[SOLVED ] Q. Why is my leopard gecko having a hard time shedding?

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. Humidity is the most common factor leading to shedding problems. A low humidity environment prevents old skin from loosening properly. A hide box with a suitable moist substrate should be part of the cage environment. A small cottage cheese container (washed and dried) containing moist peat moss can be used as a hide. Shed problems can be treated by placing paper towels moistened with warm water in a covered container. Place your gecko inside and allow for a 20 minute “soak” time. The high humidity should help your gecko with a proper shed.

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Tips: How to Help a Leopard Gecko Shed

The best way to help your leo shed is to ensure: That his food is supplemented with all essential vitamins; That his moist hide is clean and moist enough; That he has a rough (but not sharp or abrasive) piece of decoration that he can rub against.

If your leopard gecko is not properly shedding, it could be a sign of underlying health issues or an incorrect habitat. Lack of humidity, poor diet, ovulation, brumation, injury, or stunted development are a few more possible reasons why your leopard gecko could be having difficulty shedding.

They are growing quickly, and shedding helps young lizards get bigger and bigger. This rate of shedding usually continues until the gecko is about six weeks old. From six weeks to maturity, shedding slows down to about once every three weeks. Adult leopard geckos will only shed every four to eight weeks.

If you are asking yourself how often do Leopard Geckos shed, then we have the answer for you here. A healthy baby or juvenile gecko will shed every 1-2 weeks. An adult Leopard Gecko will shed every four to eight weeks.

When maintaining your Leopard Gecko, a light mist daily is recommended to provide hydration opportunities as well as light humidity spikes. Dew drops are readily drank by this species and will appreciate a light misting daily.

As a general rule, most geckos can survive without any intervention for one or two days. If you plan to be away for a weekend, it`s probably safe to leave your gecko alone, though it`s always a good idea to have someone available in case there`s a household emergency such as a power outage that will impact the geckos.

Leopard Geckos will stop eating during their shed. Their skin will become gray or milky in color before a shed. If they are pale and not shedding, check for respiratory illnesses from poor husbandry and dirty tank conditions.

Juveniles should be fed every 1-2 days and adults 2-3 times per week. Insects should be lightly dusted with a phosphorus-free calcium powder before feeding. Additionally, prey items should be fed a high-quality diet (“gut-loaded”) for at least 24 hours prior to being fed to your gecko.

Gecko poop usually takes a cylindrical shape and is about 0.5 inches in length. Healthy poop is typically brown, but when it is passed out with urates, it would have some white color on it (that is because urates are white in color). Also, this reptile`s excreta has a solid texture.

Leopard Geckos will tend to shed their skin as frequently as weekly when very young and as often as once a month when more mature. That being said, it has been known for Geckos to go much longer without shedding and remain perfectly healthy.

Internal parasites in geckos

Symptoms include regurgitation/vomiting, loss of weight/condition (often geckos` tails become much thinner if they have parasites as it`s one of the places they store fat) loss of appetite and lethargy.

A hide box filled with moist moss or vermiculite is needed, so your leopard gecko can shed its skin properly. Leopard geckos need 40-60% humidity inside the hide box. Misting on a regular basis should provide that, check periodically with a humidity gauge.

Offer fresh water daily in a water dish large enough for the lizard to soak its entire body in. Additional soaks in shallow warm water for 15-20 minutes 2-3 times a week are helpful, especially during a shed. If he will not go into the water on his own, place him in a shallow container 2-3 times a weak to force soak.

Do geckos like to be touched once they get used to you? Yes, they do. They are the few types of reptiles who like to be handled, but make sure to give it time before you can handle it, as it may be stressed out.

Be careful as reptiles can carry Salmonella. Wash your hands before and after handling the gecko or its equipment to reduce the spread of infection between you and the lizard and other animals.

Leopard Geckos Do Not Need Daytime Lighting

It is just as important to provide them with a regular period of light during the day as it is to provide a period of darkness at night. Leopard geckos use the daytime to sleep, digest food, and bask. They are most active at dusk and through the night.

The best time to feed a gecko is in the early evening (7-9 pm) when it becomes active after its daytime snooze. Feeding can typically take 10-20 minutes – the gecko will know when to stop and will not `over indulge`. For some owners, this is the most rewarding part of having a leopard gecko as a pet.

Screaming or shrieking is a vocalization leopard geckos use when they feel threatened or afraid. It is a high-pitched screeching sound that usually lasts for a few seconds. Generally, leopard geckos scream in this way to startle or scare whatever or whoever they perceive is threatening them.

Do leopard geckos need misting? Yes, leopard geckos need misting occasionally to help keep them hydrated and aid shedding. Misting also increases the humidity and moisture levels in the habitat to ease arduous shedding. Misting devices are also available in both a manual and an automatic system.

Baby Leopard Geckos should be fed 5-7 small crickets or mealworms every day until they reach about 4 inches. Larger food should be offered every other day until they become full grown in about 10-12 months. Adults can be fed 6-7 large crickets or mealworms 2 to 3 times a week.

Leopard geckos need to shed their skin to stay healthy. Young leopard geckos shed every 1 – 2 weeks, while adult leopard geckos shed every 4 – 8 weeks. If your leopard gecko is shedding more often than this, it is usually because its body is stressed by disease, mites, or poor nutrition.

Over feeding your Leopard Gecko can cause it to regurgitate its food and may cause lethargy. If you notice any of these issues with your Leopard Gecko, you should cut back on the amount of food you feed it and make sure not to feed it fatty insects (like Waxworms and Butterworms).

Feeding leopard geckos dead crickets is not recommended for several reasons. Dead crickets have little to no moisture or nutritional value. Besides that, dead crickets attract parasites and bacteria that can harm your gecko`s health.

Pet leopard geckos fare quite a bit better compared to wild leopard geckos. On average, they live for around 10 to 20 years. Captive females also tend to live slightly shorter lifespans than males, as they will often lay (infertile) eggs even if they haven`t been in contact with a male.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. Why is my leopard gecko having a hard time shedding?

ANSWER : A. Humidity is the most common factor leading to shedding problems. A low humidity environment prevents old skin from loosening properly. A hide box with a suitable moist substrate should be part of the cage environment. A small cottage cheese container (washed and dried) containing moist peat moss can be used as a hide. Shed problems can be treated by placing paper towels moistened with warm water in a covered container. Place your gecko inside and allow for a 20 minute “soak” time. The high humidity should help your gecko with a proper shed.

Read Full Q/A … : reptiles – My leopard gecko sometimes has trouble shedding …

Q. My dogs shed excessively. Is there something I can give them to help this problem?

ANSWER : A. Excessive shedding can be caused by a number of things. Many dogs will shed their coats every few months, or may have a minor allergy to a food or product used on them to cause shedding. In some cases, underlying metabolic conditions may also cause excessive hair loss.

The best remedy for helping with shedding is to make sure to groom your dogs by brushing them daily. This will remove any loose hairs on the body before they can be shed onto other surfaces. Products such as the Furminator ( available here: http://bit.ly/1xTFcLT ) are great for helping get the loose hairs quickly and easily however any brush will help. Bathing regularly will also help with increased shedding.

if you feel the shedding may be due to an allergy or food ingredient allergy, looking for a food with less commonly allergenic ingredients (ones that avoid products such as wheat, corn and soy) may help. Food changes should be done gradually over a week to avoid digestive upset. If after the food change and grooming changes the shedding status does not stop, it is best to schedule a wellness check with your local veterinarian to make sure there is not another underlying cause of the shedding.

Read Full Q/A … : How to Reduce Excessive Shedding in Dogs – wikiHow

Q. How can I keep my 14 year old Yorkie from snapping at the younger ones?

ANSWER : A. It’s all about management. Do not allow the 7yo’s to interact with your 14yo unsupervised. You should be there each time they interact so you can redirect the 14yo’s attention onto some toys, or onto some treats when the 7yo’s are around. It sounds like you need to help your 14yo make positive associations with being around the younger pups. You should be trying to feed him treats each time he interacts with them, and doesn’t snap at them. Pet and praise him each time he is around them, or any time they are near. As I said, keep the separated when you cannot supervise their interactions because if you aren’t around when he is snapping at them, you could end up with a fight on your hands.

It could also be that they spend too much time together. Imagine spending 100% of your time with somebody, day in and out, doing everything together… including going to the bathroom.. that might bother anybody. I think you should give them more time apart from each other. Take them all on separate walks, separate them to play with them individually, separate them when you take them to potty, separate feeding times in separate rooms, etc. This can help alleviate the stress your older dog is feeling due to living closely with other dogs. You should always be giving individual activities in a houseful of dogs anyway.. when you expect them to get along 100% of the time, that’s when you find trouble.

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Q. I have a cat that I rescued from a shed. Previously she was abused because when you play with her she hisses and bites and she doesnt like to be held.

ANSWER : A. It may just be that she is under socialized and scared. It will take time for her to gain trust. Do not force yourself on her but rather be patient and let her come around in her own way in her own time. Offer plenty of toys, cat grass, cat tree, scratching post, etc to make her environment more kitty friendly and inviting. Once she knows she’s safe, in time she should come around.

Read Full Q/A … : How to Form a Bond With an Angry, Scared Cat: 14 Steps

Q. My puppy will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. I’ve had her for a week now, and she still isn’t responding to any training or her name. What can I do?

ANSWER : A. Try clicker training her to come when called. Clicker training is an effective way of training you dog to not only come when called, but can be used to teach a variety of tricks and tasks.

Have treats on hand that you know she loves, then simply click and treat. She will come to associate the sound with getting a treat. Start putting distance between you so she has to come to you. Call and click and when she comes to you for that treat, treat him and give her lots of praise. Move to hiding somewhere in the house, call and click. When she comes to you reliably inside when you call, click and treat. When this behavior is consistent, move outdoors with a very long leash. Call and click, if she doesn’t respond, give a light tug on the leash. If she takes even a single step toward you, click, treat and lots of praise. Keep doing this until she comes eagerly. Next, try her off-leash in a securely fenced area. Call and click. At this point she should be responding well and coming easily to the call and click. If she does not, go back to the last step she performed reliably and work on that again until she responds well. Eventually, you can start not treating her every time, but still praise her. Gradually lessen the frequency of the treats until she comes just to the click and praise.

Keep training sessions short, ten or fifteen minutes to start, no more than 30 minutes at a time and do it a few times a day. Try not to do it any time she is overly excited so that she can pay attention to you. Always end a training session on a good note, even if it is just getting him to do something she already does well on command. And never, NEVER punish a dog when they come to you, no matter how far they’ve made you chase them, no matter how frustrated and angry you might be. That teaches your dog that coming to you is a bad thing.

Read Full Q/A … : How To Teach Your Puppy His Name – Puppy In Training

Q. My dog Max pees and pops in the house, what can I do?

ANSWER : A. It sounds as though he needs help with potty training. Without exact details, I can only give a generalized answer. Crate training is helpful in these situations as is keeping a schedule of daily activities from feeding and water times, nap times, and play time. He should be taken out depending on his age about 30 min or so after eating and drinking and immediately upon waking. A good break time outside would be about 10–15 monutes with am additional 5-10 min after pottying so he learns the fun doesn’t end just because he pottied. Some dogs will hold it until they go back indoors because they were conditioned to believe pottying means they automatically go back inside. Always praise and treat immediately after pottying outdoors too. I’m happy to help tailor a schedule to your dog’s house training needs if you contact me further.

Read Full Q/A … : [Discussion] After my dog poops, should I wipe its butt? : dogs

Q. She is 11 pounds and ate 1/4 pound of butter almost 24 hours ago. Her breathing is wierd from time to time and she has vomited 5 times in this time fr

ANSWER : A. It is likely to only cause gastric symptoms so vomiting and diarrhea but as her breathing is unusual I would recommend having her checked by your vet. It maybe related to feeling nauseous.

Read Full Q/A … : MSN News – Official Site

Q. My border collie pup is having a hard time getting housebroken….any tips?

ANSWER : A. You must be patient and reward him every time when he will poop or pee outside. walk him regularly especially after meals. It can take some time to teach him proper behaviour but don’t give up.

Read Full Q/A … : Border Collie Puppy Training