Leopard Gecko Caresheet

5- Health

5.1 - General, preventative healthcare and diseases

Obviously, it is best to research as much as possible the specific needs of a leopard gecko prior to keeping one as a pet. This will give you time to prepare for its arrival and you will have some idea what to expect.

On acquiring any new gecko it is advisable to take a faecal sample to a qualified reptile vet who can analyse it for parasites. Parasite problems are not always obvious immediately, it can take time for the gecko to begin showing symptoms. By getting the leo checked for parasites straight away you can begin treatment before it starts to suffer.

From what I've read on the forums, probably the most common endoparasites (internal parasites) are pinworms (crickets can carry pinworms, so if you find your leo has pinworms, you may want to change your livefood supplier). Other parasitic worms include hookworms and roundworms. Most worms can be easily treated with panacur, your vet should be able to advise you.

It is very important to use strict quarantine when you purchase any new animals. The new geckos should be kept in a separate tank, preferably in a different room from any established leos that you have, until you are sure that it is healthy. As a general rule, I try to handle my leopard geckos in order of how long I have had them (and of course, carefully washing my hands in between handling them), this lessens the risk of passing disease from the newly acquired to the established geckos. Quarantine should ideally be for a period of 3 months, however slightly shorter times may be adequate.

There is great advantage in keeping your leos separately, since you can monitor the health of each one individually, however, many people prefer to keep more than one leo per tank. When you decide to introduce your geckos (remember, never keep two males together), it is wise to carefully watch them until you are sure that there will be no fighting, continue to monitor them (and be particularly vigilant around the breeding season, as their behaviour towards each other may change around that time).

Probably the most important task in keeping your leo healthy is cleanliness. The tank should be kept as clean as possible. Faeces should be removed as soon as possible. This is where papertowel has a great advantage as a substrate (I would definitely recommend using them if you leo is diagnosed with parasites). When using papertowel, I line the whole tank with it, then place extra folded sheets in the toilet area. As soon as its soiled, you can remove and replace the folded sheets in the toilet area, keeping the tank as clean as possible.

One very good reason to remove faeces from the tank as soon as possible (and another reason not to leave any loose crickets if possible) is the risk of a very fast build up of parasites. Say your crickets have a mild dose of pinworms, then your leo eats the crickets, the next load of crickets you put into the tank could eat the feces (taking on more pinworms), so your leo gets a double dose with the next cricket, and so it goes on.

As well as monitoring how much the leo is eating, its toilet habits, and its general behaviour, I find it useful to weigh my geckos regularly. I weigh the hatchlings/juveniles every few weeks, and the adults every month or two. Their weight can be a good indicator of how well they are doing. From measurements on my own geckos, it seems average for hatchlings (once eating) to put on approximately 2g every week. It is also normal for females to lose weight during the breeding season, as producing eggs uses a lot of energy (ensure that your females get sufficient food, and calcium, during this time). Males may also lose a bit of weight during the breeding season too, their minds are on one thing- and its not food!. You should expect any weight lost to be put back on at the end of the breeding season.

5.2 - Further health information

For further information on health, see the parasites and health page.