My leopard gecko has bowing legs, isn't eating. What can I do?

Most house geckos are nocturnal and do not require UVA/UVB lighting, but it won't harm them. Ideally, Dartzilla should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose illness or injury. The paralysis may be compounded by constipation, especially since there has been no stool recently. Soak Dartzilla in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored Pedialyte for 15-20 minutes. This will provide warmth and hydration. Both can aid in digestion and promote GI motility. A gentle abdominal massage, front to back, during the soak may stimulate defecation. Offer appropriately sized prey, no bigger than the space between his eyes. Gut load them for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. You can use a quality fish flake or high protein baby cereal for this. Rep-Cal Herptivite and Rep-Cal Calcium with Vitamin D3 are the gold standards for vitamin and mineral supplementation. You can find them online or in the local Petco. Follow label directions for dusting prey.

Give him a good soak (20-30 minutes) in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will provide hydration and warm him up which may stimulate his appetite. An exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet is always recommended for "new" pets or pets that may be ill or injured. Offer food about an hour or 2 after the heat lamp comes on in the morning. This will allow him to warm up and he will be more likely to eat what is offered. Use a variety of prey if possible. This can include crickets, dubia roaches, phoenix worms and the occasional superworm. Superworms are good to feed if you have a skinny gecko that needs to put on weight. Review additional care info here: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

An immediate check up at your local veterinarian would be essential to make sure right supplementation of calcium is given to cure MBD. Diagnosis requires often a radiographic study to make sure MBD is affecting him. Generally speaking full-spectrum UVB-producing bulbs should be used within the terrarium and calcium and vitamin D supplements can be given through plant material or insects. I would suggest anyway to have him checked before start any supplement (as toxicity from overdosage of Ca and VitD are quite common as well!). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Make sure any prey is appropriately sized, no bigger than the space between his eyes. They should be gut loaded for at least 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Consider adding LaFeber’s Emeraid for Carnivores, Oxbow’s Carnivore Critical Care or Fluker's Repti-Boost to get weight on him. Submit a stool sample to your herp veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. If there are cryptosporidium in his stool, they may be responsible for his condition.

This may be due to liver/gall bladder infection, impaction/constipation or parasites. This gecko may be quite ill and should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. Submit a stool sample ot diagnose intestinal parasites. Soak Flavio in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will warm him up and provide hydration. If he perks up, offer Fluker's Repta Boost. You can find it in the local Petco. Maintain proper environmental parameters and have him seen by your vet as soon as you can. Review leopard gecko care at the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Leopard-Gecko/

He may have a retained eye cap which could be the cause of those symptoms. Check temps in the cage. Low temps may affect appetite and activity in reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes. This will provide warmth and may treat or prevent minor dehydration. It may also help is he has any residual shed. You can also massage his abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. I see you use sand as a substrate, so an impaction is always a concern. Pick up some Fluker's Repta Boost or Oxbow Carnivore Care from the local pet store. This is a better option than baby food. If he doesn't start eating in the next few days or if the eye does not improve, have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

Check the temperature in his enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. If he isn't eating or not exposed to high quality UVB lighting, he can become calcium deficient which could account for the tremors. If he is less than 30 inches long, confirm a basking temp of around 115 F. If he is bigger, bump basking temp to between 125 F and 135 F. Multiple lower wattage lights over a larger area are recommended over one high intensity light source. Try to get him to eat and offer a calcium supplement. If you can get a liquid supplement, that would be best right now. Zoo Med and Fluker's offer such a supplement.Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. if he doesn't eat or if the tremors worsen, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles as soon as possible.