How to Care for a Wounded Leopard Gecko

Co-authored by Audra Barrios

Last Updated: March 22, 2023 References

With the growing number of leopard geckos in the pet trade, some are unfortunate to become injured or wounded in some way. Thus, it is important to learn how to care for the little geckos even after some mishap leaves them hurt.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

After a Fall or Accident

1
Take it to the vet if at all possible. First off, if something is seriously wrong it would be best to see an "exotic vet". Keep in mind that some vets that care for animals like cats or dogs may be unaware that several meds used for mammals are toxic to reptiles!
2
Make sure the gecko's habitat is properly set up. For an injured gecko it is often best to place it in a habitat like one a leopard gecko breeder would use: a tank or appropriately sized tub with paper towel as a substrate.^{[1]
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- Try to avoid the use of sand even for a healthy gecko, regardless of what a pet store says! Their natural habitat is more dirt-like with firmness to it. ^{[2]
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- Add sanitary hides for the gecko to feel secure in; a stressed gecko won't heal as well as a content and calm one!
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3
Check the tail. Often when a gecko will falls it lands on its tai;, this can break its tail, but usually isn't too serious. The tail may drop off, but if the above requirements are met, all "should" be well and the tail should regrow!
- Add a humidity hide for the gecko; it can help scabs from scarring and allow shed to become unstuck.
4
Be patient. Make sure the wounded leopard gecko gets plenty of vitamin-dusted and gut-loaded food, as well as clean daily changed water. Hopefully it will heal right up again, as sometimes the gecko is just shocked from the event so let it rest in peace!
- Avoid handling as much as possible; even a gentle hand may still cause pain or increase of injury to a tender hurt gecko.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

After Mistreatment

Sometimes a leopard gecko just wasn't cared for the right way earlier on in its life, and this can have lasting effects on its health. Now you have a chance to try setting things right!

1
Put the gecko in a proper habitat. Often, its is best to start with a breeder style habitat, so you can monitor its feces, eating, drinking, and shedding. Later on, the gecko can be placed in a proper display habitat.
- Leopard geckos need a tank that's at least 20 gallons, but they will really appreciate a tank that's bigger than that. The bigger the tank, the better!^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Audra Barrios
  Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist
  Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.}
2
Add a humidity hide. This is important for a leopard gecko in captivity, because they can't go down into a nice moist burrow. Place some type of leopard "gecko sized" tupperware or tub that is nontoxic and capable of holding humidity in the habitat. Simply wet down some paper towel inside the little box and allow an opening that the gecko can go in and out of. This very important step, will remove stuck shed effectively, and prevent the gecko losing its toes due to a very dry habitat!
3
Take care of the eyes. If the gecko was on a substrate such as: ground walnut shells, sand, or some sharp, small, substrate, the gecko may have impaction or eye damage! Carefully rinse the eye with slightly warm, clean, and distilled water to prevent chlorine or other unwanted chemicals from entering the eyes.^{[4]
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4
Help it eat. If the gecko has bad eyesight or is now blind and won't eat, the innards of a food item may get them hunting. If that's to gross (you can try using a little bit of chicken), rub that juiciness on their snout and around the mouth; the gecko may back up. But when you stop, the gecko should start cleaning its mouth and a feeding reaction hopefully will be triggered! This technique is used to start hatchlings that won't eat after about a week.
5
Make sure the gecko has access to calcium dust. This can be found at a regular pet store, or purchased online. Leopard geckos need supplemental calcium since they don't get the varied, nutritious diet in captivity that they eat in the wild.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Audra Barrios
Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist
Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.} Make sure the food is suited to their nutritional needs. Without calcium, metabolic bone disorder (MBD) will begin setting in; not much can be done at home for a broken gecko bone, but providing plenty of calcium supplementation can prevent the bone from becoming broken, fractured, rubbery, weak, swollen, limp, or downright painful!^{[6]
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6
Be patient and caring. The best thing to do, is provide the animal with the best care possible and have patience while waiting for the gecko to complete its healing process; don't try playing with it during that time.

Community Q&A

Question

My gecko has a scrape on the front of her face, how can I help her?

Spencer Kirkhope

Community Answer

If the wound is open, try to remove any debris from the wound and clean it. Schedule an appointment with a vet ASAP. Check its eyes. If an eye is hurt, it could cause lots of trouble in the future, especially with feeding. When feeding, try to make it as easy as possible for it to get the food, guide crickets toward it, etc. Follow whatever further instructions you get from the vet.
Question

What do I do if my gecko's wound is infected?

Zentori0607

Community Answer

Take them to a vet that specializes in reptiles. You MUST find a vet with that specialty, or else they cannot help you.
Question

My gecko has a huge rip on the side of his chest and something white is sticking out, and an operation will cost $300 and I can't afford that. What can I do?

Birds101

Community Answer

This is a difficult situation. It sounds like you are seeing a rib. Go to a vet and ask for the least-expensive treatments. Euthanasia might be the best option for a severely injured animal.

Warnings

Giving to much calcium isn't good for a gecko either. Allow the gecko to eat its calci dusted food itself; don't force feed unless you are restrained to take dramatic steps for a very sick gecko! If one must force feed, try securely holding the gecko while rubbing around its mouth, hopefully it will open for you. Do not stuff the food down its throat! Set the food in its mouth and let the gecko try chewing.

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The brick of "Eco Earth" compressed coconut fiber supplies lots more substrate than the larger bag of loose substrate, so beware when placing the bricks in water not to add too many!

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Avoid wild caught insects and feeders; this invites infection and parasites! As well as whatever toxins are in the location, even the possibility of feeding a field cricket who nibbled on part of a cigar, or a fly who ate dish soap.

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Minimize handling, as with an animal this small, broken, fractured, or just weak bones could be in danger.

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If multiple geckos are housed together, beware that they may fight and compete for food, even if they are approximately the same size, some leos just don't get along. Separate fighting leopard geckos! If it is a male female pair, breeding may seem violent at times, but often doesn't result in serious injury. If it does, separate them at once! Some females are just not right for the job; you can be prepared the next season to try again, but remember to monitor them both!

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If this was a breeder accident, and is serious enough, that the gecko could be blinded or have issues with breeding. Avoid using that gecko again for a breeding project! At the least, if the gecko is actually doing "great" then it is still best to skip that season or even the next if you still intent to use the gecko for a project! This is for the good of the gecko, as it likely spent much of its resources healing up, and could even be scared of even going near another gecko!

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