Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can u give me some advice to help my gecko shed... She has 2 infectons and shes on medicine and that could be y shes having problems and shes in her humidity box but shes still having troubles shediing please help

thanks
tyler

It seems like some leos are more prone to having shedding problems than others, but it usually just means your humid hide needs altering.

What medium do you use in your humid hide? I like to use peat moss because I can put in a lot of moss (enough to fill in the whole container), moisten it thorougly (by tossing to get all the dry moss on the bottom) and then pack it down to a 1/2 to 3/4 inch layer. This is enough to hold moisture for days depending on the size of the container, whereas something like paper towels dries out in less than a day. You can buy a huge bag of peat moss for $3 at Home Depot.

What container are you using? Sometimes if it's too small and your leo's not comfortable fitting her whole body inside, she won't. I've had leos just stick half their body in, particularly because butter containers are too small for 45 gram leos. Get a container that's larger but not necessarily taller. Coolwhip containers work nice. I like to use a generic brand disposable tupperware. I place my humid hides so only about 1/3 is resting on the UTH. This allows them to thermoregulate inside their own humid hides (which they do).

Last but not least, make sure the hole you've cut into the humid hide is the right size. If it's too big, it'll allow the humidity to escape. You just need to make sure your leo's head is able to comfortable fit through (the rest of the body can follow). I cut my holes by poking the scissor in then cutting in circles (except that it's square-shaped) until I get the right size. It allows more control and also allows you to smooth out any jagged corners.

If you've got the appropriate size container, hole, and medium, you only have to mist every few days and your leo's shedding problems should correct itself.

Does she still have any retained shed stuck to herself?
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chickabowwow

4.3.3 (Locke, Rosie, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

ok