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Poor Gecko

22 14:34:19

Question
QUESTION: I have no idea what is wrong with her. She is a leopard gecko. She is very healthy, I belive, and gets fed about ounce or twice a week. One of her eyes has skin on it and i can't tell if her eyes is even still in there. She is done shedding for now.. but it is still on her eye and its been like that for a week now. It sort of looks like its glued shut with black stuff. Do you know what is wrong with her and if she is alright? And how can i make it alright if it isn't?

ANSWER: Hi Willow,
Leopard geckos need to be fed more than once or twice a week...they should be fed at least every other day...some prefer to eat daily.
It sounds like her problem is care related.  Are you using sand in her tank?  If you are, its important to remove it as it is deadly to leos. Their eyes do not shed...only the lids and area around the eyes shed.
It also sounds like your leo has an infection in her eyes.  She needs to see a vet to get the proper medications. The vet will most likely give an antibiotic eye ointment. There are links to finding a vet in the care sheet below.
Try taking a moist cotton swab and very gently wiping the eyelid with warm water.  Be very careful though. If you aren't using a humid hide, leos will have shedding problems.  See the care sheet for humid hide ideas.
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 88-90 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/Directory.htm

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.







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

QUESTION: I thought Sand was good for them.. They do live in sandy areas right? I will try the cotton swab thing and try to take her to the vet if i can. Thank you for your help.

Answer
Hi Willow,
They actually don't live on sand in their natural environment...they basically live below the sand in rocky areas....only coming out at night to  hunt.  They never spend time out on the dry desert sand during the day.  Did you see the link in the care sheet with the graphic pictures of the leo that was kept on sand? This happens to more leos than one can imagine. If you missed the link, here it is again. http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html  
Its impossible to compare any reptiles natural environment to a captive environment as in the wild they have access to tons of room, diet, etc that can never be provided in captivity.  That's why we always have to do what is the safest for them in every aspect of their care.  
Glad to hear you are getting her to the vet.