Sick crested gecko? (2023)

What does a unhealthy crested gecko look like?

A healthy crested gecko will be lively and alert when handled. It should have a clear ear vent and nose, smooth skin, and adults should have a little heft to them. Sunken eyes and wrinkly skin could be a sign of dehydration, and an extremely lethargic gecko might be sick.

Scale rot, sunken eyes, respiratory infection, fungal infection, parasites, impaction, cryptosporidiosis, metabolic bone disease and floppy tail syndrome are common diseases of crested geckos.

Signs of impaction may include loss of appetite, reduced activity, swelling of the abdomen and vent prolapse. Dehydration due to inadequate fluid intake, lack of a moist hide or insufficient environmental humidity also contributes to gut impaction.

Lethargy Due To Injury Or Sickness

Another reason for a crested gecko's lethargy is illness. This can be a symptom of a wide variety of diseases, from impaction, to parasites, mouth rot, metabolic bone disease, and more.

The one thing that most crested gecko owners don't realize is that when you take care of these animals they can live 15 to 20 years. An animal that lives 15-20 years will be with you for a lot of changes in your life. So before adopting a crested gecko consider if you or your family is willing to make that commitment.

On the other hand, lethargy is on a different level of tiredness. You can easily spot it as your leopard gecko will visibly appear weak. More often than not, they just stay hidden in their hide and will not go out even though you offer food nor will it drink from its water bowl.

A healthy crested gecko has clear, bright eyes and pupils that react to changes in light. The skin should be smooth and without blisters. A healthy gecko will not have any kinks in the tail or spine. You should register with a specialist reptile vet in your area so your gecko can have treatments as necessary.

A dying leopard gecko will show signs of extreme weight loss, abnormality or even lack of droppings, lethargy, sunken eyes, and lack of appetite. Very often, the most fatal sign is lack of appetite because it signifies that your leopard gecko is ill, impacted, or just waiting for its death.

What does metabolic bone disease look like in crested geckos?

“The first thing that I notice is a crooked tail, or weakness or tremors,” says John Makaryshyn, a reptile hobbyist and breeder. “You pick them up [and they're] just shaky when moving around.” He adds that he often hears owners describe their pet's condition as “lethargic” or “wasting away.”

Unfortunately it is more often that we do not perceive that they are in pain because the signs they show are often subtle and unlike mammals. Many recent scientific studies have shown that reptiles have all of the necessary neurotransmitters and anatomy to feel pain.

If your leopard gecko's diet isn't balanced and nutritious, it can give them fatigue and lethargy, eventually making them sleep more. So ensure that you offer them a diverse diet with mealworms, crickets, and other feeder insects with higher calcium to phosphorus ratios.

Crested Geckos can go without eating for two or even three weeks. You should consider contacting a vet after the second week. Most of the time a loss of appetite is due to the crestie being placed in a new environment (purchased from a shop or breeder, and put in your new enclosure).

As a general rule, most geckos can survive without any intervention for one or two days. If you plan to be away for a weekend, it's probably safe to leave your gecko alone, though it's always a good idea to have someone available in case there's a household emergency such as a power outage that will impact the geckos.

Crested Geckos can go without eating for two or even three weeks. You should consider contacting a vet after the second week.

Daily misting will be required, twice a day for at least 30 seconds each interval; with Reverse Osmosis water.

What are some signs of stress in leopard geckos? Look for geckos acting skittish or aggressive when they are handled, waggling their tails, breathing quickly, spending lots of time in their hides, or looking dull in color.

Why is my crested gecko staying in one spot?

Lack of humidity is a surefire way to make your crested gecko go into hiding as the temperature is too high for them and they need to cool down. So you should keep the humidity level of the tank at 50% to 60% during the day. There should also be a few hours where it should be at 70% to 90%.

Crested geckos also need to be housed in a large enough terrarium (with appropriate temperature and humidity). You'll also need to clean their terrarium at least once a month and need to get them examined by a vet if necessary.

Sometimes, a crested gecko sleeps upside down on the wall of its terrarium. This behavior can be attributed to the lack of climbing and sleeping surfaces that are available for the crested gecko. Unfortunately, this habit can have negative consequences.

Diagnosis Reptile mites are visible to the nakes eye, and are initially pale, and darker after a feeding. Mite faeces can be seen as white specks on the animal or within the enclosure. Mites do not like light, so will hide in corners within the enclosure, and also in crevices within the animal's scales and skin.

Any reptile or amphibian can carry Salmonella. Outbreaks in humans in the last decade have been linked to turtles, bearded dragons, and crested geckos. The risk is especially high with very small turtles, which is why it's illegal in the United States to sell turtles with shells less than 4 inches long.

Panacur is quite often used for treating worms, although other dewormers (also called anthelmintics) may be required, depending on the specific type of worms. As with mites, thorough cleaning of your pet's enclosure will be required to ensure that they are gone.

Early signs of calcium deficiency include low energy levels, lack of appetite, and twitching toes. Later signs of MBD include swollen jaws, swollen legs, curved spines, paralysis, rectal prolapse, and eventually death.

Most cases of MBD can be treated. Treatment often involves splinting or casting broken bones. Calcium supplements by injection or orally (by mouth) will be necessary. In some cases antibiotics and fluids by injection may be required.

In clinical terms, metabolic bone diseases may result in bone pain and loss of height (due to compression of vertebrae), and they predispose patients to fractures. The skeleton, like many other tissues of the body, undergoes a constant process of breakdown and renewal.

What are the signs and symptoms of metabolic bone disease?

A balanced diet with adequate amounts of vitamin D and calcium and an adequate amount of physical activity are needed for normal bone metabolism. Your doctor may prescribe osteoporosis medications to help slow the rate of bone loss, and in some cases, to replace the lost bone structure.

MBD does have some specific warning signs. These include swelling of the face, mouth and/or back legs, lethargy, and trembling limbs. In more severe cases, we may also see muscle twitching, general weakness, unusual postures, and deformities.

Behavioural signs of pain in reptiles

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has also documented general signs of pain in reptiles including anorexia, immobility, abnormal posture/locomotion, dull colouration, and increase in aggression (Brown and Pizzi, 2012).

Some cresties seem to be fired up or down all of the time, which is perfectly normal. But keep in mind, they will also change color in response to stress and mood.

No, they tolerate it, but they do not dislike or like it.

Start by quickly and humanely killing and crushing some insects (waxworms are a good choice for fat and energy) and mixing the guts with calcium and vitamin powder. Then get a q-tip/ cotton bud, and dab a very small amount onto the end of your gecko's nose, making sure you avoid their nostrils.

Offering baby food is advisable when your leopard gecko is sick, thin, weak, and can't/won't eat alone. Otherwise, you should stick to feeding your leopard gecko insects.

Your Leopard Gecko may always be in its hide because it is newly introduced to the enclosure, it is shedding, in brumation, or it is overweight. Your Leopard Gecko may be frightened or the lights may be too bright. You may also just expect more activity than is natural for your Leopard Gecko.

Poor husbandry, poor diet, viral infections, bacterial infections, parasitic infections, sand or moss obstruction, kidney disease, and tumors are common causes of weight loss in leopard geckos. However, cryptosporidiosis is the most common reason a leopard gecko loses weight.

How long can a gecko go without drinking?

They need drinking water and access to a humid area in their enclosures. If you have to leave home for a few days, leave a bowl of water for your pet. Adult reptiles can go a couple of days without water, but try not to push it much past three days, as your leopard gecko may dehydrate and die.

Many adult leopard geckos can go without food for ten days to two weeks because of the fat storage in their tails. It is completely normal for leopard geckos to go without eating for long periods. Unlike mammals, reptiles do not require food every day to survive, particularly during the winter.

You offer food by gently stroking the side of their mouth with the food. They may open their mouth and take the food. This type of force-feeding is very similar to hand-feeding. The Leopard Gecko has a choice about whether to open his mouth and eat.

The two main essential oils to repel geckos are eucalyptus and peppermint. Geckos hate these scents so all you will need is an 8oz or 16oz spray bottle filled with water and 15 drops of your chosen essential oil.

A tank that is too cool can result in refusal to eat, as well as a general lack of activity. Also, it can cause a lizard to regurgitate partially digested – or undigested – food items. This is the first and the easiest thing to check when your leopard gecko acts lethargic and weird is the temperature.

You'll know that your crested gecko is healthy if it is active and alert, eats readily and with enthusiasm, has a good weight, spends most of the time climbing, has normal, regular stools, doesn't have discharge from the eyes, nose, or mouth, and has bright, smooth skin after a shed.

Crested geckos are typically deliberate lizards, who move cautiously and carefully through their habitat. They may occasionally pounce on a cricket or leap from one perch to another, but they spend most of their time simply clinging to their preferred perch in the enclosure.

These geckos also require an overall humidity of at least 50%- 70%. Daily misting will be required, twice a day for at least 30 seconds each interval; with Reverse Osmosis water.

Crested Geckos can go without eating for two or even three weeks. You should consider contacting a vet after the second week.

What does an unhealthy gecko look like?

A dying leopard gecko will show signs of extreme weight loss, abnormality or even lack of droppings, lethargy, sunken eyes, and lack of appetite. Very often, the most fatal sign is lack of appetite because it signifies that your leopard gecko is ill, impacted, or just waiting for its death.

Temperature, Lighting, and Humidity

Crested geckos are very sensitive to high temperatures, and shouldn't be exposed to temperatures above 80°F for long, as it can be fatal. While they like their terrarium temperatures around 72-75°F, it's good to keep a heat gradient in the tank.

Crested geckos are best handled for about 15 minutes, each time you handle them. There is no specific quantifiable frequency with which crested geckos can be handled. The thumb rule would be to gauge their comfort.