Possibly blind leopard gecko

[J.huff23]

One of my Leo’s has some slight impaction recently. I gave her a bath in some repti safe solution and warm water and it seems to have resolved. But her tail is still thin while her other tank mates are thriving. She’s with one other female and a male. I’ve noticed that when she is trying to hunt it’s almost as if she cannot see the feeders. She won’t feed from the rings either. I’m not sure if she has somehow lost her vision or if something else nefarious is afoot. Does anybody have any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Poonjab]

One of my Leo’s has some slight impaction recently. I gave her a bath in some repti safe solution and warm water and it seems to have resolved. But her tail is still thin while her other tank mates are thriving. She’s with one other female and a male. I’ve noticed that when she is trying to hunt it’s almost as if she cannot see the feeders. She won’t feed from the rings either. I’m not sure if she has somehow lost her vision or if something else nefarious is afoot. Does anybody have any ideas? Thanks.

First thing would be to figure out what caused the impaction. Such as substrate. I don’t believe impaction can lead to vision impairment. However it could cause the gecko to become ill that could lead to lethargic behavior that might be what you are witnessing.

 

[J.huff23]

They are all kept on paper towels so I'm not sure what would have caused it to be honest. I have 4 Leo's that are all kept the same way. This is the only one that seems to not be doing well. I've had them for some time now.

 

[Poonjab]

Gotcha. Potentially the feeders? I would argue the the impaction in some way has lead to the symptoms you’re seeing. Unless of course it was already exhibiting that behavior. Sounds like you’re going to have to monitor it and manually aid in its feeding until you notice any change in its symptoms

 

[viper69]

Isolate that one immediately so it’s not competing for food.

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Are you feeding a lot of superworms or bsfl? those can cause impaction if you feed too much. I personally would switch to natural stepping stone type flooring that way theres texture and not just a boring flat surface and easy to clean still with zero risk of impaction from paper towel or any substrate. you can just wipe them off with a wet paper towel or hot water every once in a while for a deep clean. Also one thing i used to see with my leopard gecko since she has albino genes is if i have the lights on she gets really bothered and cant see well if i surprise her with the lights, unless she adjusts and comes out on her own. And i THINK that albino genes can make them more prone to being vision impaired in general especially over time? Like have you noticed anything with her recently that might hint her vision getting worse? And you can try carnivore care to help her gain weight and get her digestive system moving. It worked for mine when she decided to go on a hunger strike for 4+ months for absolutely no reason.

 

[Liquifin]

It's not recommended to keep leopard geckos together even if there is a good ratio between males and females. There are many reasons why people don't recommend it as it can cause competition and bullying among each other long term. Skinny tail and impaction are two really bad sign in a leopard gecko. You need a vet for sure at that point, because those are not good signs, even if you've dealt with the impaction, you need a check-up to see internally if the digestive system and everything is fine. Because impaction can cause long term or permanent internal damage.

Are you feeding a lot of superworms or bsfl? those can cause impaction if you feed too much

I don't know what bsfl is, but superworms causing impaction is like saying dubia roaches can cause impaction. Many Leopard Gecko breeders feed a varied diet or mealworms, superworms, and crickets. Some leopard gecko specimens are picky and will only target certain prey. This is true IME, when I still had some leopard geckos. I've had a leopard gecko male that had most of his life fed on superworms only as he will not hunt or eat anything else I give him. He was very healthy even until the day I sold him off.

And i THINK that albino genes can make them more prone to being vision impaired in general especially over time?

Genetics can be an issue, but albino is not one of those genes that can cause eye impairment that I'm aware of. But who knows?. I don't know any morph or genetics that can cause eye impairment or blindness. My leopard gecko experience is not the best, but I do know some small bits here and there.

It worked for mine when she decided to go on a hunger strike for 4+ months for absolutely no reason.

Hunger strikes are not a bad thing as many leopard geckos can go months without food if they have their tails that are fat. Storing fat in their tails is something that can cause them to go long periods without food, so as long as a leopard gecko has a fat tail, than there shouldn't much to worry about if it goes on a hunger strike.