Don't Let your Leopard Gecko Get Sick Tail
You probably already knew that leopard geckos should have a little fat on their bodies. They store most of their excess body fat in their chunky little tails. A fat (though obviously not too fat) tail is cute, but it’s also a sign that your gecko is healthy. So one thing you should always be on the watch for is weight loss in your leopard gecko’s tail. This may be a warning sign that something serious is wrong with its health.
In this article, we’ll discuss Sick Tail, what it means, how to deal with it, and how to prevent it from happening. Let’s dive in.
What is Sick Tail in Leopard Geckos?
As we mentioned, leopard geckos have chubby little tails. It’s one of the most endearing things about them, and it’s also a crucial part of their anatomy. Leopard geckos naturally live in arid deserts and grasslands around the Himalayas, as far west as Afghanistan. In their natural habitat, they commonly face periods without food or water.
So similar to how camels have humps, leopard geckos evolved a fatty tail full of extra energy, nutrients, and water. This store of essential resources is just enough to get them through the hard times until they can find food and water again.
In captivity, leopard geckos don’t deal with that kind of stuff. But their tails are still great indicators of their health. If your leopard gecko’s tail is wider than its head, you know your leo is obese.
And if it’s shrinking, especially suddenly, then your gecko may have Sick Tail. Eventually, this can cause your gecko to shed its tail, which is always a bad sign. And even though your pet leo might not need an extra store of calories to get it through a hard winter, this can still be serious.
What Causes Sick Tail?
Sick Tail isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom. There are a lot of things that can cause rapid weight loss in leos and other geckos. It’s unlikely that your leo just needs more food, especially if it lost weight suddenly.
The most common cause of sick tail is cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium is an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite called Cryptosporidium varanii. It can also infect humans, and in humans it commonly causes all kinds of gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and vomiting.
In geckos, cryptosporidium may also cause diarrhea, which on its own can be cause for concern. It can also cause lethargy (not wanting to move), dehydration, and lack of appetite. It will commonly cause rapid, uncontrolled weight loss until it kills its host.
What’s scary about cryptosporidium is that there is no known cure, and without treatment, it is almost guaranteed to be deadly. It’s not the kind of thing that will go away on its own. If your gecko has crypto, you need to take it to the vet immediately or it will almost definitely die.
Veterinarians will commonly swab your gecko’s vent and test for crypto, and may prescribe paromomycin. This doesn’t cure the crypto, but it will fight the infection to give your gecko some extra strength and time to fight it off.
There are a few other, less common causes of Sick Tail out there. All of them are parasites, and they’re all worth knowing about.
Hookworms will give your leopard gecko slimy, mucous-y stools. Hookworms are spread primarily by poor hygiene. Luckily, hookworms are less serious than crypto, and can usually be treated with an over-the-counter dewormer like Panacur.
Coccidia is a protozoan parasite that will infect your leopard gecko’s intestinal tract. The symptoms look very similar to crypto. It causes loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, and diarrhea. Luckily, it can be treated with an anti-protozoan drug called Ponazuril.
Roundworms are another species of parasitic worm that can infect your leo’s digestive tract. They can cause irregular poops, weight loss, and loss of appetite, but will often also cause vomiting. When your vet does a fecal swab for crypto, they will usually also test for roundworms. They can be treated with a dewormer.
Tapeworms are yet another parasitic worm. In humans, they are passed through food, but in leopard geckos, they are usually a product of bad hygiene or contact with the stool of an infected animal. Tapeworms are also treatable with dewormer.
How to Prevent Sick Tail
Like with most reptile pet diseases, these things are pretty easy to prevent. So don’t feel like you need to go overboard, doing deep cleanings with bleach every day. Remember that being too hands on with your pet can cause its own issues (stress being a big one).
Hygiene and Cleaning
The first and foremost thing you need to do to prevent sick tail is keep up on your pet’s hygiene. This means doing spot cleaning every day or two and deep cleanings once per month.
You should probably have noticed that the main thing all of these parasites have in common is that they spread by contact with poop. Making sure your geckos aren’t living in their own filth is the best way to prevent sick tail (in all of its forms).
How Cryptosporidium Spreads
The main thing you are trying to prevent with Sick Tail is cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium’s infectious form is called an oocyst. These microscopic parasites can live for years without a host.
Quarantining Your Sick Gecko
Once an oocyst finds a host, it spreads quickly, making them sick. It also becomes highly infectious. This is why it is crucial to quarantine a sick leopard gecko. If you leave your gecko with they others, they are almost guaranteed to get sick.
So if you're treating crypto, keep your sick leo in a separate habitat away from the others. This "sick bay" should be as clean as possible at all times.
What Should I Do If My Leo Gets Sick Tail?
This is a simple answer. If your leopard gecko rapidly starts losing weight, which is most noticeable in the tail, take it to the vet ASAP. It’s impossible to diagnose or treat Sick Tail without a fecal swab and DNA test. On top of that, none of the causes of Sick Tail can go away without some kind of medication.