How To Check The Health of Your Leopard Gecko
A life span of a Leopard Gecko can reach over twenty years if they are taking a good care of by their handlers. Giving them a proper healthcare and medical attention is must and is the best way to ensure of giving your leopard gecko a long life. You should learn the diseases that your gecko pet to know what to do and what to give them in emergency situations.
In checking your leopard gecko’s health, there are steps that you need to follow. And these steps are very important. You can’t just rush things in checking their health. First step is placing the gecko to your hands from its terrarium. Don’t hold it on its head or its tail because it might cause them to panic. Slowly hold the gecko on its body with a less amount of pressure to avoid hurting them and then place it on the palm of your hand.
The first thing to do in checking your leopard gecko’s health is by checking its body. A healthy gecko has an even body outline and the sides are rounded. Your gecko’s ribs should not be protruding and also your gecko should not be stout. What would you want to have something that is in the middle.
Next, try to check the skin of your leopard gecko. A healthy gecko does have a bright and colorful skin. It must not be dirty or have cuts and wounds. Dirty and wounded skin of your gecko might give them infections and diseases. Leopard gecko sheds off their skin as they grow old. They will eat their skin on the shedding process. It is a must for you to check your gecko after their shedding period and make sure that there is no old skin is left especially on their toes and tails. If an old skin is left, it will cut off the circulation and can cause to lose their toes and the tip of their tails. Use a q-tip in removing the retained skin.
The next part on checking your leopard gecko’s health is its belly. A healthy gecko has a clean belly. No injuries or cuts or wounds, no evidence on stools on it, and has no burns. They acquire burns from heat pads so try to check their belly’s once in a while.
A healthy leopard gecko also has a fat tail unless your gecko pet is still juvenile. This is also a part of checking you leopard gecko’s health. Changes in you gecko’s tail is a good way to know if they are healthy or not. If your gecko’s tail is starting to get thin, it is a sign that they are unwell and has health problems.
Although Leopard Geckos, such as carrot tail leopard geckos, are small pets, they are very strong for their size. They should have a strong grip on your hand and against your skin. If you have felt some changes on the way your gecko grips against your skin, it must have lost some of its strength or maybe it is experiencing some illness.
The eyes are also a part of checking your Leopard Gecko’s health. Their eyes should not be bulging or shrunk into their head. A healthy gecko also has a bright and alert eyes and do not have dirt around them.
In checking the face of your gecko, its jaw must be symmetrical and should fit together. It should not look elastic or jut. If it looks rubbery or jutting, it might be a sign that your gecko has a metabolic bone illness.
