Impacted Leopard Gecko " A Big Problem "
The #1 problem with the leopard gecko is impaction.An impacted gecko is a common occurrence cause by a number of different things. Your gecko can become impacted by ingesting sand if you are using sand as a substrate. You see when go after their prey and miss they strike the sand and sometimes they can not spit it out and swallow it. This is the reason some experts are against using sand as a substrate. Other experts say the gecko is trying to replace some vitamin deficiency by eating sand.
You should be able to tell impaction by feeling a hard lump on their belly. They should go to a veterinarian but here are some home remedies. Number one, give it a bath and number two, give it a couple drops of olive oil with a baby syringe. Do not force movement of the hind legs if you notice your gecko has lost some movement in the hind leg area.
Impaction is a severe blockage of the intestines and if they still have a good appetite and are pooing you can just about rule out impaction. Gecko babies poo more that the grownup’s do.
Impaction can be caused by feeding your gecko to many meal worms because the exoskeleton of the meal worms can be hard to digest. Crickets can be their staple leopard gecko feed and supplementing with other insects. Also feed them phoenix worms, wax worms at times because they are full of fat, dubia roaches, silk worms and horn worms. Feeding the geckos the right foods can lesson the chance of them becoming impacted.
Now that we have gone through all of that I will list the things that will cause a gecko to become impacted.
# 1 Loose substrate
Your little pet could possibly chew loose substrate such as sand, gravel or coconut husks and if they swallow any of this they can become impacted because they can not digest any of this.
# 2 Leopard Gecko feed
The mouth of a gecko is small so the prey should not be any larger than one-half the length of the gecko’s head. If it is too big he might eat it but might not be able to digest it. Smaller things should be watched to because if they eat too much, like too many meal worms, that could cause a blockage due to too many at one time.
# 3 Hydration
For a healthy and successful bowel movement and just like us people hydration is one of the very important things. The gecko needs to be hydrated properly because if not the body will draw fluids from other parts of the body like the digestive tract. Available water should be there for both your pet and also you.
# 4 Temperature
A gecko is a cold blooded creature and needs a constant heat to stay alive. You can use a heating pad or under tank heater to keep your tank at the desired temperature. Body temperature has a lot to do with the metabolism of a gecko, the lower the temperature the slower the metabolism. This in turn can cause the gecko to improperly digest it’s food. 92 to 95 degrees on the hot side of the tank is the best temperature for a gecko’s digestion.
The best thing to do if you think your gecko is impacted is to take them to a good vet. By increasing the warm side of tank to 90 degrees this will help to increase the metabolism. Give them a bath in Luke-warm water a couple of times a day to help soften the stool in their stomach. A couple of drops of olive oil on their nose for them to lick off will help in lubrication and act like a laxative.
Do the things mentioned above and you will cut down on one of the major Leopard Gecko problems of ever becoming impacted.
MR, Killian has done extensive research on the subject of leopard gecko’s and problems that may develope. This is why he has chosen to write this article. If you would like more information on raising Leopard Gecko’s then please follow this link:http://www.geckosale.com/leopard-gecko-information/
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