Aloe for geckos?

[RecklessSage]

My leopard gecko is having consistent trouble with sheds the last couple of times he did it. He has an UTH on one side thermostatically controlled to be remain in the high 80s during the day. I recently added a 60W night bulb to keep the cage within the low to mid 70s until spring/summer warms up the room. And yes, he has access to a humid hide.

One way I read about on another forum to rectify this problem is to use aloe (pure gel form). All the products available that supposedly help reptiles with shedding problems, so said the forum, contain one common ingredient: aloe, which is available cheap at Wal-Mart. I went there and found only two brands, both had vitamin E and fragrance as ingredients and were expicitly stated for external use only. The main difference between the two was that one of them had water as an extra ingredient.

The other forum however said that aloe (the Wal-Mart product) is digestable and won't harm lizards. The idea is to mix in aloe (didn't specify how much) in the water you soak the gecko(s) in when they have shedding problems, and even mix it into their drinking water. I've never tried anything like this before and decided to give it a trial, but ONLY after checking for sure if it was safe to do so.

 

[bchbum11]

How is he looking otherwise? Leos don't have shedding problems often in my experience if they have access to a humid hide, which is sounds like you have covered. The issue might be a symptom of something bigger. What kind of supplementation schedule do you have him on?

 

[RecklessSage]

He appears in otherwise good condition, eating and defecating regularly. I feed him mainly mealworms, dusted with calcium powder (without D3) at every other feeding. Sometimes he sheds just fine on his own, other times he's had problems. If this is indeed symptomatic of some problem, what could it be?

And what about the aloe? Go, or no go?

 

[bchbum11]

Can't comment one way or the other on the aloe, but can say that in my experience leopard geckos don't have issues shedding without some underlying cause. Most of the time if they are having problems shedding it is due to a lack of a humid hide, and that isn't the case with your boy. Are you supplementing with a vitamin mix at all, or just using calcium? Shed problems are one of the early signs of vitamin A deficiency. Too much vit A is harmful, but not enough can lead to lethargy, shedding problems, lack of apatite, and eye issues. Google it and check the symptoms and your supplementation schedule. It seems to be a fairly common but rarely discussed problem with leos.

 

[RecklessSage]

Woah I don't even recall reading that in any info about leos. Well I don't see any obvious eye issues or lack of appetite, though he does remain fairly inactive these days even at night. What vitamin mix can I use (anything labeled "multivitamin")?

Wait I do have this leo supplement called "calcium plus,"(by Repashy Superfoods) labeled as a vitamin/mineral supplement. When I couldn't find the regular calcium I've always used I bought this stuff instead. Then I ordered some regular calcium online and laid the plus aside. Though I suppose I should go back to using it then? How often should I supplement with it? Weekly for an adult?

 

[bchbum11]

I haven't read a book on leos that mentions it either, but it is a fairly common problem with them. All the books bring up MBD, so everyone supplements calcium, but there isn't much mention of what lack of other supplements will do. Repashy makes a good vit supplement called supervite. Any multi will work, just be sure that it contains vitamin A. Feeding a pinkie mouse (if he'll eat it) every once in a while will help maintain vitamin levels also. Multi vitamins should be supplemented about twice a month, and calcium should be available at all times. Instead of dusting with calcium, just leave a dish with pure calcium in the enclosure, and he'll eat it when he needs it.