Greetings fellow gecko enthusiasts,
While I'm aware that Western Banded Geckos aren't the same as Leos, I'm hoping that they're close enough that any advice will apply to both species. I've been caring for my Western Banded Gecko (named Chug) for about two years now in the same manner I've cared for previous Leos I've owned, and he's been in good health until recently. I could say more about it here, but I filled out the "gecko health form" from a sticky on this section of the forum below.
About your leo:
- Sex: male
- Age & Weight: 2+ years (not really sure). Not sure on the weight, he's about 4+ inches long and can't be more than an ounce or two (tiny little bugger)
- How long have you owned your WBG: 2 years
- Where was he/she obtained: wild caught (caught him on a mountain near my house while on a night hike)
A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo: almost never, once every two weeks to change the bedding is about it
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now: can't open his eyes all the way, is disinterested in food
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe: nothing in the past two years since I caught him.
B) Fecals
- Describe: normal as far as I can tell
- When was the last time he/she went: Not for at least a week, but before that he went and it looked normal (some white, some brownish-black)
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on: Several weeks ago I went on vacation for about two weeks time, and left my gecko with a friend. I brought little Chug to my friend's house with the full enclosure and plenty of mealworms. My friend had worked at a pet store caring for reptiles, so I thought this would make a better caretaker than my stoner friends. Chug was housed in a room with a mouse and a bird (not sure if this matters, I always worry about allergens/pathogens due to being a nerdy scientist). Upon arriving home and bringing Chug back to my place, I noticed he had shed incompletely while I was gone, with skin skill attached around his ocular cavities. I asked the caretaker if she noticed anything weird, and she said Chug had been fine, eating every few days per usual, and that she had followed my care instructions to a T. Upon closer inspection, Chug's eyes seemed to have trouble opening. After a week or so of observation, I have indeed confirmed that Chug has difficulty opening his eyes. He finally shed the rest of the skin around his eyes, but seems completely uninterested in food (mealworms or crickets) and I haven't seem him drink yet (he usually licks the moss for water, I've never seen him go anywhere near the water dish... even when he was healthy he would walk right past a full water dish to lick freshly-wetted moss). He may also have impaired breathing, but I might just be imagining things now that I've gone into full-blown gecko-mother mode. He definitely can't open his eyes all the way, even in the dark (I keep the curtains drawn at all times so the room never gets very light), constantly bumping into things in the rare instances he moves (usually to get away from a mealworm crawling around).
Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size: 20 gallon
- Type: glass tank
- Type of substrate: newspaper/magazine pages
- Hides: a pooping hide made out of a hollowed section of redwood tree on the cold side of the cage; a moist hide made out of half of a coconut shell with a piece of moistened peat moss inside, placed in the middle of the cage between the hot/cold regions; fake-rock tunnel-like hide over the heating pad on the hot side of the terrarium
B) Heating
- Heat source: Under-cage heating pad (some brand called Reptitherm, or something that sounds similar).
- Cage temps: Hot side around 90-95, cold side variable from 70-85 depending on season; measured with sticker-thermometer stuck to inside of glass terrarium
- Method of regulating heat source: timer used during the summer to turn off heat during midday (gets hot as hell in Riverside in the summer)
- Do you have any lights: no
C) Cage mates: none
Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet: Crickets dusted with repticalcium once a month, medium-sized mealworms every few days (depending on whether he'll eat or not), usually between 3-6 mealworms/week
- How are you feeding: just put the worms/crickets in front of him and let him go to town (tried leaving mealworms for him in a dish, but he never ate a single one of them in the few months I tried leaving the worms for him)
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands)
- What are you gut loading food with: crickets come gut-loaded, I don't gut-load the mealworms (just get fresh ones once a month)
So... any advice on what might be wrong/things to change/things to consider/heckling?
Thanks a million in internet monies/$mudkips$,
Daryl
EDIT: The pictures below are from when I first found Chug, not what he looks like right now. I'll post a picture later of his squinty eyes
While I'm aware that Western Banded Geckos aren't the same as Leos, I'm hoping that they're close enough that any advice will apply to both species. I've been caring for my Western Banded Gecko (named Chug) for about two years now in the same manner I've cared for previous Leos I've owned, and he's been in good health until recently. I could say more about it here, but I filled out the "gecko health form" from a sticky on this section of the forum below.
About your leo:
- Sex: male
- Age & Weight: 2+ years (not really sure). Not sure on the weight, he's about 4+ inches long and can't be more than an ounce or two (tiny little bugger)
- How long have you owned your WBG: 2 years
- Where was he/she obtained: wild caught (caught him on a mountain near my house while on a night hike)
A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo: almost never, once every two weeks to change the bedding is about it
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now: can't open his eyes all the way, is disinterested in food
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe: nothing in the past two years since I caught him.
B) Fecals
- Describe: normal as far as I can tell
- When was the last time he/she went: Not for at least a week, but before that he went and it looked normal (some white, some brownish-black)
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on: Several weeks ago I went on vacation for about two weeks time, and left my gecko with a friend. I brought little Chug to my friend's house with the full enclosure and plenty of mealworms. My friend had worked at a pet store caring for reptiles, so I thought this would make a better caretaker than my stoner friends. Chug was housed in a room with a mouse and a bird (not sure if this matters, I always worry about allergens/pathogens due to being a nerdy scientist). Upon arriving home and bringing Chug back to my place, I noticed he had shed incompletely while I was gone, with skin skill attached around his ocular cavities. I asked the caretaker if she noticed anything weird, and she said Chug had been fine, eating every few days per usual, and that she had followed my care instructions to a T. Upon closer inspection, Chug's eyes seemed to have trouble opening. After a week or so of observation, I have indeed confirmed that Chug has difficulty opening his eyes. He finally shed the rest of the skin around his eyes, but seems completely uninterested in food (mealworms or crickets) and I haven't seem him drink yet (he usually licks the moss for water, I've never seen him go anywhere near the water dish... even when he was healthy he would walk right past a full water dish to lick freshly-wetted moss). He may also have impaired breathing, but I might just be imagining things now that I've gone into full-blown gecko-mother mode. He definitely can't open his eyes all the way, even in the dark (I keep the curtains drawn at all times so the room never gets very light), constantly bumping into things in the rare instances he moves (usually to get away from a mealworm crawling around).
Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size: 20 gallon
- Type: glass tank
- Type of substrate: newspaper/magazine pages
- Hides: a pooping hide made out of a hollowed section of redwood tree on the cold side of the cage; a moist hide made out of half of a coconut shell with a piece of moistened peat moss inside, placed in the middle of the cage between the hot/cold regions; fake-rock tunnel-like hide over the heating pad on the hot side of the terrarium
B) Heating
- Heat source: Under-cage heating pad (some brand called Reptitherm, or something that sounds similar).
- Cage temps: Hot side around 90-95, cold side variable from 70-85 depending on season; measured with sticker-thermometer stuck to inside of glass terrarium
- Method of regulating heat source: timer used during the summer to turn off heat during midday (gets hot as hell in Riverside in the summer)
- Do you have any lights: no
C) Cage mates: none
Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet: Crickets dusted with repticalcium once a month, medium-sized mealworms every few days (depending on whether he'll eat or not), usually between 3-6 mealworms/week
- How are you feeding: just put the worms/crickets in front of him and let him go to town (tried leaving mealworms for him in a dish, but he never ate a single one of them in the few months I tried leaving the worms for him)
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands)
- What are you gut loading food with: crickets come gut-loaded, I don't gut-load the mealworms (just get fresh ones once a month)
So... any advice on what might be wrong/things to change/things to consider/heckling?
Thanks a million in internet monies/$mudkips$,
Daryl
EDIT: The pictures below are from when I first found Chug, not what he looks like right now. I'll post a picture later of his squinty eyes
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