Leopard Gecko Eye Problem

C

Ckeller

New member
Good morning,

I am desperate for some guidance with regard to my Leopard Gecko. She has always been very healthy and she is approximately 7 years old.

I have taken very good care of her over the years and within the past month I have taken her to the exotic veterinarian three different times due to ‘cloudy’ eyes and loss of appetite. The doctor was able to pull some sand out of her eyes and she seemed to have gotten better with medication I put in her eyes twice a day. A month later she is still squinting and isn’t eating. It’s almost as though she has a layer of film over her eyes.

The veterinarian suggested kidney failure however there have been no signs of something that significant. I am not sure where to turn or what to do. She just shed this morning and did not eat her skin which she has never done before. My Gecko is my baby; I feel absolutely helpless and I am so upset watching her suffer.

Has anyone seen this before? How have you treated it? What are you able to suggest to me? ANY information or insight would be greatly appreciated.
 
Eli_the_Leopard_Gecko

Eli_the_Leopard_Gecko

New member
Hmmm

Well, from what you described I would think what's causing it is some kind of infection. I would try terramycin from LLL Reptile, wouldn't hurt.

It may be a melanoma in or around it's eye.

"Intraocular tumors, sometimes melanomas, sometimes other tumors, can occur in many species. If it is a melanoma, the potential for it to be an aggressive and malignant (cancerous) tumor is high. Unfortunately, the only way to establish a diagnosis is by biopsy, and in larger animals, that often means enucleation (surgically amputating the eyeball). How that would play out with a gecko is questionable, since there's not a great deal of skin to work with, and the surgeon would be dealing with the eyelid crests. In mammals other than humans, enucleation usually entails removing the globe and closing skin over the socket. This would present some difficulties with a crested gecko, and replacing the globe with an artificial eye is very problematic and costly. Your veterinarian might be able to obtain a diagnostic biopsy via fine-needle aspiration of the suspected tumor but even if that was successful in establishing the diagnosis, you still would likely be looking at further surgery (enucleation)."

I would definatly try finding another vet because yours hasn't solved your baby's problem.

Good Luck!!!
 
gizmo143

gizmo143

New member
My Leo has been deasling with something sorta like that... He had a cloudy film over his eye and I tried ointment but with that failing, I had to give him oral medication and then he was fine. the same thing is back again now and I'm giving him the ointment and i think it's improving. hope I could help!
 
Allee Toler

Allee Toler

Member
Terramycin is an antibiotic eye ointment that's almost identical to what your doctor is prescribing for eye infections.

First things first, you mentioned sand in her eye. I suggest removing all sand and placing her on paper towels or slate tile. Make sure her temperatures are accurate. 90-95F on the warm side, room temp/70s on the cool side. Does she have a humid hide to aid in shedding? If not, you need to give her one. A container with a hole cut out of the side and some moist paper towels or moss will do perfectly.

Loss of appetite in the last month, have you thought about the weather? Most of my geckos are off food (eat maybe once a week if even) from September-January. In the wild they go through a brumation where they sleep a lot, drink a little, and eat very little. It's a natural part of being a leopard gecko. Make sure you dust her food properly. She should have a multivitamin, calcium with D3, and a small dish of calcium without D3 available at all times.

From what you described, her eye infection could actually be caused by the skin from her upper eye lid that's stuck on her eye. Take some saline solution and rinse out her eye. Try to get whatever is cloudy out. If it doesn't come out, just rinse it every time before you give her eye ointment. If it's not stuck shed and just cloudy from an infection then rinsing it prior to using the antibiotic eye ointment will help.

If her temps are accurate, has a humid hide, is off sand, and doesn't improve in a couple weeks you should post photos of her set up as well as her.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
gizmo143 ~

What type of eye ointment and antibiotics are we speaking of? For how long did the antibiotics and ointment cure the problem?

Does anyone out there know some potential causes for cloudy eyes?
 
gizmo143

gizmo143

New member
Elizabeth~
I'm not sure, the ointment is an all around ointment i think

the antibiotics I'm not sure about either, but I was putting in both for somewhere around 7-10 days but now It's back. It might be a buildup from shedding but I don't know how to get it out. I'm now putting the ointment in and might try calling the vet to see how to get it out.
 
C

Ckeller

New member
Great News!

I took Meeko (my Leo) to a different veterinarian today who is exclusive to exotic animals and exotics only.

It turns out there is nothing wrong with her eyes nor is there anything too significant; she's Vitamin A deficient. That's still not the best news but at least it's easily cured.

This all happend during the mass recall of the mealworms. Now she is getting a strict diet; crickets and waxworms only.

The doc gave her some medicine and I will continue the medicine for another 3-4 weeks as well as warm water soaks every day for the next week.

Funny story though...I took her in to the clinic and immediately the vet said, 'There's no way that's a female! It's way too big- It must be a male.'

NOPE! She checked and was shocked. I have one of the biggest female Leo's she's ever seen and she's strong and healthy with a great heart-beat!

Thanks for all of the concerns and comments everyone! I am happy I found this website so that I at least know that I am not the only one out there who cares about Leo's and other reptiles.

Take care all!

-Courtney :)
 
gizmo143

gizmo143

New member
Wait, It was a vitamin A deficiency? what did you do to fix it? I'm still trying to help my little Leo with almost the same problem.
 
Allee Toler

Allee Toler

Member
If there's a deficiency then you need to look at your supplementing. Make sure you're using the proper dusts. All three of them. If it's a vitamin A deficiency then you have to make sure you're using a multivitamin dust.

Vitamin A is also found in carrots. Give your feeders carrots 24 hours before feeding them off.

I would also suggest continuing to clean out the geckos' eyes, just in case the vet is wrong. I've seen many vets in the past... One swore up and down my gecko was vitamin B12 deficient. (Lolololololol seriously?) She has salmonella in her eye causing an infection. She needed an oral antibiotic, not an eye ointment. Needless to say I left that vet and never went back. Some "specialist" he was.
 
C

Ckeller

New member
She basically gave her a supplement through a syringe. I will need to do the same thing twice again within the next month or so.

I would suggest you go to an exotic vet in your area. Also, make sure they deal strictly with exotics.

That's where I went wrong with the previous vet. He was great and caring but not nearly as knowledgeable.
 
Allee Toler

Allee Toler

Member
I'm not new to geckos. ;) I now see the best vet in all of Southern California. He helped write many of the books that exotic vets learn from now, and use as references. Thomas Boyer.

When I say vet- exotic specialist vet is implied. Not a woof woof vet. They're morons when it comes to reptiles, but that's because they're not trained for exotics as thoroughly.

A previous vet I went to always insisted they needed vitamin A shots whenever I went in. Honestly, I don't believe it. Rarely do you find an expert on Leopard Gecko care as a vet. Vitamin A is good for the eyes, that's a given. But if you cared for your gecko properly with the correct supplements then he/she wouldn't be deficient to begin with. That's why I suggested looking at your husbandry again. If you're using calcium w/o D3 in the tank, Calcium w/D3, and a multivitamin, and use it at least once a week, then there's no way for your gecko to be deficient unless there's an internal issue with absorption. Giving a vitamin A shot won't hurt the gecko. But it's most likely not the reason for the chronic eye infections. Say you believe this doctor now. What happens in two months after a few more sheds and he/she has an eye infection again? Are you going to take the gecko back for more shots? Going back for shots will not cure it, it's a treatment to suppress the symptoms. You need to find the root of the eye infections. I've listed reasons for chronic eye infections in a previous post, and I highly suggest rereading it, then making adjustments to your care.

Not for the sake of being right or wrong. For the sake of the gecko in your care. I mean my posts with respect to the animal and to you, so don't get offended at how I word them. I've had many vets tell me my gecko rescues won't live and to just put them to sleep. I've had a vet tell me you can't cure Coccidia in a leopard gecko without harming the gecko, and I cured it, took forever but it happened. Another told me I had to get fecal test done to determine the root of a salmonella eye infection (seriously? Culture said it was salmonella, why a fecal? We know what caused it already!). I've been around the block a few times. Vets like to think they know everything because they went to school for generalized care, most take advantage of those who don't fully understand how their animal works just for money, and rarely, and I do mean rarely, do you find a veterinarian who is 100% dedicated to his animal patients. I'm 99.9% positive your vet did not go to a leopard gecko seminar that went over every illness, treatment, and what causes what. Some things you learn just from experience, and experiences of others. This site is to give as much knowledge as breeders, hobbyists, and new keepers can share. Someone posted a while back that their vet suggested giving their gecko a UVB light. Can you believe that? Basic leo care- they're nocturnal and do not need UVB.

I wish you luck with your little leo.
 
C

Ckeller

New member
I appreciate the information and input very much. I am looking further into what you have said. I know this time is crucial for my baby and I just want her better. It's making me a nervous wreck.

What's the best multivitamin that you suggest? Also, where can I purchase it?

Thanks again,

Courtney
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Ckeller said:
I appreciate the information and input very much. I am looking further into what you have said. I know this time is crucial for my baby and I just want her better. It's making me a nervous wreck.

What's the best multivitamin that you suggest? Also, where can I purchase it?

Thanks again,

Courtney
Click to expand...


Courtney ~

As Allee has said, it is best to stick with one line of supplements. Allee and I both use Rep-Cal's Herptivite with Beta Carotene (read label), phosphorous-free calcium with D3, and calcium without D3.

The Bean Farm is one source. Probably there is a place in Salt Lake City.
 
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Allee Toler

Allee Toler

Member
lllreptile.com is also a carrier of the product. Their shipping is $7-ish per order on average from San Diego to when I lived in FL. I live locally now, so I don't have shipping.

Check out
- The Bean Farm
Reptile Basics - Top Quality Reptile Supplies and Caging
Reptile Supplies, Reptiles, Amphibians, Invertebrates, Cages, Feeders, and More
For the best prices. I would also suggest calling up and local reptile stores to see if they have them in stock and get their prices. The local reptile shop near me (Reptile City) doesn't carry the Cal w/o D3, so I have to make a trip to LLL once every year or so.

With Rep-Cal you mix the multivitamin and calcium w/D3 50/50 for every other feeding. It'll say so right on the container.
 
C

Ckeller

New member
Okay, thanks I am looking on the LLL Reptile site and they have a few different opeions with the D3. Is it the RepCal ultra fine calcium with D3? It's in a pink container. Am I looking at the correct item?

Or there's one that's the RepCal Herptivite supplement (doesn't mention D3.)

I am probably driving you guys bonkers...I may sound naiive, but I just want to make sure I am ordering the correct item to meet her needs.

Thanks for all your help! You're great!
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Oh no, Courtney!

You are doing the right thing getting educated :D.

The pink label Rep-Cal is the phosphorous-free calcium with D3. The blue label Rep-Cal Herptivite is the vitamin supplement. (I tried reading the teensy weensy print on my Herptivite last night and could not see a frequency recommendation...only to mix it with the D3 calcium 1:1. I will check again.) Rep-Cal also has the pure 100% calcium that folks around GU are recommending.

Thing is pure calcium is pure calcium ;-). I have a big container of pure calcium---extremely fine powder---that I got at some health foods store.
 
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