really glad about that. She will be going to a vet soon. I'm going to try to work with the other one a bit more, if she continues to not eat I'm going to give her away I guess. I thought I would get some waxworms tomorrow and see if she took some of those. Thanks for all the help. I know everyone is just trying to help, just stressed and worried about my leopard geckos, thanks again.

 

[ballpythoncrazy]

Oh yes, I love these type of people;
"Please help!!! My gecko is sick!!!! I've tried everything!!!"
"Separate them"
"No they do fine together!"
So obviously you haven't tried everything.


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[LazyGecko]

I have tried everything I could think of for them...I came on here to get help and suggestions for them. And yes they do fine together, but I did separate them when I saw this one was in bad health...But oh yes! Thanks for the lovely rants and sarcastic attitude from you even though I asked for help, not for me, but for my leopard geckos. I will not be returning to this site. Thanks for all the lovely help.

 

[pipespets]

You dont need to give up your reptiles because you obviously came here for help because you care about them. The first thing i would do for that female is pop the head off a mealworm and squeeze the juice on her lips and she will lick it up. Do this will a couple mealworms everyday until she gets her appetite back. Also she looks like she is in shed again. Give her a soak in some warm water. And it is possible that the light may bother an albino but i really dont think that is the main problem. It is really possible she has parasites, which i hate to say the only cure is a vet trip. I would get your other leo checked out too because both of them are on the thin side.
Good luck!!

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