Gecko.

Question
My sister got a Male Leopard Gecko in january of last year.She had to go away for college and left him with me. He has been fine up to a few months back when he had difficulties shedding the skin off his eyes. I managed to help him get it off after a few days of letting him try himself, I used a wet Q-tip and he seemed fine.
He shed his skin again and got it all off so I figured it was the one time.
A few weeks past and his eyes crusted shut, I thought it was the skin that didnt come off so next time he shed i helped him get it off his eyes and he was fine again.
The next time he shed I was away for the weekend and he shed and must have rolled around in the sand the I used for substrate because it got stuck in his eyes and i couldn't help him when I got home.

At the place my sister got him they said that it was good to have sand at the bottom of his cage because he'd eat it and get vitamins.
I went online and everywhere I seen it said that you should NOT use sand or whatever it is so I quickly changed To a "reptile Carpet" something like that at the bottom of his cage.

Now He lot a lot of weight, his tail used to be fat and now it is thin, and I can see his ribs. His eyes are crusted shut and he has a scab like thing on his head. He hasn't been eating and nothing has been coming out of him.

My mom thinks that he hasn't been eating because he can't see what he's doing,But he still walks along the cage and stuff like usual but He wont eat the crickets. I tried putting calcium on them but he still wont eat them. I held one infront of him for about 20 minutes and he wouldn't eat it.
I think he might of eaten some of the sand and it blocked him up?

I don't know what to do And no one is willing to take him to a vet...I don't have the money to pay for it myself.

He looks like he is suffering and That's the last thing I want for him.


Do you know what to do to get his eyes open again?
Is there anything I can do to help him eat?


Answer
Hi Tyler,

The pet store that told you to use the sand is way wrong, as you have since read.  The sand, especially the one that is suppose encourage them to eat it is one of the worst products out there.I do suggest that you remove the sand as it is deadly to leos. I am including a basic care sheet that I wrote to help people out.  In it are suggestions to safe substrate and also a link to what can happen when they are kept on sand.

He may have some sand in his eye and not a piece of shed. You can try to very carefully rinse the eye with saline, such as what is used for contact lenses.  Very carefully use a cotton swab to wipe away the gunk once it is wet and softer.  He may need to have an antibiotic eye ointment or drops as that there is a chance their is infection at this point.
The care sheet also has links to finding vets that can treat reptiles. Many times a vet is willing to work with you on payments...and explaining the situation, the vet may be willing to just prescribe the ointment.

As to stuck shed, are you using a humid hide for him?  More on that below. I like using the moss in the hide as it also helps to rub the shed off along with providing the needed humidity for an easy shed.
The scab and even his eyes can also be caused by the crickets biting him.
When you have stuck shed, you can apply some Vaseline to the area which will help the shed to loosen.
When a leo is blocked, they can't go to the bathroom...has he gone at all?
You can try giving him a warm, shallow bath.  Many times that will help to loosen a blockage.
You don't want the water any deeper than his elbows when laying flat. Its very dangerous to try any other method to unblock them without a vets advice as that forcing them to go can cause tears in their intestines.
Its also important to keep him hydrated.  Try offering some water with an eye dropper, one drop at a time onto his lips.
Try offering a few wax worms as they generally like them.
Offer to do some extra chores around the house to get the money for a vet and explain to everyone that its important that the leo is seen by a vet so that he isn't suffering.



BASIC CARE FOR A LEOPARD GECKO

Leopards are pretty easy to care for but they do need

special care.  Here are some of the basic needs of your gecko.

HOUSING: The need to have at least a 20 gallon long tank for one Leo. This needs to have a secure fitting screen top...they can be quite the escape artists!!! They need to have a humid hide box.You can make this with something as simple as a small plastic dish with a hole cut in one side and a small mesh bag filled with some Sphagnum moss coconut bark or Peat moss that you mist.  

I made mine out of the small plastic folgers coffee containers...I cut an opening in the lid..and put the moss in..they LOVE it. I use the terrarium moss in mine.

I use that on the warm side of the tank. Be sure to provide a cool hidebox on the other end. I also provide a mid temperature hide...which is in the middle of the tank.I use the critter caves which you can purchase.  NOT the ones that have heat in them!!!!

Provide secure climbing areas for your gecko.  Fake plants, rocks and branches are all fine to use. be sure there are no wires or sharp ends to any fake plants you use.

*****SUBSTRATE:(that's the stuff on the floor of your tank) Newspaper, lizard carpet or paper towels work great and are easy to clean and are much safer than any loose substrate.  Sand or other loose substrate is not recommended as that they can be deadly to the leo when it is ingested(eaten, even by accident while eating their insects)...A very graphic site of an impacted leo surg can be seen at http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html   it is very graphic!!! ******What I have found that works great for safety and heat distribution is using about 1/4 inch of childrens play sand(since the tiles fit tight together, there is no sand danger) on the bottom of the tank and on top that you place ceramic or slate floor tile.  What is nice is that the 12 x 12 squares fit perfect in a 20 gallon tank with no spaces between the tiles.  The sand and the tile distribute the heat wonderfully.  Using the under tank heater as described is what distributes the heat.  Also,
 overhead heat will help in heating the tiles...I've been using this set up for several years and the leos love it.  Using a tile that isn't smooth is recommended.  **********

TEMPERATURES:  They need a warm area ( on the floor) of 88-92 degrees and a

cooler area  in the upper 70s,  low 80s.   At night their temperature can drop to the low to mid 70's.  

Never use a hot rock for a leopard gecko...or any reptile.

They can severely burn any reptile.  You can use a heating

pad under the tank,under tank heater for the warm area.  You can use a regular household lightbulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket in it to keep the warm area at the 88-92 degree area if needed there, otherwise, placing the lightbulb about midway in the tank will give the needed temperatures throughout the tank.  You may have to play with the wattage of the bulb but generally 40-60 watts is sufficient.At night, no white light. If room temperatures stay above 70 degrees, no extra night heat is needed. The undertank heater or heating pad should cover about 1/3 of the tank....be sure to raise the tank up about 1/4-1/2 inch off the stand when using an undertank heat source to prevent heat build up which can cause the glass to break and hot spots in the glass. Be sure to have a good layer of newspaper, carpeting or, even a thin flat rock(such as tile) on top the area that the undertank heat source is placed...if you use a thin rock or tile, it helps to distribute the heat
very well.

You can  use the special nighttime lights that are designed for reptiles. I like using a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat for  nighttime heat.  

DO NOT use black lights or party lights as they can cause eye damage!!!!

The wattage you use will vary based on room temperature and size of tank.  

LIGHTING:  Leopard geckos do not need UVB lighting but it does not hurt them to give them uvb.  They should have some type of light during the day, be it a uvb tube, regular florescent light, reptile day light or regular household lightbulb. NO white lights at night!!!

Do not use the florescent coil or "U" shaped bulbs for lighting as they can cause what amounts to snow blindness in reptiles.  



FEEDING: Geckos should not be fed  crickets or other insects that are bigger than the space between their eyes.  Generally, hatchlings can be fed more than once a day,juvys can be fed twice a day, adults are fed once daily or every other day, in the early evening. Crickets and other food items such as silk worms, super, and an occasional treat of a wax worm, need to be dusted with a calcium supplement two times a week and also they should have a small dish of calcium in their tank.  I use the lid of a milk jug for the little dish of calcium in their tank.  For dusting the insects, Use a calcium with no added phosphorus.  Insects must be gut loaded(fed) for at least 48 hours prior to feeding your gecko. Remove any uneaten crix or superworms after 15-20 minutes.....  Place a piece of cut potato in the tank so that if you have missed any uneaten insects, they will eat the potato instead of nibbling on your gecko!!!

*************You have to be sure to feed your crickets and insects the right foods before feeding them to your gecko.  If your crickets/insects are not healthy and well fed, your gecko will not get the nutrition he needs. You can gut load your crickets and insects greens, veggies, cereals or specially designed commercial foods for crickets or the insects you are feeding. ************

Be sure to have a small dish of clean water for your gecko at all times!!

You can offer them some baby food or fruits on occasion ...

Mine will even eat a small piece of watermelon now and then.WATER:  always provide a dish of drinking water.  If you choose to mist your gecko to drink, its best to not get the tank too wet as that they do not do well with higher humidity.  Sometimes its better to take your leo out of their tank to mist them to get them to drink!!!

HANDLING:  Some geckos enjoy being held...others prefer not to be handled at all.  Be sure to be very gentle when holding your leo and NEVER grab them by the tail!  Their tails are extremely fragile and will break.  

I do suggest finding a vet that can treat reptiles BEFORE you actually need one!!!  To find a vet that is able to care for reptiles:

http://www.herpvetconnection.com

http://www.arav.org/ECOMARAV/timssnet/amm/tnt_mdsearch.cfm

http://www.anapsid.org/vets/

For more information on leopard geckos:

http://www.drgecko.com

If you have any questions or don't understand something, please let me know.