Day Gecko swollen neck

Question
Hi Peter, I have a Madagascar Day Gecko who has just recently started showing what looks like swollen glands around his neck.  There are two pea size bumps that protrude from his (I say male, but don't really know)neck just behind and below the eyes.  They appeared recently and have not been steadily growing, that I have noticed.  He is still very active, eating and drinking.  Is this a normal occurence or something I need to be concerned about.  He is about 3 inches long from nose to tip of tail, is in a 10 gallon reptile habitat with a bromiliad and calcium sand.  I have a 13 watt 10k bulb and a heating pad against one side wall so he can regulate from about 95 degrees on the pad to about 75 on the cold end.  I used to give him a portion of baby food and tiny crickets dusted with a calcium/vitamin dust but he seemed to never eat the fruit baby food and much prefer the crickets so I have not given him baby food in a couple weeks. Thanks! -James


Answer
Your question was sent to the pool.

Though I am not sure which Madagascar species you are referring to; it appears the area you are describing is the tympanum, and any swelling that size could be indication of a serious abscessed condition. Such infections can result in death. You should take him into a vet to be checked.

I will also add that a 10 gallon sounds too small. If this is an arboreal gecko, then he needs more vertical space than a regular 10 gallon can provide.

Also, you did not state that you were using any UVB with this gecko. Diurnal geckos require UVB lighting, otherwise all the calcium in the world is doing him zero good.

I would also advise you to get rid of the calcium sand, as I doubt any arboreal gecko from Madagascar is used to sand as a natural substrate. There are arid regions, but I'm sure your gecko is from the rainforest. This could be part of the original problem if your sand has irritated or impacted his ears. He needs bark, moss, and branches to climb on. Calcium sands aren't recommended by most well experienced herp keepers anyway, due to their gastric impaction risk.   

Lastly, try fresh mashed fruits and fruit juice to supplement the diet, instead of processed commercial baby foods.