Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I picked this little girl up, along with a small redtailed boa, off of a craigslist ad. She's super skinny, and she's got a bit of shed stuck on her nose, but I've got big hopes for a chubby leo in a few months...

Well, as a first step to recovery, let's get rid of the sand and get that gecko on some paper towels so it doesn't get impacted. (I get worried about that because I've had problems with that in the past.) Secondly, probably would be a good plan to help the gecko out with that leftover shed - moisten a q-tip and gently try to take care of it for her. At least it's not in a place where it's going to cut off circulation, but I'd imagine it annoys her quite a bit.

Is she eating ok? Obviously if she's pretty skinny and doesn't start fattening up in a hurry when offered food, then there's a trip to the vet in store for you, and even if you don't immediately do a full-on exam at the vet, a fecal might be a good idea - that way if there are parasites in the equation, you can find out about it quickly enough to give her a fighting chance!

Hopefully it's not all gloom and doom and she starts eating well for you.

Good luck .
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

n/p
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-Kristin

0.1.2 Leopard Geckos
(Monet, Kumquat, and Tamale)

She looks pretty good, I've had many rescues that have come in in MUCH worse shape.

Like the other poster said, remove the sand, it can cause not only impaction, but scratches on the eyes that can become infected. I have had to deal with that problem at least as often as impaction and shedding issues. You can get the bit of shed off the nose with a wet finger or Q-tip, but it shouldn't cause any trouble for now if you can't get it off right away. just be sure to have a nice humid hide set up for the next shed, which will be sooner than you expect if she eats well for you.

Good luck and repost back to let us know how she does!

She's off the sand now, that's the tank she came in, I just snapped a few quick pictures before I cleaned it out or did anything else to her. She's on paper towels now, and she has a humid hide that she's been hanging out in most of the day. She's WAY speedier than the leopard gecko I had a few years ago, so I haven't had a chance to get the shed off her nose just yet, but I'm going to give it a shot in a few minutes.

She's not named yet, but I'm hoping to find a name that suits her... I tend to go with quirkier names for my pets, so it can take a bit of time to find the perfect name...

She's wolfing down small crickets, but I'm still hoping to find a shop around here that sells waxworms and mealworms, to give her some variety, and help her gain weight...

Looks like you have everything under control. It she's eating well great, keep an eye on her for medical problems and feed her well. I agree, if you can find a store with waxworms, say one worm every other day, would do wonders to help her put on weight quickly. Good luck, and make sure you post a picture when she's got a fat tail! I love her coloration, nicely balanced.
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0.1 Albino Leo Gecko
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
1.0 Dear Boyfriend
Departed: Harvey and Spock