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| African Fat-Tailed GeckoEnclosure Selection Health Feeding BreedingGeneral Information Metabolic Bone Disease Coccidia Shedding Tail Loss Prolapse Respiratory problems Egg Binding Impaction Please note: You may notice that this care sheet is very similar to the Leopard Gecko Care Sheet. This is because the two animals require almost identical husbandry. However, there are some vital differences, so be sure to read carefully and dontt assume it will all be the same. Overview Lizards in general are extremely good at hiding when they’re not feeling top notch. More often than not the first signs of illness are lack of appetite and lethargy, followed by weight loss. Regular weigh-ins and monitoring of how many crickets each one is eating will allow you to spot when all is not as it should be. Careful monitoring of behaviour will enable you to identify when a particular animal just doesn’t seem itself. Below is a list of common problems in African fat-tailed geckos, and possible causes and solutions where applicable. I have no veterinary training and the following is a collection of information I have gathered through extensive research. I provide it here for your interest and education. It is not to be used to diagnose, treat, or as a guide for administering medication and is not intended as a substitute for professional veterinary consultation. I accept no responsibility for loss or damage to any person or animal as a result of acting upon the following information. More diseases and illnesses will be added over time. Common Problems and Cures Metabolic Bone Disease, or Hypocalcaemia, results from poor calcium intake. Typical symptoms would include weakness, lethargy, rubbery limbs/jaw, or reluctance to eat. Geckos suffering from MBD can look to be in considerable pain when they move. Although often fatal, this disease is fortunately not as common in fat-tailed geckos as it is in other commonly kept lizards. It can sometimes be reversed with high doses of calcium supplements, consult your vet for more information. Coccidia is a very common parasite, and is thought to be found in low levels in most lizards. When the animal becomes stressed, commonly when moved to a new home or when suffering from another illness, immune responses to Coccidia slow down and the parasite infestation can worsen considerably, to the point where it has detrimental effects on the health of the gecko. Symptoms of Coccidia include lethargy, loss of appetite, and change in stool consistency. Faecal examinations carried out by a vet are the primary way of diagnosing the parasite, and they can provide you with sulfa based drugs to help reduce the spread. However, drug use alone cannot cure the parasite. Meticulous cleaning is needed to ensure all traces of the infection are wiped out from the surfaces of the vivarium. Paper towel should be used during treatment and changed two or three times a day. The entire cage should be cleaned with bleach every day, preferably switching the gecko back and forth between two cages twice a day while the other one is cleaned and dried. Coccidia has a single host lifecycle, which means it can reproduce using only one animal. Small "spores" are released in the faecal matter called Oocysts, which are then spread and re-ingested where they form many more within the gut. Infestation levels can escalate rapidly so early intervention is essential. Shedding occurs every three or four weeks and will rarely be seen occurring. You will notice the gecko turn a dull colour the day before, and provided there is a humid hide available the gecko will remove the shed itself and eat it. Failure to provide a humid hide can result in a stuck shed, where the shed does not come off of its own accord. If this happens you can gently bath the affected area in lukewarm water to soften it, and rub very lightly with a cotton bud. Common areas where shed can be retained include the legs and toes, where a band of sticking shed can constrict the blood flow to the digit until it dies, eventually falling off. Other problem areas include the tips of the tail. Tail Loss. Never pick up your gecko by the tail, or approach it rapidly from above. When threatened, the primary defensive response is to drop their tail and run. The tail remains and twitches to hopefully distract the predator. Because the fat reserves are in the tail, the gecko must be fed highly nutritious diets until the tail grows back which it will do eventually. Blood vessels in the remaining part of the tail very quickly close up preventing blood loss, however you should treat the wound with ointments available from the vet and make sure crickets do not try to make a meal of the wound. Paper towel is recommended as a substrate until healed to prevent infection. Prolapse can occur when a gecko is straining to lay eggs, or excrete faecal matter. The result is that part of the tract is inverted outside the vent, seen as a dark red mass protruding from the cloacae opening. Veterinary treatment is required immediately if the animal is to be saved. Soak the prolapse in sugar solution to prevent swelling and make an emergency appointment with a vet straight away. The sugar solution will make it easier for the prolapse to be re-inserted, which should only ever be attempted by a vet. Respiratory Infections can result from excessive humidity, and excessively low temperatures for extended periods of time. The infection can often be reversed but increasing temperatures to about 88F. Symptoms will include breathing through the mouth (gaping), and laboured or heavy breathing. Egg Binding occurs when a female fails to find an appropriate laying site. She can retain her eggs to the point where they become lodged. It is inadvisable to attempt to manipulate the eggs out manually as you will likely tear the tract. Contact an experienced vet to have them removed. In some cases eggs will be reabsorbed by the female but careful monitoring is needed to ensure this is happening. Ensure gravid females are provided with the necessary areas to lay eggs to prevent binding. Proper supplementation with calcium will also reduce the risk. Impaction is arguably one of the most talked about issues, and occurs when prey that is too large is given, which is then not properly digested and becomes stuck in the gut. Other possibilities include ingestion of too much substrate, which again becomes lodged. Vet treatment is often the only solution, and must be delivered swiftly. Warm baths can occasionally help induce a motion, and the most obvious sign of impaction is loss of appetite and lack of faeces. Consult a vet the moment you suspect impaction.
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