Shedding & older gecko

Hi

I have two geckos, both about 10 years old. The last year or so they have both been having difficulty shedding. Nothing has changed since we purchased them when they were babies. Is it normal for shedding to become more difficult as the geckos get older? I usually have to give them a little bath to help the process. Maybe they are just getting lazy and like the bath rather than having to do it themselves? They live in separate tanks, we use paper towels in the bottom and they are misted during the shed. I also purchased a vitamin spray that is supposed to help with the shedding. Also, how long do they live? Both are very healthy otherwise. Thanks!

Hwllo and congrats on having your leos for so long . I am wondering if you have a moist hide for your leos to go in and get wet during shedding? Also, are you able to help them get the rest of their shed off? Also to answer your question leos can live up to 20 to 25 years. That is if they are very well taken of, which it sounds like you are taking great care of them.

Thanks for answering. I am able to get the shed off with a warm bath; I usually give them a day or two and if they are having trouble (usually on the head and toes) then I will assist. I have a few other questions: One gecko suddenly developed what looks like a pea-sized growth on her cheek. We are seeing the vet in the morning as I am afraid it may be a cyst and I don't want to mess with it. In the meantime after reading the forums I decided maybe she needed a little more warmth so I purchased an under-tank mat heater. What should the temp be in the tank? What about the temp on the tank floor? I also bought a probe thermometer and have been watching it every half hour or so today but am not sure what the best temp is for her. I use paper towels (had an impaction incident with the male but he recovered nicely on antibiotics and prescription cat food slurry fed through a syringe) rather than sand in the tank. I also use a 75-watt red UV bulb. Is it best to turn the bulb off at night and just use the heater, or vice versa? Thanks for all the great info!

The tank should be between 88* - 95* on the hot side. The tank should have a hot side (the side with the UTH) and a cool side (side without). This allows the leo to choose which side and which temp they prefer whenever they want. You put the probe thermometer on the hot side in the middle. Remember to measure the FLOOR temp, and not the air temp, as that is what is important.

Leos don't need UV bulbs. They get their heat from their bellies, as it helps them digest. So you should actually ditch the light, as it may end up just bothering your leos eyes. The UTH can stay on all the time.

Yeah, loose substrate (sand, gravel etc) has the risk of causing impaction. If you want something more permanent you can use tiling (slate, peel-n-stick, etc) you can find at the home improvement stores. A lot of members on here use it and it looks great!

It sounds like you are taking good care of your leos, if they are living this long. Congrats!

Just to add to what kathryn said please check out the housing forum for the sticky on how to set up the perfect leo habitat. Shedding issues can come from many different places such a lack of moist humid hide. Improper supplimentation, stress, and age as the metabolism changes as they age. I wouldn't suggest using any spray ons with your herps. They say their "safe" but remember this is coming from the company that wnts you to buy their products. I've seen and heard of more harm than help coming from these sprays. They can coat the skin so much that it blocks the pores which can lead to ifection, abcesses, cause problems with thermoregulation (heating andd cooling), and many other issues. If you fill out our care questionaire in the health section stickies we can scrutanize your husbandry for any areas that could possibly be contributing to your shedding issues.