Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey there, my leo is in trouble! I like him a lot.. I've had him for about a year and a half now and he has so much personality for a little lizard that its unreal. Today I went to take him out to feed him and his right eye is very swollen, he can barely open it, and that side of his head is also swollen and you can see red pigment too. I'm very worried, what can I do for him? I'd like to take him to a herp vet but every time in the past I have taken a herp to a vet the results not only significantly reduced my wallet but ended in catastrophe as well.. I'm just very nervous and worried about him. I have a few pictures but there are not very good, I had to use my dads camera and it sucks. But anyway here they are and please any advice is very much appreciated! I love Butters a lot and don't want him to be hurt anymore.

That looks pretty bad in all honesty. So is this something that has just popped up or has the swelling built up? Did you notice anything strange before? Does Butters look as though he has trouble opening his eye or anything? I would have said an eye infection but if this was the case it wouldn't have got that bad over night surely. Could he have bumped it or are there any signs of abrasion? I'd personally find the best herp vet in my area and take Butters sooner rather than later if the swelling doesn't go down. Is Butters still eating/drinking? I really hope that your gecko will be okay.

I haven't had him out in about a week, but before that I didn't notice anything. He ate a few days ago but I went to feed him waxworms (that's why I pulled him out) and he looked like that! He was not interested in eating but as you can see he is still a healthy weight and has a fat tail so it must've been recent. What could have caused this? What could a vet do for him? I feel really bad for him and want to help.. I don't just want to see if it'll "go away". I just wish vets today were more proficient with herps, I had a sick Sulcata baby (my bf got him for me for Christmas and he was sick to begin with) and the vet I think actually killed him by "guessing". Any other advice???

Thanks... =(

Looks like an abcsess...although thats not a diagnosis of course, merely a suggestion.

You need to get to a good reptile vet to get it treated, it will likely need a course of antibiotics.

If you were not happy with the last vet you went to then i would find another one. Sometimes you have to travel quite far to find a good reptile vet - i drive several hours to mine, but its worth it because he is much better than any of the vets in the area. You want a vet you really knows repiles, not just one who will see them and guess. Check www.arav.com for a good reptile vet, and call local vets and find out where they recomend people go.
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