Would a mild soapy water be harmful to my gecko?

[calin]

Ok so long story short, my leopard gecko got under my bed where I keep my car's old exhaust pipes. All the ends of the pipes are covered but I guess I missed one end because she managed to get in there. I got her out and she seemed fine besides being a bit frightened and covered in black . I tried to wash her off with water but that didn't work too well. Would it be safe for me to give her a bath in a very mild soapy water? I don't want her trying to lick that stuff off so I'd like to get her cleaned up as soon as possible.


My poor little girl, I feel so bad

 

[calin]

Here are 2 cell phones pictures I just took. It's mostly her underside that's dirty, but she looks a lot dirtier in person haha.

 

[jandsfannon]

I would try a warm bath/soak but I dont think it would be wise to use soap just incase she injests it.

 

[calin]

I already tried the warm bath which didn't work too well. I got some of the stuff off, but she's still pretty dirty. And I also thought about her ingesting the soapy water which is why I'm a little iffy about doing that. I guess I'll give her a chance to calm down a bit since she's still pretty frightened and try the warm bath again later. Thanks!

 

[JordanAng420]

You could try a mild baby soap also, if you diluted it real well and you made sure she doesn't start to drink it...i'd imagine a few soapy bubbles in the mouth wouldn't be too big of a problem, so long as the gecko isn't actually drinking the water it's soaking in.

And LOL, that is a cute picture! What a troublemaker!

 

[calin]

You could try a mild baby soap also, if you diluted it real well and you made sure she doesn't start to drink it...i'd imagine a few soapy bubbles in the mouth wouldn't be too big of a problem, so long as the gecko isn't actually drinking the water it's soaking in.

And LOL, that is a cute picture! What a troublemaker!

I'll try to give her a plain water bath again a little later and if that doesn't work, I'll try a very mild soap like you said. I'll be sure to watch her and make sure she's not gulping it down. Thanks for the help guys!! :main_laugh:

 

[Olimpia]

You can use a wet paper towel with just a tiny dab of soap on it and wipe her down in your hand. This would mean that she's not in water and drinking it, and you can gently rub the dirt off. And then rinse her really well. That's what I would do, anyway.

 

[ElapidSVT]

just feed it. it'll shed soon enough and be pristine once more.
wth are you doing with exhaust parts... dirty ones no less.. under your bed?
dont' they belong in the garage or alongside the house under a tarp?
lol.

gl!

 

[calin]

just feed it. it'll shed soon enough and be pristine once more.
wth are you doing with exhaust parts... dirty ones no less.. under your bed?
dont' they belong in the garage or alongside the house under a tarp?
lol.

gl!

I was also thinking about just waiting till she sheds but I don't want her eating that black oily skin. I tried a warm bath with VERY little soap and then rubbed her with a paper towel and almost nothing came off . So I'm totally clueless on what to do now. It seems like it's not rubbing off and I'm afraid she'll eat the skin once she sheds if I wait for that to happen. Anyone else have any advice?

Oh and I live in an apartment with no garage, which is why the exhaust was under my bed, covered in plastic bags (and I missed one of the openings). :main_no:

 

[lillith]

This may not be a professional's opinion, but I have used sensitive skin, unscented baby wipes on a gecko or two on occasion.

 

[gothra]

If I were you I will try make-up remover oil. They can get oil-based make up off very well; even the waterproof mascara will come off like a breeze. You only need to apply the oil on the dirty areas, give it a little rub, then rinse it off with plain water.

 

[BioWorkZ]

lillith's baby wipe idea sounds pretty good. I was thinking that you can use q-tips with soap. This way, you won't have to dunk your whole leo into soapy water, and you can use more concentrated soap on the q-tips. For example, rub the back with the soapy q-tip, then use the clean wet side of the q-tip to wipe off the oil/dirt. A little bit at a time.

 

[Olimpia]

I wouldn't leave the oil on him. It worries me a little that she'll absorb the junk through her skin and get sick.

 

[calin]

If I were you I will try make-up remover oil. They can get oil-based make up off very well; even the waterproof mascara will come off like a breeze. You only need to apply the oil on the dirty areas, give it a little rub, then rinse it off with plain water.

Isn't make up remover pretty strong stuff? It sounds like it would do the job, I'm just worried about the chemicals in it being a little too harsh. If nothing else works though, I might just give it a try. Thanks for the help everyone!! :main_thumbsup: