Why is my leopard gecko's eye swollen, not eating, and losing weight?

Thanks for reaching out about Draco and including a photo. Vitamin A deficiencies are common in geckos and can lead to secondary opportunistic ocular infections. Insects need to be properly gut loaded to provide a more appropriate diet than plain crickets or mealworms can provide. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide ophthalmic antibiotics and a possible vitamin A injection. Continue to clean with moistened soft towel but this is not a cure. There are other possibilities such as a scratched cornea or other trauma. Good luck.

Hi there. It sounds like Aang could have the beginning of a Vitamin A deficiency. If you are feeding the same feeder insect all the time (crickets and mealworms only) you are at risk of causing hypovitaminosis A. Not only do you have to vary the types of insects you are feeding her, you also have to preload or dust the insects with Vitamin A before you feed them to Aang. This is a product you would want to get: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31924 Follow the feeding instructions on the bottle. Double check all your husbandry. You didn't mention the temperature in the cage or the lighting. You need to make sure this is correct. This article should help: https://www.thespruce.com/leopard-geckos-1236911 Best wishes to you. Hope this was helpful! Dr. Amber

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Firkle and including a photo. Vitamin A deficiencies are commonly involved with ocular changes. The deficiency can lead to changes in skin cells (cornea, toes, etc) that affect shedding and can lead to secondary infections. Besides improving the diet, the eyes should be cleaned out during a veterinary visit, and antibiotics prescribed. Warm water soaks can help with the toes to soften the skin, and gently remove. Good luck.

Thank you for reaching out about Charizard, and for including photos - they are very helpful. I wanted to verify that this is the same eye? The reason I ask is that the second photo looks like one is of the right eye and one is of the left eye (unless you inverted the image when posting). Based on the darker appearance of the material and the sagging of the area, it makes me suspicious that there may be an issue with some retained shed skin, or there could be an issue with the eyelids themselves. This should be evaluated by a veterinarian as they will be able to look at the area with some magnification, which may help to determine exactly what the problem is in the area. Due to the decrease in appetite, they can also provide a husbandry evaluation. I would use caution with trying to treat this at home, as due to Charizard's small size, it would be easy to accidentally traumatize the eye. I hope this gives you a place to start, and that Charizard feels better soon!

Thanks for reaching out about Duck. A cloudy eye could be an infection, trauma, glaucoma and other. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Vitamin A deficiencies in the diet need to be corrected through gut loading of insects. Antibiotics ophthalmic drops and anti-inflammatories could also be beneficial. Good luck.

Check the temperature in the enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to provide warmth and hydration. Confirm appropriately sized prey, no bigger than the space between the eyes. You can offer crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms and phoenix worms. Gut load all prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. If she will allow, look in and around her mouth for any signs of injury or infection. This may include redness, swelling, discharge or bleeding. If you see anything suspicious, have her physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat any underlying causes.