Neglected Gecko

Question
I am just curious if you have an advice for me, I gave my nephew a gecko for his birthday about 1 1/2 years ago. I recently was over at their house and found the gecko looking just awful, no heat, had not eaten in a month to a month and a half, still on the calcium/sand substrate I bought with it and looking about 1/2 the size its supposed to. I have since taken possession of it, but curious what's the best way to help nurse him back to health. I am in search of a new vet since mine (I have other gecko's and an iguana) has since moved, but until then I am feeding her little at a time since she's hasn't eaten in a while I'm afraid it will make her more sick. She seems to sleep all the time, has watery looking stools, is vomiting the crickets up (sometimes, not all the time) She is only about 5 inches long and not even the width of my pinky, you can see her spine and hips. Any suggestions on how to help nurse her back would be greatly appreciated. My concern is that she may have a huge calcium deficiency since they said they never dusted her crickets. Would the calcium in the substrate of been enough? Sorry to be so winded, just concerned.  

Answer
Hi Gina,
Its so wonderful to hear that you took the gecko back!!  I've i8ncluded a basic care sheet for the leo..in it is good links to more gecko info and links to finding a vet that is able to treat reptiles....  now...on to your questions...
For sure she needs to have at least a fecal check done. Loose stool in leos is a very odd thing unless there is a medical reason.  A vet will most likely prescribe some medications to help the appetite also. The vomiting and mot eating might be caused from going so long without the proper heat. Also, using the sand, she may have a blockage that is not allowing normal stools to come out. Do remove the sand and use newspaper or paper towels.A vet can give you a liquid calcium that is must stronger and better than the OTC ones that we have available to us.  You are very correct with onlly giving her a small amount of foods.  Getting her properly hydrated is very important at this point.  Try offering some water from an eye dropper. You can try a shallow warm bath for her also.  Chances are she will have stuck shed on her toes, so you will want to keep an eye on that. You can see if she might lick at some baby food chicken, but don't force it on her at all.  Wax worms are very high in fat which may entice her to eat ...but...only give her one or two of them so as to not upset her stomach or overload her system too quickly.  Some other soft worms are the silk worms and phoenix worms which she may show more interest in eating.
If she has a calcium defficiency, her jaw will most likely be a little soft...but...as I said, the best calcium would be the liquid from the vet.  
Be sure she has a choice of temperatures, but I would try to keep the coolest area no lower than about 75-80 degrees for a while. Don't over heat her either..to do so can make her organs work too hard...use the normal recommended overall and basking temperatures.  
I have two leos, three iguanas and a ball python...sounds like you have a zoo there also!!  Please let me know how it goes with finding a vet and the gecko.




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) News
paper, 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)...

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 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 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 more questions, or don't understand something, please let me know!!