Male Peeling Skin?

Lemon Gecko

New member
My oldest male, Mr. Glass was getting a bath last night (his pores get clogged regularly) and I was using a q-tip to gently rub his body with. I was in the middle of unclogging his pores when I noticed some lose skin on his underside. Assuming it was left over shed I gently started to peel it off to help him out. Issue is, his skin kept peeling. It wasn't just a small bit of left over shed. It continued up to his back and on most of his tail. I let him soak for a little longer thinking he was just getting ready to shed and I might have hurried the process, but nothing changed and his skin didn't peel anymore. I dried him off, but the areas that peeled became stinky and some sort of clear fluid was coming out of the skin. I put some triple antibiotic petroleum jelly on the areas that had peeled.

What in the world happened? I don't think this is normal and he wasn't necessarily shedding. I've tried looking this up and cannot find anything useful.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
It wasn't just a small bit of left over shed. It continued up to his back and on most of his tail. I let him soak for a little longer thinking he was just getting ready to shed and I might have hurried the process, but nothing changed and his skin didn't peel anymore. I dried him off, but the areas that peeled became stinky and some sort of clear fluid was coming out of the skin. I put some triple antibiotic petroleum jelly on the areas that had peeled
This sounds like an emergency! Visit a good exotics vet immediately! Here's a link to finding one.
Keep the skin clean and dry. It sounds as if the peeled skin was NOT ready to come off -- that it was not part of a typical shed.

Make sure your leo has super clean tile or clean paper towels for a substrate.

If necessary use neosporin without pain relief or buy silvadene (silver sulfadiazine) cream. The latter contains NO pain reliever. Some vets believe that petroleum-based ointment is not good for reptile skin.

Please keep us posted. :)
 
Last edited:

GeckoLeen

New member
I was going to say that too - vet visit is in order. Oil based cream can clog pores, so maybe this is part of the problem?
 

Lemon Gecko

New member
I hope you realize neosporin has petroleum jelly? That was what I used...just couldn't remember the name for the time being. Last night when I saw him the skin that didn't peel turned gray. I'll go check on him now and call the closest Vet clinic for exotics.
 

Lemon Gecko

New member
20180829_100641.jpg20180829_100641.jpg

20180829_100641.jpg20180829_100641.jpg

Took these this morning. He is shedding the rest off. His skin is shiny due to the neosporin. He seems okay, but I will still call a vet and see what they think.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
I hope you realize neosporin has petroleum jelly? That was what I used...just couldn't remember the name for the time being. Last night when I saw him the skin that didn't peel turned gray. I'll go check on him now and call the closest Vet clinic for exotics.

Just clarifying in case some confusion exists: Some vets feel that any petroleum-based ointment is not good for reptile skin.

A cream-based topical (silvadene cream) is preferred. :)
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
It wasn't just a small bit of left over shed. It continued up to his back and on most of his tail. I let him soak for a little longer thinking he was just getting ready to shed and I might have hurried the process, but nothing changed and his skin didn't peel anymore. I dried him off, but the areas that peeled became stinky and some sort of clear fluid was coming out of the skin. I put some triple antibiotic petroleum jelly on the areas that had peeled

View attachment 45856View attachment 45855

View attachment 45855View attachment 45855

Took these this morning. He is shedding the rest off. His skin is shiny due to the neosporin. He seems okay, but I will still call a vet and see what they think.

The stinky smell and clear oozing fluid had me very worried!

Your leo looks alright! Thanks for sharing pictures.

As mentioned, keep his skin clean and DRY.
 
Top