Chapter 5 of 9 · Leopard Gecko Care Guide
Health
Disclaimer: I'm not a veterinarian and I don't hold a degree in animal science or animal care. This guide is compiled from the published sources listed in every chapter. For a sick animal, a reptile vet is the authority.
The short version
- Quarantine every new gecko for 60–90 days, with a fecal exam and a Cryptosporidium PCR test [8][9].
- A thinning tail plus weight loss or regurgitation is urgent. It can mean cryptosporidiosis [12].
- Stuck shed on the toes almost always means the humid hide is dry [7].
- Enigma and Lemon Frost morphs carry built-in health problems. Avoid them [10][11].
- Wash your hands with soap after touching your gecko, its enclosure, its insects or its tools [13].
Find a vet first
Find a reptile vet before you need one. The Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians has a member search. In the table below, "see a vet" means book an appointment, and "urgent" means same or next day.
Quarantine
Put every new gecko in a separate room for 60–90 days, on paper, with simple plastic hides and its own tongs, dishes and gloves [8][9].
- Care for your established animals first, then quarantine animals, then anything sick. Wash your hands and change your shirt between groups [8].
- Get a fecal exam at the start of quarantine [8].
- For leopard geckos especially, get a Cryptosporidium PCR test before the gecko leaves quarantine. One care guide recommends three PCR tests, two or more weeks apart, because infected geckos shed the parasite on and off [9].
- Weigh weekly and write it down.
- A gecko with a thinning tail does not leave quarantine.
Shedding and stuck shed
Leopard geckos shed in patches, not one piece [1]. They turn pale and dull a day or two before, then peel and eat the shed, usually overnight, so you may never see it. Babies shed every one to two weeks and adults about monthly (keeper experience, not proven).
Shed stuck on the toes, tail tip or around the eyes is called dysecdysis. On the toes, it tightens as it dries, cuts off circulation and can kill the toe. It is usually caused by low humidity and is prevented by a damp humid hide [7][2].
Home care for stuck shed:
- Soften the shed. Vets soak the skin on damp paper towels [7]. Many keepers instead soak the gecko for 10–15 minutes in shallow lukewarm water, about 85°F (29°C), never deeper than its chin (keeper experience, not proven).
- Gently roll the softened skin off with a damp cotton swab [7].
- Never pull dry shed.
If a toe is already black or swollen, or the stuck shed is around an eye, see a vet. Antibiotics or amputation may be needed [7]. Repeated bad sheds with no humidity problem can be a sign of vitamin A deficiency [7][15].
Common illnesses: signs and when to see a vet
| Condition | What you see | Why it happens | See a vet? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metabolic bone disease | Soft or swollen jaw, bowed or rubbery legs, kinked spine, tremors, cannot lift the body, lethargy, not eating; later, fractures or prolapse [15][7] | Low calcium, little or no D3, no UVB, too cold; fast-growing juveniles are most at risk [15] | Yes, promptly. X-rays and bloodwork; injectable calcium if blood calcium is low, plus diet and husbandry fixes. Recovery can take several months. Outlook is good if the gecko is still eating [15][7] |
| Impaction | Straining to pass stool, not eating, lethargy, sometimes a prolapse [7]. Keepers also report no stool for a week or more and a swollen belly | Sand, gravel, walnut shell, or a cold or dehydrated gecko eating substrate [7] | Urgent if there is no stool plus swelling or prolapse. You can try one warm soak and gentle belly massage. Do not give oil or laxatives without a vet |
| Cryptosporidiosis | Steady tail thinning ("stick tail"), throwing up food or shed, cottage-cheese diarrhea, weight loss, sunken eyes [12] | A parasite, mostly Cryptosporidium varanii in geckos; spread by feces, dirty tools and contaminated feeders. Many carriers stay healthy until stressed [12][16] | Urgent. A fecal PCR test is the best test while the gecko is alive, but false negatives are common because shedding comes and goes. There is no cure; the drug paromomycin can control it for life, and about half of affected geckos die. Isolate strictly. Disinfect with 5% or stronger ammonia for 30 minutes [12], or 6% hydrogen peroxide for 20 minutes [9]. Never mix ammonia and bleach [12] |
| Stick tail or wasting, not crypto | The same tail and weight loss, but the crypto test is negative | Other parasites, long-term poor diet, low vitamin A, a cold enclosure, stress from a cage-mate [12][8] | Yes. Fecal float and smear, a husbandry review, and assisted feeding [12] |
| Stuck shed (dysecdysis) | Dry shed stuck on toes, tail tip or eyes; tight or blackened toes [7] | Low humidity, no humid hide, dehydration, vitamin A deficiency [7][15] | Try a home soak first. See a vet if a toe is dark or swollen, or an eye is involved |
| Eye problems | Eye held shut, swollen lid, debris or pus under the lid, rubbing the face [7] | Shed stuck under the lid, vitamin A deficiency, sand or dust, abscess [7][15] | Yes, within a few days. Vets flush out debris and prescribe antibiotics and vitamin A [7][15] |
| Parasites (pinworms, coccidia, flagellates) | Loose or smelly stool, undigested insects, weight loss despite eating, or no signs at all | Reptiles can carry many parasites, and stress weakens their defenses [8]. Many vets consider low numbers of some parasites normal | Fecal exam at the start of quarantine [8]; many vets also suggest one at each yearly checkup. Treat on your vet's advice |
| Vitamin A deficiency | Poor sheds, swollen eyes, mouth inflammation, and in males, retained hemipenal casts (stuck plugs at the hemipenes) [7][15] | A multivitamin with only beta-carotene, or none at all [15] | Yes. Oral preformed vitamin A; injections risk overdose [15] |
| Chronic malnutrition or fatty liver | A thin tail with a round belly, or an obese gecko that stops eating | Unsupplemented crickets and mealworms, or too many waxworms [7] | Yes. May need tube feeding for 6–8 weeks [7] |
| Abscess or mouth infection | A hard lump under the skin (often near the eye), or a red or crusty mouth [7] | Bite wounds, injuries, vitamin A deficiency | Yes. Lancing and antibiotics [7] |
| Egg retention (females) | A gravid female that passes one egg or none, lethargy, straining. Eggs normally come in pairs [7] | Low calcium, no lay site, husbandry stress | Urgent. X-rays and possibly surgery [7] |
| Enigma Syndrome | Head tilt, stargazing, circling, rolling over, seizures, missing prey [17] | The dominant Enigma gene. There is no cure [17][10] | Supportive care only. See the Genetics and Morphs chapter |
| Lemon Frost tumors | Dense white raised skin lumps that grow over time and can spread, most often to the liver [11] | The Lemon Frost gene; more than 80% develop iridophoroma, a pigment-cell skin tumor [11][18] | Yes, for a biopsy. See the Genetics and Morphs chapter |
A note on health and genetics
We recommend avoiding Enigma (Enigma Syndrome) and Lemon Frost (skin tumors) and any combination morph that includes them. Researchers at Texas A&M are studying Enigma Syndrome, MorphMarket does not list Enigmas for sale, and the International Herpetological Society in Europe bans the sale of Enigma carriers at its shows [10]. Some keepers also report mild balance problems in certain White and Yellow lines; this is a hobby report and is still debated. The Genetics and Morphs chapter covers it.
Salmonella: keeping people healthy
Reptiles carry Salmonella without being sick [13].
- Wash your hands with soap and water after touching your leopard gecko, its enclosure or anything in it, including its feeder insects and tools [13].
- Keep your gecko and its gear out of the kitchen.
- Do not kiss your gecko or hold it near your face.
- Clean the enclosure in a laundry sink or tub, not the kitchen sink.
The CDC says children under 5 should not touch reptiles, and reptiles are not recommended for homes with children under 5, adults 65 and older, or people with weakened immune systems [13].