Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased my gecko back in april. She seemed to be doing well eating, drinking shedding the such. My temps are all in the appropriate range.. about 86 on hot (regulated with UTH pad and red light heat bulb) 74-75 on cool, feeding mealworms and occasional crickets and occasionally dusting with vitamin powder with D3 about every week or two. Calcium dish and humid and dry hides. Then she started having trouble with her eyes and not opening them. They were hazy when she did open them, and she stopped eating. I took her up to the reptile shop. Here's where i am having my doubts. I was told that she was suffering from mal nutrition and calcium problems. Here are the problems they sited: (and what I thought it was supposed to be)

problem #1 no need for heating. was told to get rid of heat sources. (I know geckos need to thermoregulate. I didnt take this advice, although i did eliminate the red heat bulb,(for problem #2.. bringing my temp to about 80)

Problem #2 They require UVB light to keep healthy (I thought that this seemed funny as geckos are night time animals and don't benefit much if any from the sun. but for want of keeping my gecko healthy I paid the 30 dollars and am using the bulb)

Problem #3 Gecko needs more varied diet than just mealies and crickets. I should give baby jarred fruits daily as well. that they will eat fruits in the wild if they come across them. (i've never heard of this before. I have heard of baby jarred meats, he is eating jarred gerber chicken and chicken broth every night, I put it in a medicine dropper and she licks it up. I don't want her to starve so please advice on this would help. she wont eat hand fed mealworms anymore.)

Problem #4 Should remove calcium powder. too much is as bad as too little. (I thought that they would take what they want. she does use it, but never runs out. I usually have to refill about 1 time a month or less.)

I was also told to give her a shower 2-3 times a week. (i've heard of giving a humid hide.. but never a shower. She uses her hide alot now shes getting ready to shed and has been in there 24 hours a day.. Ive never had a bad shed and she isnt retaining any on her.)

I'm so confused I thought i was doing right. Was I making her sick? Did I do it wrong? I've gotten quite attached to her. My gut says its an eye infection, but they make me feel like i've done her wrong. and they said if I followed their instructions she would get better. (its been a week. no worse but no better) I would love to see her pretty eyes looking back at me again.

by the way.. they also told me i could house a male or female with her without any ill affects. I inquired about wether they would breed and was told I would have to induce it. (NOT WHAT I HAVE HEARD.. you guys play romantic music for your breeders when your ready for babies??)

I've enclosed a pic so you can see her.. shes gotten fatter and bigger since this photo was taken.

PS; she has paper towels in her humid hide now.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Question, what kind of substrate does she have?.

just to avoid future ridicule on this.. I DO NOT PLAN TO BREED ever, if i decide to get another, which is possible they will probably be 2 females or seperate enclosures is need be. She is on newspaper or paper towels, which ever I have on hand. Usually paper towels.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

I think it might be a eye infection ..
i usually give calcuim 3 times a week pure calcuim.. as well as like you said in the cage in alittle like milk lid

how hot is the heat in her tank ?
you might not need the red light if the temps are ok , around 85-88 degrees . in my opinion

i dont use uv light ..
the pictures look great though ..
i would take her to a herp vet reptile vet maybe if you think her eyes could get worse . just to be on the safe side
they will give you some kind of slusion for her eye's ( eye drops sort of ) or like a paste if its bad to moist it ,

and you said its not sand ? is it in both eyes or one ?
if its one eye it could possibly be she somehow scratched it . and it got a bit infected ,

but other then that i hope all goes well for you and your leo .. anymore questions ask out loud k ? .

keep us updated on what you do.
christina

Hi

I hope that you don't think that I had ridiculed you in any way in the replies I gave you. I promise you, that I would never do that. I had said what bad advise the pet store had given you, and the silly thing that you read somewhere or some one telling you that you had to play music and kind of coax them to get together, but it definitaly was not aimed at you, I promise, and I'm sorry if you took anything I said that way.

After your little girl is all better for awhile, then you could absolutely get another female to put in with her. If that time came, the little girl you currently have, will have been in that tank for a period of time and might be a little territorial, so you would have to watch them for several days, to make sure that they would get along together. You would want to get the new incoming gecko, her own hide though. Also, some people say that you should quaranteen any new gecko you bring in for awhile to make sure they are healthy, and don't have an illness that might show up a week later or something. Some people say to quaranteen for a month, some say three months, you will have to do what is best for you.

I got your reply about the substrate you are using, and that is perfect, I use the same substrate myself in all tanks. My vet. along time ago had said that, that was the best stuff to use, because parasites can't breed and live in it.

Have one more gecko tank to clean tonight or shall I say morning since it is 1:50 a.m.

Take Care, TBL

I did not think anything badly of your post and thank you for the advice. I just wanted to make it clear I wasnt planning to breed. Thank you again my friend..
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Hi

Dusting with Calcium with D3, once or twice a week is okay, but you should use straight calcium power in the bowl you leave in the tank, and yes she will only lick it as she needs extra calcium. I have found an inexspensive way of getting straight calcium without having to by an expensive jar. Go out to the bird section of the store and by some of those oval shaped things that you hang on the side of bird cages for the birds to peck at "they always have loose one in a bin for refills" so get some of those. This is cuttle fish bone compressed into this shape for the birds and it is pure calcium. I then take it home and get a pocket knife and start shaving it off into a dish until done and then take my finger and mush it a little and then put it into my geckos calcium dishes in there tanks, and have never had problems.

You are right, she could have an eye infection, and if so would need a vet. to look and her. She may have stopped eating, because of the foggie eyes and not being able to see her food well enough to chase after them.

1. To first pet store reply: from the pictures, I don't see mal nutrition, and no she doesn't have calcium problems, exspecially when you give her calcium.

Continue on next reply: TBL

Continued:

Problem #1: They told you that there was not need for heat soruces?, they are out of there mind. You are doing great with the way you have your heat sources. (for problem #2.. bringing my temp to about 80). Good on 80 for hot end.

Problem #2: You are right, they really don't need a uvb light as they are a nocturnal species.

Problem #3: No, you don't have to give them baby jared fruits, that is something you would need for a crested gecko. The chicken baby food it good to give her since she won't eat anymore, of other things. You should take her to a vet. and have her eye's check and have them check a stool sample just to be safe and make sure she doesn't have parasites. If she did, they would give you medication. Also, like I said before, becase of the eye's being fogged over, she probably can see the food well enough to chase it. From her pictures though she seems to have good body weight.

Foods: Crickets, mealworms, (wax worms as a treat only, once in a while, it is like a snickers bar for them, but can't be used as a staple food, because it has no neutritional value and is fatie). One other thing that is good in neutrion for then is silk worm, you can find a vendor here on Kingsnake for some, but they aren't cheap.

Problem #4: No you don't have to remove calcium powder, so long as you use straight calcium, with nothing else added. You don't want them to get to much of a build up of Vitamin D3 in there system. Just keep putting on the crickets like you were, or if still not eating solid food, then mix a little in the chicken baby food. Just straight calcium that stays in the tank all the time.

Leopard geckos do not need a shower 2 to 3 times a week, thats crazy, besides where they come from they are a desert animal. A Humid hide is correct, so as to help them shed.

You are doing right with her set up and stuff, and you aren't doing wrong.

You will want to keep her quaranteened from other geckos until you get the eye etc. taken care of and she has a clean bill of health.

You can put one male in a tank and how ever many females you want depending on tank size. They will bred naturally and you don't have to do any of that stupid stuff to get them to bred, trust me I have had mine have a lot of eggs. You can never put two males in one tank, as they will fight with each other and possible to the death or very badly hurt. You should waite until she is an adult to bread her, you don't want to bred her to soon.

Take Care, TBL

>>Problem #1: They told you that there was not need for heat soruces?, they are out >>of there mind. You are doing great with the way you have your heat sources. (for >>problem #2.. bringing my temp to about 80). Good on 80 for hot end.

Hot end should be about 88-90 degrees actually.

>>Problem #2: You are right, they really don't need a uvb light as they are a nocturnal >>species.

There has been a lot of debate on this, but I've seen geckos become generally more perky when they have a full spectrum bulb regulating their day/night schedule. That being said, as they are nocturnal, it's unlikely that this is the source of your problems - I'd say that it's more beneficial than actually required for them to have a full-spectrum light.

Much like everybody else, I'd say the people at the pet store are giving you bad advice and that you should get your gecko to the vet for the eye problems.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

im not an expert as i only got my leos 3 days ago but i just wanted to say how pretty your gecko is. one of mine is albino is that what yours is? i hope so as i would love my leo to look like yours
im posting pics of mine soon.

thank you very much for the comment, I'm not sure what kind she is.. I bought her at Petco. I was actually hoping for an albino. But my next I would like one with the orange that I have seen. They are gorgeous.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

OK, it sounds like your husbandry is actually pretty good. What the pet store told you is crap. If the eyes are cloudy, it is either an infection or a cataract, and you need to see a vet for it. If the problem is that she is just not opening them, that is due to the fact that you hot end temps are too high. She will do fine with just the UTH on one side, I think you were right to remove the red bulb. Sunken/closed eyes are a sure sign of dehydration. This is most oikely caused by your overly high temps. If you have corrected your temps, this should disappear as your leo re-adjusts properly. Leos generally do not like "showers", which I assume means a misting. I dod have a few that seem to enjoy one occasionally. To combat dehydration, you can and should give your leo warm water soaks in just a little water (to her ankles) 2 to 3 times a week. This will help to rehydrate her properly. Again, if the eye problem is more than just not opening, take her to the vet.
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
1.0 SHCT hatched by me! (Sunny)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 Normal from 2001 (Freckles)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (unnamed yet)
RIP Peaches, Ghost, Bill
Adopted out: Goldie, Leucy, "Q"
Hatched: ~50

It almost sounds like they have leos confused with chameleons, or something: the showers, the fruit, the UV light. There's lots more accurate info out there than you can get from Petco! There are also lists of herp vets, so you can find someone close to you, if you don't know of one.
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2.1 Pygmy leaf chameleons (R. brevicaudata)
0.1.0 Chinese firebellied newt (Flame)
0.0.1 grey tree frog (Mr. G)
0.0.1 White's tree frog (Whitey)
0.2.0 guinea pigs (Pepper and Baby)
1.0.0 dog (Scout)
Countless fish