I think my leopard gecko is sick!

Question
I have an 8 month old leopard gecko. He seems to be shedding but it is not coming off. He is not able to open his eyes much do to the skin on his head. He has been laying in his water bowl at times lately. He also does not seem to be eating. He just really doesn't look good and just lays around most of the time. I have a plastic container with a damp paper towel and a hole so he can go in and out of. The lining of his cage is a carpet type thing I bought at the pet store for that type of cage. We feed him crickets and occasionally wax worms. Also, his color is very pale. I would appreciate anything you can tell me.

Answer
Hi Melissa,
My reply is rather long as there is a lot for your to check out and what can possibly be wrong..
You don't mention what his temperatures are in the cage.  It is important that they have certain temperatures so they can regulate their systems.  They need to have a warm area that is 88-92 degrees...which isn't only the air temperature but more important, the floor temperature of roughly 1/3 of their cage. They are ground dwellers so using an under tank heater on 1/3 of their cage is vital.  This area should have a hide plus a humid hide.
I'm going to include a basic care sheet I wrote to help people out with care.
Also, another very, very important thing to your leo is his diet.  Are you gut loading the crickets for  no less than 24 hours prior to feeding them to your leo?  Proper gut loading is needed so that the crickets take in good nutrition so that your leo in turn, gets that needed nutrition.  Gut loading isn't done with that gel like "stuff" the pet stores use..nor is it done with a potato.  It requires using special food for crickets(generally a powder/mash) or you can feed them various grains such as oatmeal and vegetables/fruits.
Also, are you providing your leo with a small dish of calcium powder that he can lick at as he wants?  Again, important to their health as is dusting the crickets on an alternate schedule with calcium powder with D3  and a vitamin powder.  
He may not want to eat because he cannot see well right now.  Try hand feeding him.
Since he cannot soak his head in water, you can try misting him with a warm gentle spray from a spray bottle.  You can also apply some Vaseline to the area...being careful to make sure it is rubbed in well.  
If, after trying those things for the shedding, and making any needed changes in care, he still does not want to eat, or if the shed doesn't come off...or if he still acts sick, then a vet is needed to find out what is going on.
If his color is actually pale and not due to the shed, then I really recommend a vet visit ASAP. Have you by any chance looked real close at him to make sure he doesn't have mites?  These will appear as tiny, tiny specks that will look like brown, black or red dirt.  If you find any, I recommend a product called REPTILE RELIEF made by the company NATURAL CHEMISTRY.  Be sure to treat everything in the tank as well as your leo...and follow the directions on the container.  IT is a very safe, all natural product that works wonderfully.  I give you this info just in case the paleness is due to mites as mites live on the leos blood which of course can cause health issues.
Another  problem can possibly be that he has a blockage... has he "pooped" lately? Blockages can occur from too large of insects and also dehydration.  If possibly dehydrated, offer water with a syringe..or chunks of watermelon to see if he will lick at it.  If a blockage(hasn't pooped, or strains as if trying to "go") then a vet is needed.
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 hide box 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 children's 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 ( on the floor) 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 for the warm area.  You can use a regular household light bulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket in it to keep the warm area at the 88-92 degree area if needed there, otherwise, placing the light bulb about midway in the tank will give the needed temperatures throughout the tank.  You may have to play with the wattage of the bulb but generally 40-60 watts is sufficient.At night, no white light. If room temperatures stay above 70 degrees, no extra night heat is needed. The under tank 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 under tank 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 under tank 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 light bulb. 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.herpvetconnection.com
http://www.arav.org/ECOMARAV/timssnet/amm/tnt_mdsearch.cfm
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/
For more information on leopard geckos:
http://www.drgecko.com
If you have any questions or don't understand something, please let me know.