In particular, ensure that your gecko is well hydrated and its cage has the right humidity and moisture levels. Ensure that your gecko has a moist hide. This will provide warmth while the moisture will also offer humidity that your gecko needs. Misting the terrarium when it is shedding time can also help increase the humidity, which then works in a similar way to steaming wallpaper for easier removal. Also, ensure that your little lizard has a textured surface that it can rub against to help remove loose skin.
In the wild, this would likely be a rock, and if all the surfaces in your terrarium are too smooth, this could be preventing him from properly shedding. Leopard geckos shed simply when they get too big for their skin. While it can pass without incident, and often does, this monthly occurrence can become problematic if your terrarium is not set up properly. Ensure decent moisture and humidity levels, and offer somewhere to rub against.
If all else fails, consider bathing your gecko or even a sauna to help encourage the best shedding conditions. This is perfectly natural if a little gross. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe. Skip to content. Jul 17 Retained shed can otherwise constrict the blood flow and cause dead toes, tail rot and swelling.
You can help your leopard gecko shed or to remove stuck skin by spraying shed aid like this on the skin and rubbing it gently. Spraying is slightly better than bathing your leopard gecko to aid with shedding.
Never pull dry skin, always moisturize it before using fingers or tweezers to remove small pieces that are stuck. Another important thing to remember is that you must create a humid hide for your leopard gecko. A humid hide should be a box filled with moist substrate. Your leopard gecko will sit in there while shedding, to get more moisture in the skin. You can find an interesting and helpful post on how to make a humid hide for your leopard gecko here.
Like other reptiles, your gecko will shed his skin on a regular basis. Unlike many other reptiles' shed skin, however, the dead skin comes off the gecko in strips and pieces rather than as one large section.
Monitor your gecko closely during this time to make sure that no pieces of old skin are left, especially on the toes where it can restrict blood flow. It is normal for a gecko to stop eating entirely or eat very little when he is shedding. Most geckos eat only once every two to four days, so it may take some time to realize that he has stopped eating. For his health, remove any leftover food from the enclosure when he is shedding.
Because of this, some new owners fail to recognize that this species still needs an area with high humidity to shed properly. Low humidity dries out the old skin layer and makes it much more difficult to peel away. Providing a shed box or a hide with coconut fiber or sphagnum moss that remains damp in the tank is a great idea. The hide should be moist enough to form condensation on the sides, but not too wet that water is dripping from the walls or top.
This can be anything from the edge of a plastic hide to sticks, rocks, and branches. These surfaces should be rough enough to loosen shed skin, but not too sharp that they would cut your gecko. A proper diet is a great way to not only avoid shedding issues but also many other health problems too. Unlike some lizards like the blue-tongued skink , leopard geckos are insectivores.
They need an all-insect diet to stay healthy and happy. Vitamin A deficiency is a dietary cause of abnormal shedding and can be caused by feeding the wrong diet. Leopard geckos should eat crickets, Dubai cockroaches, mealworms, or super worms. Insects should be dusted with a vitamin powder supplement. It is a common misconception that leopard geckos are nocturnal and do not need any special lighting. This species is most active at dawn and dusk, and so are exposed to sunlight in the wild.
As pets, they need UVB light. This helps them convert calcium into vitamin D. The presence of UVB makes shedding easier for you lizard. It also helps them to fully metabolize food and avoid vitamin deficiencies. Usually shedding is nothing for keepers to worry about. The best thing you can do for your lizard while it sheds is leave it alone. Stuck shed is not an illness, but a side effect of a husbandry or healthy condition.
Stuck shed is usually caused by poor diet or humidity. External parasites, low vitamin A, or a severe injury can also lead to stuck shed. Leopard geckos that are injured or carrying parasites will typically show other signs or poor health e. There are several things you can do to help your lizard get rid of its retained shed right away. Here are five simple ways you can help a leopard gecko shed:. Place your gecko in the container, making sure the water is not above chin level.
Leave your lizard to soak for 10 minutes, or until the water begins to cool off. There is no need to bathe your leopard gecko if it is not having trouble shedding.
Only soak your lizard if it still has stuck shed 24 hours after it has finished shedding. Misting your lizard directly can soften stuck shed, but never spray your leopard gecko directly on its face. Spray your reptile gently with lukewarm water, letting it sit for minutes and patting it dry.
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