gecko (leopard)

Question
Hello Diane, I was so happy to find you! Let me tell you alittle bit about my Leopard Gecko named Sorey (my son named it after his favorite baseball player) Ha! Sorey is about (9 years old 4 years ago his poor little foot got caught inbetween the magnetic part of his cave when the outside was being put on at the same time after shedding he developed an eye infection part of his skin was caught inside I brought him to the vet if my memory is correct in south plainfield loved the vet but forget the name of the place if you know where I mean could you let me know. Ok i brought him and doctor gave me a cream to put on his poor little bruised leg and eye drops for his eye everything healed beautifully!! Now 4 years later he developed it seems to me another eye infection it became the size of a grape protruding outward he seemed to love when I mist him especially on that eye which I beleive is the same eye as last time ! It looked dried and crusty however when I wet it it almost looked like a cateract. I would lightly dampen a sterile q-tip and gently rub downward to wipe off any gooey stuff which he rarely had! Are you ready for this... the entire thing came off without any pressure it looked like a raw oyster I could see the indentation of where his eyeball was on the inside and the outside of it was a crusty film! could it have been a tumor? Now he keeps his eye closed most of the time but again when I mist him with water and moisten it he will slowly open it from what I can see his eyeball looks normal!! Do you have any suggestions as far as drops I could put in He is very healthy other wise never stopped eating or drinking Just to let you know I treat all my animals like I do my child!!  I called my local vet to see if they could remember the place I took him to before Iam still waiting for them to call back I was going to ask them what they thought I should do! Please let me know if you have heard of this before and any suggestions I greatly appreciate. Everyything else is fine with sorey I just don't want an infection to spread through his body! There has been alittle goo coming from the eye not everyday!! Do I have the money for the vet No! But I will find a way to get it if need be!! I love this lizard!! Thank - you Sincerely, Peggy

Answer
Hi Peggy,
I can't help with the name of the vet...there are many "Plainfields" in various states.. You may want to go to http://www.arav.org/ECOMARAV/timssnet/amm/tnt_mdsearch.cfm and see if you can find the vet there.
Generally with reptiles abscesses are hard.As to what drops to use, there are no over the counter eye medications that I know of that can be used on reptiles. Using a sterile saline eye wash should be fine until you can get the vet appointment.  The vet will most likely prescribe an oral antibiotic and also a topical medication.
There are many things that can happen with leopard geckos eyes... string-type worms in the conjunctiva sac of the eyes....    pieces of sand or other material gets stuck round the eye or even under the eyelid. Some problems can come from vitamin deficiencies such as hypovitaminosis A (not enough vitamin A in the diet).
Scratches to the eye...from something in the tank or from their own claws...
It can be from a respiratory infection....or some other infection in his system. Having too wet of an environment for your leo can cause respiratory infections. Too much mistings in the tank can be dangerous for them.  They are low humidity needing lizards.
As you can see..a vet is needed to find the cause to prescribe the proper treatment.
There is a credit card called Care Credit with is for medical treatment. You can apply right on line at www.carecredit.com
Also, I'm including a care sheet so you can double check your temperatures and other care.
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

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.