Cattle

Archive for March 8th, 2010

Leopard geckos are lucky in that there are relatively few health issues which tend to affect them. However, tail loss is one of these issues. Dropping their tail is a defense mechanism which enables leopard geckos to escape from predators, though it can cause some problems.

A gecko will grow a new tail if they lose theirs, though the tail which they grow back won’t usually look much like the tail they have lost; it tends to be a different shape and is often white rather than its original color. Of course, a gecko doesn’t worry too much about its looks, though you might prefer the way your pet looks with their original tail!

However, the way your pet leopard gecko’s new tail looks isn’t the real problem. The problem is that losing their tail can make your pet less healthy – a gecko which has lost their tail will be stressed and weakened and more susceptible to disease.

If your pet should lose their tail, they’ll need special care to keep them in good health and prevent infection from setting in as their tail grows back. You may want to keep the injured gecko in a different tank (if you currently house your leopard gecko with others). Make sure that the tank is kept very warm; in fact, any time your gecko is sick you should increase the temperature of their tank. They should have plenty of fresh water and food available while they heal as well.

Shedding is another thing which can pose a health hazard to your leopard gecko. Some of these animals have difficulty shedding for a variety of reasons. It may be too cool inside the tank, the humidity level may be too low, they may have a vitamin deficiency (usually it’s more vitamin A that they need) or even be infested with parasites. This is rare, but a leopard gecko with parasites won’t shed. You can check for parasites by looking carefully at their skin, especially between their toes.

If your leopard gecko is unable to shed for too long they can become sick. Rather than letting things get to this point, make sure to properly care for your pet to prevent these problems from occurring in the first place.

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