My leopard gecko has had its eyes closed lately and on one…

Thank you for waiting. I suspect you got your information on care from a pet store. unfortunately, while we should be able to count on such information, it is often incorrect. Many lizards become ill and die each year because of it.

An eye problem can be due to bacteria, mites, an injury, a toxin in the environment, or an improper diet. It's impossible to be certain based only on an online description, but it sounds as if your gecko may have contracted an eye infection or a respiratory infection. If that's the case, he will need to be treated by a reptile vet. However, before doing that, there are a few things you can try on your own.

The first thing I recommend is that you get rid of your present substrate. One of the most common causes of eye irritations that lead to infection is a sand substrate. Bits of it get in the eyes, causing problems that often lead to infection. I realize that pet stores recommend these substrates, but they really are bad. They also cause respiratory problems and impactions. The best substrates are solid ones, such as reptile carpet, ceramic tiles, or shelf paper. You can temporarily use paper towels until you can find another substrate.

You'll also want to measure the temperature. Proper temperature is extremely important. Without it, illness and death are almost certain. Get a digital probe thermometer to accurately measure it. Geckos do best if the temperature is maintained between 82*F and 88*F day and night.

Because your gecko is weak and losing weight, the next step is to give him a special soak. Prepare a shallow bath of 1/2 Pedialyte (made for human infants and available in discount stores and pharmacies) and 1/2 water. Soak the gecko in the bath for 20 to 30 minutes. This can be repeated once or twice a day. It will help with any dehydration that is occurring. Be sure to supervise closely.

After the bath, do your best to use a soft wet cloth to gently wipe the eyes. Besides cleaning your gecko’s eyes, you can put in a few drops of preservative-free saline solution (the kind made for contacts) twice a day. That will soothe the eyes and help flush out any irritants. You may need a helper to hold the gecko while you do this.

I strongly recommend taking out any uneaten crickets. Crickets left in the cage will bite a sleeping gecko. the bite marks are too tiny to see, but they are very prone to infection. Such infections can be life-threatening. Let your gecko eat all he wants for about 10 minutes, then remove any uneaten crickets.

If you get rid of the loose substrate and use the saline solution for several days with no improvement, it would be best to see a reptile vet. Infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics has probably set into the eyes. If you don’t already have a vet, this link will take you to a directory of them:

http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html#vetlist

I’m also sending along a care sheet, courtesy of Joan, another of our experts. You can use it as a checklist to make sure all the conditions are right. If you have more questions, just let me know by clicking on REPLY. I hope your gecko will reach a full recovery.

Anna

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Leopard Gecko Care Sheet

The Leopard Gecko is originally from Pakistan, India, and a few other countries in Asia. They actually live on hard rocky outcrops and they are nocturnal (active at night). They prefer temperatures between 82 and 88 degrees (28* to 31*C) all day and night. They grow to between 8 to 11 inches. Leopard Geckos are available in a wide range of colors and patterns which are the result of selective captive breeding. These include albino, ghost, striped, jungle, Leucistic and high yellow. These colors have been made possible through selective captive breeding. Leopard Geckos make wonderful pets for almost any age person. Leopard Geckos also make good long term pets. They can live over twenty years. Never grab by tail it will break off.

Leopard Gecko Housing: A male Leopard Gecko should never be housed in the same cage as another male leopard gecko because they will fight and possibly kill one another. A male can be housed with several females without any problems. I do not advise housing leopard geckos in the same cage with any other reptiles. A single Leopard Gecko can be kept in a ten gallon tank. For a male and a few females a twenty gallon tank or larger should be used. The cage should have a screen lid on top of it to prevent any escapes. Leopard geckos need places to hide and sleep during the day so you must provide a couple of hiding spots. They need a warm hiding spot and a cold humid hiding spot. Just put one hide box on the side with the heat light and put the humid hide box on the side that does not have the heat light. I actually prefer an under the tank heater for heat source rather than a light since the geckos are Nocturnal. For the humid hide box, Paper Towels work well and easily replaced inside a hide box. You can make your own humid hide box from a small plastic shoe box or from a margarine container. Cut a hole in one end of the container and place moist paper towel inside it. The humid box should be cleaned out every week and re moistened. A humid hide box is needed so that the gecko can go in it when it needs to shed. The humidity helps the old skin come off.

Substrate: There is an abundance of products on the market that claim to be safe substrates. All Loose Substrates (Please note the link above) however are not safe to use. A substrate is what you put on the bottom of the cage for the lizard to walk around on. If a Leopard Gecko ingests any of the substrate accidentally, the substrate must pass through the digestive system. Trust me they will ingest substrate, sometimes on purpose. If it does not easily pass through the digestive system compaction will occur. Compaction is an extreme blockage of the digestive tract and is often fatal. Some substrates that I consider unsafe because they can cause compaction are: sand, bark, Calci sand, crushed walnut shells, lizard litter, gravel, aquarium gravel, and coconut fiber. The safest substrate is using paper towels or plain newspaper, non-stick shelf liner , cage carpet or ceramic tile. For any leopard geckos that are younger than six months I advise using paper towels or plain newspaper until they are at least six months old. Calcium sand is not fully digested no matter what it claims. The stuff just does not break down completely. . Leopard

Gecko Heating and Temperature: The cage should be between 82 to 88 degrees (28*C to 31*C)all day and night. There is two basic ways to heat the cage. One is to use a under tank heater like heat tape. The other is to use a black, or blue night incandescent heat light. I prefer to use a heat light. For a 10 gallon tank a 60 watt bulb should work depending on room temperature. Place the heat light on one end of the cage. By putting the heat light on one end of the cage it keeps that side warmest and allows the gecko to move to the warmer side with the light or to the colder side without the light as needed to regulate body temperature.

NEVER EVER USE A HOT ROCK, HEAT ROCK, OR ANY SIMILAR PRODUCT. Hot rocks heat unevenly and are notorious for causing terrible thermal burns. Do not buy a hot rock and if you know anyone who uses one, tell them to throw it away.