Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Alright, please help me out on this one. My first and favorite leo is hurt, i think. I opened his cage up today to clean his cage today and to hold him a bit. Well when I opened the cage, he came out like usual, but I noticed that he was tilting his head to his right side. When I tried to pick him up, he kinda almost rolled over because he was tilting his head so much to the right. It kind of looks like he hurt his neck or something. I am really hoping this is just an itch or a cramp or something like that. This has really got me freakin out. Has anyone else had this happen to them?? I dont really have the money to take him to the vet, but if i have to I will find some money. He is really important to me, please help!!
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Josh
My Email

Josh -
Sorry to hear about your leo. Hang in there - our prayers are with you. RR

It sounds more like a cramp or twitch. I would keep the handling to a minimum. A lot of exercise builds up lactic acid, and this can cause cramps. Keep a close eye on your gecko and if it doesn’t get better, you should take him to a vet. Keep us posted and good luck.

Hey Josh,

Does sound like a cramp or an itch, but I've also heard that inner head/ear infections can cause such reactions... I'm not a vet or anything man, but it could be his equalibrium (yep spelled that one wrong)... Is he eating and such? Keep a close eye on him and keep us posted buddy...Hope it all works out for the best man, sure it will too...

- Richie

Thanks guys for all your help...but I think he is gonna be ok. I just checked on him and he is fine now. I think it was just a cramp. Here is a quick pic of him, he is humongous...Almost 11 inches and 120 grams, he is the biggest leo I have ever seen in person, i am just glad he is ok now. Thanks again for all your support.

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Josh
My Email

Awesome man, its always scary when you dont know if theres something wrong with your beasties.... Glad that its all good and yep, that boys definitely a monster of a gecko....

Please observe your leo carefully over the next while for any return of the head-tilt. Head tilts in herps are usually the sign of something potentially serious. My leo had this problem last year, and within two weeks she was unable to walk at all. She would have died without aggressive veterinary treatment from a herp expert. The tentative diagnosis was parasites in the brain. She continues to have vision problems but can move quite well. If your leo starts to tilt again, please post again and I will give you any information I can. Also consult the Dr. Gecko website for extensive information on this problem.

Thanks for the info. I will definantly post again if it happens.
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Josh
My Email