While leopard geckos in the wild have been shedding their skin without any problem, the same can’t be said about leos in captivity. Your gecko may occasionally experience an incomplete/abnormal shed for various reasons ranging from husbandly to existing health conditions.
If your leo hasn’t shed properly around the toes, tail, and eyes, don’t be so hard on yourself, as this happens even to the most experienced leopard gecko owners. The least you can do is to help your scaly friend get rid of stuck skin.
But how can you help your leopard gecko shed? Keep reading if you want to know how to help your lizard shed.
How Can You Help Your Leopard Gecko Shed?
Essentially, there are certain conditions that the leo’s habitat should meet for successful shedding. However, when natural shedding does not occur, leopard geckos may need human assistance to complete this vital process.
It takes a Leopard Gecko between 24 and 72 hours to completely shed its skin. Therefore, if you spot stuck skin on your reptile friend after 2-3 days, you should help it finish shedding.
There are various techniques to help your gecko shed. You can either seek the help of a qualified reptile vet or do it yourself.
Fix the Conditions in Its Enclosure
For healthy shedding, it’s important to have the right temperature, decor, and humidity in leo’s tank.
- Humidity: One essential element in leopard gecko shedding is moisture content. Since leopard geckos are desert-loving lizards that like to live in dry places, most new owners assume that these creatures don’t need a lot of moisture when shedding. On the contrary, leos need high humidity when shedding.
Humidity inside the leo’s habitat should be kept above 40% at all times. Furthermore, pet owners must invest in humid hides with humidity levels of between 70% and 80%.
- Temperature: The terrarium temperature is another essential element that may affect your gecko’s shedding. You need to ensure that the cage has optimal heat. Too much heat can dry the skin and make shedding problematic. Low temperatures can make your leo sick and make shedding impossible.
- Décor and Accessories: Your gecko will require rough décor and accessories to rub against during shedding. It could be anything from a piece of plastic to a rock, a branch, or even a stick. The items you choose should be rough enough to remove shed skin but not so sharp as they may injure your gecko.
- Diet: You must also ensure that your little reptile savors a balanced diet. Serve them mealworms and crickets, along with calcium supplements and multivitamins. This will reduce vitamin deficiency, which is associated with a stuck shed.
The tips above will help you prepare your leopard gecko for a successful shedding process. However, if you notice that your scaly friend has stuck shed around its limbs and eyes, you can assist them to shed in the following ways:
Bathing
Try bathing your leo if it has extra skin stuck on its feet, tail, or belly. Put warm water into a plastic container. Ensure the water level is not higher than your gecko’s chin before placing it in the container.
Dip your gecko in the shallow container filled with lukewarm water and let it soak for 15-20 minutes or until the water temperature drops.
Once you take the lizard out, the affected shed skin will become smooth and can be easily removed by gently rubbing the lizard’s skin.
Misting
Another way to make your leo’s skin soft and easy to remove is to mist the animal and its habitat. Spray gently onto the affected area and wait between 10 and 30 minutes.
Try to rub the skin with a cotton swab gently. However, you must avoid spraying the gecko on the face.
Use Shedding Aids
Shedding aids are over-the-counter products manufactured commercially to assist with stuck sheds.
Although they are recommended as the last option, they can also help remove stuck skin on your gecko. Typically, the ingredients in the product include water, oil, and calming ingredients like aloe vera.
Just spray the affected area with any shedding aid solution and gently rub it onto the skin. Wait a few seconds and try to brush the stuck shed with a cotton swab or a piece of cloth.
FAQS
Should I Mist My Leopard Gecko When Shedding?
Yes, Sometimes misting leopard geckos is necessary to help them stay hydrated and facilitate shedding. The arduous shedding process can be made easier by increasing the moisture levels in the habitat through misting.
Luckily, there are manual and automatic misting systems for those who want to mist their leopard geckos.
When Do Leopard Geckos Shed For Their First Time?
Leopard geckos begin shedding within three to four days after hatching. Typically, their first shed occurs after their yolk has been completely digested. They then progress to consume the shed skin to re-utilize additional nutrients.
When you notice that your gecko’s color is becoming paler or even gray, it is a sign that it is getting ready to lose its skin. Other pre-shedding symptoms include increased irritability and aggression, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
Your leopard gecko will shed once in 1-2 weeks as a baby, once in 4 weeks as a juvenile, and once in 4-8 weeks as an adult.
Can Leopard Geckos Experience Shedding Problems?
Leopard geckos in captivity will likely experience retained shed at one point. This is a situation whereby a part of the skin is retained around the eyes, face, toes, and tail. Even though the retained skin fragments do not pose an immediate threat to its life, they could develop into serious issues if not addressed.
When your gecko sheds again, another shed skin will be caught up in the same location and again after the subsequent shed. The stuck sheds will accumulate within a short period and act as a tourniquet, cutting off blood flow to your gecko’s tail and toe.
This may cause the animal to lose a toenail, a toe, or part of its tail. Your gecko may also lose the ability to grip its tank walls if shed overly accumulates on its toe pads.
Conversely, skin shed stuck around the eye can cause other eye problems. Therefore, you must help your leo get rid of all the skin from all parts of its body.
Should You Pluck off Stuck Skin from Your Leopard Gecko’s Body?
When you see a piece of shed stuck on your leo’s body, the first thought is to pluck it off right away. However, this will create more problems than solutions.
If you pull dry skin off your gecko, you could damage the thin skin underneath. You’ll cause great pain and leave your leopard gecko with a wound that can easily get infected. So, no matter how small the skin seems, you should never pull it off with your fingers.
Does Shedding Hurt Geckos?
Shedding does not harm leopard geckos as it’s meant to be painless. However, it might be painful for them if they develop difficulties during the shedding process.
Providing your leopard gecko with the proper tank conditions will ensure that it sheds successfully without any pain.
Should I Wash My Leopard Gecko to Aid It Shed?
Leopard geckos are hardy creatures that don’t need cleaning unless they are dirty. However, if your scaly friend is having trouble shedding its skin, you can soak them for 15 to 20 minutes to soften the skin. The dry, cracked skin will be hydrated and softened for easy shedding.
What’s the Perfect Humidity for Shedding Leopard Gecko?
The leopard gecko’s terrarium should have a humidity range of 40% to 60% when the lizard is shedding.
Conversely, it would help if you placed humid hides within the enclosure to facilitate painless shedding. Humidity levels within the humid hides should be maintained between 70% and 80%.
