please help me with my leopard gecko

Question
QUESTION: i have 2 geckos the is doing fine but the other has a shrunken tail, i ask somebody else and they it was due to winter coming up, they said because of the season thats when they start to lose their stored fat. is this correct? and the second thing i just noticed to today when me and my fiance but a wax worm in front of it, it couldn't open its mouth, like it wanted to eat it so bad just couldn't, we also noticed its tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth, which we thought that had something to with her not eating the wax worm, what do you think is wrong with her? do i need to take her to a vet? PLEASE HELP ME i don't want to lose my gecko.
p.s please keep in mind i am not sure if it is a girl we haven't check, but she looks like a girl, and we named her princess, and she is a little over a year now.

ANSWER: Hi Amber,
Sorry that someone misinformed you on your leo.  Leos (and other reptiles) build up their fat storage for colder seasons and for breeding..they don't loose their tail fat in preparation for winter.
Your leo may have metabolic bone disease, which is a softening of the bones from lack of calcium and proper nutrition. Of course there can be something else wrong.  
Do you have your geckos together?  If yes, and the other is a male, your leo may possibly be egg bound.(unable to pass eggs) which a vet is needed.
I'm including a basic care sheet so that you can double check all your care.  Please read carefully the part on needing calcium and the importance of "gut loading" the insects you feed your leos.
Also, if you happen to have two males together (or even two females in too small a tank) your one may be suffering stress from the other leo "bossing" him/her around....but with the other symptoms you mention, that doesn't seem like it would be the case.
In the care sheet below are links to finding a vet.  If your leo does have Metabolic bone disease, it is generally reversible with the corrections in care.  If it is indeed MBD, depending on how severe, the vet will prescribe a prescription calcium supplement.
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 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, or 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.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!!!

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

For more information on leopard geckos:

http://www.thegeckospot.com/leocareindex2.html
http://www.drgecko.com
If you have any questions or don't understand something, please let me know. I suggest printing out my reply so you can refer to it more easily when needed.




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for your response, they are in a 40 gallon tank but yes the geckos are together, should i separate them? and they have had 3 eggs but they didn't form, our tank set up is correct the temperature is correct, and we feed them crickets every 3 days and wax worms like twice a week.

ANSWER: Hi Amber,
I would separate them just in case there is a problem with them.  You may have two females as the females can lay eggs even when not bred. You have a very nice sized tank for them.
Normally, leos will lay several clutches of 1-2 eggs each clutch. Laying 4-5 clutches isn't out of the ordinary. Your leo may have an egg that didn't come out, or one that burst inside.(of course this is depending on the one not doing well being female.)
I would get her to a vet to get her checked out.  Also, with wax worms, be sure to only feed 1-2 of them on occasion(once a wk or less) as that too many wax worms can cause fatty liver disease due to the high fat content in them.
Something is going on with your skinny tailed one and the possibilities range from being over stressed from sharing a tank, egg bound, burst egg, internal parasites, tumors, etc...  Only a vet can tell for sure what the problem is but there is definitely a problem some where. Is your ill one pooping?  Do you use sand or other loose substrate?  Sand can cause impactions...which would cause your leo to be very ill..again..a vet is needed.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: you know i actually haven't looked to see if she was pooping, i really don't think she has, but she might of, she has mostly been in her shelter which is a tiki hut, there are 2 of them 1 for each of the, its really cute, but i do not use sand, i use coconut bark, they are really big pieces, there aren't any small pieces in there, but i was going to switch it to the lizard carpet stuff, but the i had the pet shop set up the tank will i went and got my money to by the geckos, and the coconut bark is what they gave me. i just watched her eat and she grabs it but lets go, her its almost like her tongue is swollen, its really weird, but i have set up an appointment for her on Friday, i just hope she makes it till then.

Answer
Its good that you have a vet appointment. One thing you may want to check is the humidity level in the tank. Leos can't have levels over 30-40%(max) Too much humidity can and does cause respiratory infections.  Pay attention to how she is breathing. If its labored, etc she may have an infection. Try offering her some baby food chicken or even the veggie/chicken mixes from your finger...hopefully she will lick at it.  Try to get a look in her mouth..she may also  be dehydrated. Good on the lizard carpet...as I say in my caresheet, I use the ceramic tiles and love them because they distribute the heat so well.  using the carpet is good as it is rough and can help get shed off of toes.