#reptile vet Articles

A swollen or closed leopard gecko eye is usually eye-surface disease: shed or crusted debris trapped under the eyelids, conjunctivitis or keratitis, often linked to vitamin A deficiency; less often an abscess, injury or foreign material. In a UC Davis study (JAVMA 2018) 46% of 112 leopard geckos had eye disease, all squinted and 77% had discharge. Fix humidity, heat and substrate at home, never pull skin or use eye drops, and see a reptile vet the same day for a bulging, injured or cloudy eye.

A crested gecko's tail never grows back (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2021), but a clean drop is not a medical emergency. Stop handling, press gently only if it bleeds, switch to paper towels, house the gecko alone and skip ointments; the dropped tail wriggles for 3–5 minutes. Swelling, pus, a foul smell, blackening or a gecko that stops eating means a reptile vet.