Leopard Gecko shaky movements

Question
Hi my leopard gecko is an adult male that we adopted from a cousin.  We have had him for about 1.5 months and thought we were doing well.  He has already shed once successfully and was slowly getting to know us and tolerate us.  However, recently we have noticed that his movements are not as fluid or graceful as they used to be.  He seems to have tremors or shakiness and sometimes it appears that he has trouble supporting his body on his legs.  My son has told me that he has begun to examine his fecal vent when he never used to do that.  There also seems to be some type of mucousy discharge from the vent.  I have not seen this, but my sons say they have.  What could be causing this?  What would the treatment be?  Also as we are new to reptiles what are the average veterinary costs associated with this type of problem?

Answer
Hello, sorry to hear your Leo's having problems! I think a trip to the herp vet ASAP, with a fresh stool sample, is the way to go. It could be a whole number of things, however something is wrong. I could only guess that it sounds like a GI infection, or maybe a nutritional deficiency. The most likely treatment will be a wide spectrum antibiotic such as Baytril for a bacterial infection, which could be mixed with a favorite food, or injected. Other meds would be used for different types of infection, but the food or injection is a typical route for getting it into the lizard. Vet costs really depend on the vet, and the problem your critter is having. I just took my 2 turtles for their annual exam, and stool samples for all 3 of my lizards for about $45.00. It might be a little more or a little less depending on the issue. In the meantime, make sure he has a warm spot that's at about 88-90 degrees, and that he is getting well hydrated. If he is drinking from a dish, be sure to replace the water once a day, and to clean the bowl well. Also be sure to pick up excrement as soon as you can. If he does have an infection, keeping his enclosure as clean as possible will help his ability to fight it off, and from getting any secondary infection. If he is on a sand substrate, I would highly recommend switching to paper towels for now, and replacing them as needed. If you don't have a herp vet yet, here is a link of vets by state who deal with reptiles. http://www.herpvetconnection.com/ Hope this helps, and that your little guy gets better soon!

Hi again Jenny! Is your gecko doing better? Did he see a vet? I hope he's ok!