Leopard Gecko throwing up

Question
Hi there!  We have a leopard gecko that was born last September (07) so he is not quite a year old yet.  I normally feed him small crickets once a day...occasionaly every other day.  He is in a terrarium with fresh water, a heat rock and a light on top.  I also have two slate rocks sitting up to make a hut around the heat rock which is where he normally chills out.  His tail is nice and big and fat.  Two nights ago I gave him his crickets and accidently let out about 2 dozen in his cage.  I also noticed there was some kind of worm/roly poly type thing in with the crickets.  He ate most of the crickets in a 24 hour period.  Yesterday, I cleaned out the paper towels in his cage and rearranged his rocks a little bit. He always poops in the same corner where his heat rock is.  Anyway, my concern is this.  Last night, I noticed a ball of undigested crickets and that worm thing...he apparently had thrown or regurgetated up.  I don't know the difference.  I just figured he didn't like that worm thing.  Well, today he is acting all strange....and has gone underneath the paper towels in his cage..so that he is laying against the glass bottom.  Is this normal?  Is it normal/ok for him to have thrown up?  Will they suddenly change their favorite sleeping place like that?  Do you think the minor change in the arrangement of his rocks has made him uncomfortable?  Or do you think he ate way too many crickets and that is why he threw up?  Sorry to throw so much at you...I just wanted to give you every possible scenario for this little guy.  A vet visit will be about $75 and I need to make sure that is justified.  Thanks!!!
P.S.  "Buddy" is my 7 year old's pet...so he is sorta part of the family.

SIncerely,
Leighanne


Answer
Hi Leighanne,
Any time a reptile brings up food, its cause for concern.  Its not normal for them to do so. He may have eaten too many crickets too fast and it didn't sit well with him. Not sure what the worm thing was...if it was white, may have been a wax worm...no worry there.  I would not let him go more than a few days with his abnormal behavior without getting him to a vet. Do keep a close eye on him to make sure he is eating, drinking and pooping normally. Sometimes, they can get an intestinal blockage from various things such as sand, too large of insects, dehydration, etc...this would be a real problem, needing a vet checkup asap to be treated. If he gets lethargic then the vet is needed asap....fingers crossed the little piggy just had bigger eyes than his belly.  
Yes, leos are really weird about changing anything in their tanks.
Since your leo is near a year old, you may be feeding too small of a cricket to him.  The rule is: no larger than the space between their eyes.
I do want to caution you on the heat rock.  They are deadly to reptiles as that they malfunction in the blink of an eye and can severe burns and also cook the leos insides...not a good thing to have happen. A better choice is a properly used under tank heater.
I've included a basic care sheet on the leos for you.   

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.