Need help for sick leo (Diet, skin and infection)

I'm not an expert but what I can tell you is that the bulbs definitely should not be your main source of heat. You need to get and under the tank heater because Leopard geckos absorb the heat through their bellies in order to digest food. They don't really need light at all because it can just stress them out. For further heat in my tank because my room is pretty cold, I use a ultraviolet night light 24/7 because they can't see it. Don't use the red ones because they say their good for night and your leo can't see it but really they can. Also, you should have a moist hide on the side with the UTH and dry one on that side and then one on the cool side without the heater. I've been worried about my leo being constipated also and I've been told to try to make sure they're hydrated by dropping water on their lips to lick up.

I think I saw my leo drink a bit out of the water dish last night, so that's a good sign.
This morning though I found a weird gooey substance in what looks like it should be poo because there is a white edge like the usual uric acid/urine part of it. Kinda scares me not sure what it is. Could it be diarrhea or something or [perhaps its because his only diet lately consisted of a water concoction from the carnivore care?
I have a heat pad (Zoo Med Brand) and will try implementing this today.

So anther update.
I decided to just stop the antibiotic ( been 2 days since that I have given it now) and not do the food supplement today ( via orally) so that I can let him be a bit stressed relived.
Also I added the heat pad under his hide (not as hot as I would like so I think I am going to buy a new one soon)
BUT even after seeing scary green poo, he is wandering around cage and now he keeps looking at the mealworm dish like he wants it! I think I'll give him a bit to just be and relax in his cage and hopefully he will eat on his own. The vet said it could have been the antibiotics that maybe affected his appetite, plus it looks like he is about to shed and I read they don't eat much around that time. Lets hope for the best!

what antibiotics were you giving him? as most do put them off there food. it is poss diarrhea or maybe he did like my male and ate moss out of the moist hide when he was having antibiotics. could you post a pic of his abcess if you can get one? just so we can see what you are dealing with then we might be able to give better advice.

Sure thanks for reply. I did just add moss (about 3 days ago) to create a moist hide for him so that could be it as well, it seemed to have particles in it that looked like it!
I'll post of picture of what it looked like about 1 1/2 weeks ago and what it looks like now.
The antibiotic is Baytril.

thats ok happy to help when i can Every leo ive treated with baytril has stopped eating for upto a month after they've come off it. I noticed it in my males poo after it came out looking the same as it went in, they seem to lick it for moisture and end up eating some, so just keep a eye on what comes out

There was a bit of dried poop stuck but a few warm cloth washings they eventually fell off on his next poo (normal poo). Taken on August 26, 2011



On car ride to vet. Taken same day.

These were taken on phone so not the best quality but I will try to get one of his current but I want to give him some rest since I just changed his flooring.

Yeah that sounds like it. He looks at the food like he would want it but just ignores it. The last two days when I tried to give him meds he was being very difficult so I figures that its his way of saying he's done feeling like crap from the meds hehe. The infection looks to be getting better because, like I mentioned in first post, it drained out a few days clear, then starting scabbing up and now its dry and crusty. I put his poo in a baggie incase he appears getting worse so that I can test it.
From what I been reading I think alot of it is from stress from cage changes, increased handling and forced feeding. He orignally weighed 90 g and 1 1/2 week return visit he weight 86.2 g and they said that wasn't too bad.
Do you think it would be ok to hold off on orally feeding him so that he can be stress free for a bit? I figure from his appearance that he is gonna shed soon and all the other stuff that he just needs some space.

Awww bless him that doesn't look very nice. if he's going into shed leave taking a new pic till after the shed as the scabby/crusty stuff may come away. if your going to stop the antibiotics without checking with a vet first you might want to get something called tamodine to keep it cleaned as it has antibacterial and antifungal cleanser in it all you would need to do is mix a few drops into some warm water and dab it on with a cotton bud food wise give him a 5day break if your worried about the stress on him, i was only syringe feeding my male once a week until he started eating again.

Oh nice that sounds like a helpful product! and I think that one week method is good idea. The vet was suggesting every other day but based off reading and Deans current behavior I don't think holding off would be harmful. Thanks alot for your posting! It's relived alot of the stress and worry I've had. And sorry about how much I'm posting in so little time, I'm just a worried mama XD

its a great product to have as you can cleanse open wounds with it to prevent infection starting aswell as clearing up some it might be known under a different name where you are tho so you might have to research it. A healthy leo should be able to go for a week fine without food just keep a eye on his weight. And thats ok aways happy to help as i know how hard it is to care for sick reptiles as out of my 12leos only 3are breeders the rest are other peoples unwanted/sick/deformed/special needs and currently all are doing well the more you post the more we can try to help and your being a excellent mama to Dean x

Thanks ^_^, I will try to do some research on that product. I've spent most of my time studying and trying to help Dean I've kind of abused my homework XD but its worth it.
Thats neat to hear you help leopard geckos who are like that, they all need some loving! It's always a blessing to have a healthy leo.
As for his weight, I was measuring the fat part of his tail every few days to try to observe a difference and so far he hasn't. He was kind of a fatty before hand with his little tubby belly and fat packets on behind his front legs :P
By the way, have you ever heard of fat packets on the sides of the neck? I recently noticed they appeared and the vet I think said they could be stressed induced?

He is starting to shed! That's making me happy cause he is moving around and rubbing it trying to get it off. Poor little guy is tired though cause he's been through so much lately but he's going at it! Yay

That is great to hear. I hope things are on the up and up .

So apprently I was way off on his age. My friend said he was 7-10 years in here freshman year, meaning he could be as old as 18 right now. Wow, quite a shocker to me when I thought I got him as a younger leo.

awwww bless him, hope his shed goes ok i've never herd of fat pads on the neck but that doesn't mean your vet is wrong and yes they could be stress induced. the best way to keep a eye on his weight is to use kitchen scales that weigh in grams. i weigh all my geckos weekly so i know year to year/ month to month what there weights do so you could have a very old boy then bless him appart from his abcess he does look good

Wow, I hope he does well and his age does not seem to hinder him at all.

Yeah he's always been a chipper one. He did his shed really well and not too long at all. I think he ate his skin then spit it out though cause it was a long string but it was stuck together and wet. I'd imagine if I was him he is probably just getting the antibiotics out of his system. He still seems like a little chub chub to me but I have mealworms and crickets available for him.

I just let him go on a little walk and he seemed happy about it adventuring around.
This is what his abscess looks like now


And he seems happier and vibrant after shed

I reckon Dean is going to be just fine. Thank goodness that you were caring and attentive enough to get him to a vet and sort out treatment right away. It really irritates me when people know something is wrong and they say, "I will look into it" or "I will try and sort something out" or "Maybe I can get this or that by the end of the week". NO, NO, NO!!! If your pet needs something, then you do whatever you can to get it for them right away. Sorry, I don't mean to rant but I have read a couple of posts on the forum recently that said similar things and it made my blood boil. You, on the other hand, have done exactly what was needed and you have helped Dean which is how pets should be cared for. I am sure that Dean is extremely grateful!

he's looking good now he's shed hopefully it wont be long till the crusty/scabby lump comes off, you might find while he's healing that he sheds every 2weeks untill the area is completely healed

Thanks, I'm trying my best to keep him healthy. Now, I'll post some pictures later but does Dean look overweight or bloaty to you guys? I see other geckos on here and Dean seems much heavier.

I might be getting paranoid after looking up stuff about illness's but I'm worried now he might be impacted because he is really bloated looking (with fat sacks behind legs and neck) and he hasn't eaten in quite a while. His tail doesn't look stickly or thin but maybe thinner then normal? Only thing I might be a reason he may not be impacted is that he did poop about a week or 1 1/2 ago I think and then had that weird green mush like 5 days ago. Ugh I'm such a paranoid mother XD

He looks a nice size to me. I fine that some of my males look pretty big all over like Dean does here in this picture above. He looks like a nice healthy boy

If Dean has "fat sacks" behind his front legs, they are more than likely calcium bubbles. You may want to remove the calcium container that you leave in his enclosure 24/7 as his body has an excess of calcium right now. You can replace the calcium when the sacks disappear.

That would be IF the sacks disappear Joniell... Those pockets aren't actually caused by fat but excessive proteins in your herps diet as well as abundance of calcium. I do agree that if there is a calcium lid in the viv to remove it. If the bubbles in the armpits start to go down then ovbiously they are calcium bubbles however if there is little or no change in the size of the bubbles after removing the calcium lid then they are likely excessive protein bubbles and you need to vary your diet more to include more higher fat lower protein insects as well as vice verse... higher protein lower fat insects. Usually a good rotation of meaies/superworms in conjunction with butterworms and waxies provide the proper nutritional balance most herps need between proteins and fats.