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Sheeding?

Sk8ergrl927

Sk8ergrl927

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How do you know when your gecko is about to shed? Chico has been getting whitish in color but not really really white and hes not really eating. Are these signs that hes about to shed and how long until he does? I would take a pic of him but I cant find my digi right now. :bawling:
 
sounds like it to me. i know my guys will look white and won't eat a night or tow when they're shedding. they eat the skin, so you don't see it. i do have one that likes to leave a mess when she sheds. i usually will mist them once daily while they're shedding. always have a humid hide for them to hang out in for an extra hand in shedding. my male i have to soak 1-2 times a week because he has had problems in the past with shedding and has lost 2 toes and the tip of his tail.
 
eek.... When I got My gecko, he looked like he was about to lose the tip of his tail. It hasnt fallin off yet, but could this be a sign that he is having problems shedding?

How warm should the water be when I soak him and how deep? Your help is greatly appreciated!!
 
What do you mean "it looked like he was about to lose the tip of his tail"? Describe. It could mean that he's had shedding problems in the past. This is one of the easiest issues to deal with though. First make sure you have a vitamin supplement powder that includes calcium that you coat his bugs in. Alot of shedding problems are nutrition related. Second when he starts looking lighter and a little silvery make sure his tank (especially his hide) is more moist. Third always check him shortly after shedding to make sure he doesn't have any stuck on him. It may take a day or two for him to get everything off but after that you should take action. Always check the toes, the tip of his tail, and around his eyes especially. And if there is a problem soak him in warm water (noticeably warm but not hot) that's very shallow (just deep enough to cover the affected areas) and use a q-tip to gently rub off the skin. Be prepared to hold onto him tight and keep him in the water because few geckos enjoy this. Good Luck! And don't be nervous or panicked. I got my first leo when I was a freshman in college and I absolutely freaked out when he had a bad shed and I had to help him through it. It's actually pretty routine and very fixable. I'm sure everyone on this forum has had to do it a thousand times.
 
It looks like a kink at the very end of his tail. I hope he is ok... I have been a little low on cash but I should be getting some money very soon so i could buy the moss for his hide and some calcium. Do they just like it up from a bowl?

Also, my gecko likes to go under his carpet to sleep and he doesnt get enough heat i dont think. I bought him a heating pad but the glass gets to hot for him to go under there and I dont want to hurt him. He seems to like his hide box just filled with paper towel too. Is that ok?
 
Paper towels aren't a problem. I use them on several of mine all over the tank just because it makes for much easier cleaning and it's cheaper. A regular heat-pad is not a good idea. They do get too hot, and they're not meant to have the weight of your tank on them or to be on constantly. For $20ish you can by a reptile under tank heater that's intended for gecko use. I have one that I was worried about always being directly on the glass and getting too hot. What I did is tape a layer of paper towel down really well so he couldn't get under it and then put another layer that he could climb under to his heart's content. That seems to work out fine. You really do need to make sure he's is always getting the right amount of heat though. Otherwise you'll have feeding and digestion problems on your hands. And those can be difficult to get control of once they get out of hand.

Some people leave out a calcium dish for them to eat from. I've never found any of mine to be willing to do that. You should be able to go to any petstore that sells reptiles and find vitamin powder with several vitamins +D3 and Calcium. The best thing to do is use the shake and bake and method and place the powder in a baggy or plastic container. Then throw in his crickets/mealworms etc. and shake them until they're lightly coated. Be sure you follow the directions on the particular bottle of supplement as to how often you should do this.

If the tip of his tail isn't dry, discolored, injured, or shriveled up then it's probably fine. A whole lot of geckos have kinks in the very tips of their tails. My understanding is this often happens as a result of problems with incubation temperatures when they're still in the egg. Don't worry. Even if he does lose the tip of his tail it won't hurt him, and it probably will not greatly affect his appearance.

Do you have a picture of the little guy you could post? If so we could probably tell you for sure if he was shedding, if his tail was okay, and exactly what morph you have.
 
You can also go to Reptilerooms.com and find ALOT of great info on leos there... i recomend putting a moist paper towel in the moist hide and i personally also use that for the substrate because sand can cause impactions and i dont have the money to go buy tiles right now.... good luck with your little guy
 
All Reptile specific undertank heaters shouldn't get extremely hot if controlled with a Thermostat. Do you have one Sk8tergrl? For calcium we do the shake and bake and put some in their meal worm dishes to. My baby Squee, well heck both my babies LOVE Calcium. They lap that stuff up where ever it goes! Sometimes my Fiancee Jeff gets powder all over their rock hides from putting in the crickets and later that night theres the both of them licking their rocks. Leos are goof balls!
 
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