Leopard Gecko Broken Toenail: What to Do
How it typically happens
Nails can catch and tear on decor, mesh lids, or rough substrate texture during normal movement — this is one of the more common minor injuries in captive geckos and usually isn't serious on its own.
Immediate care
Gentle pressure with a clean, dry cloth can help stop minor bleeding. Keeping the gecko on a clean, dry surface (paper towel) for a day or two afterward reduces infection risk while it heals.
When to see a vet
Bleeding that won't stop after a few minutes of gentle pressure, or any swelling, discharge, or reluctance to bear weight on that foot in the days after, are reasons to have it checked rather than assumed to be healing normally.
Prevention
Checking decor and lid mesh for snag points, and avoiding overly rough or coarse substrate textures, reduces the odds of this happening again.
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A single adult leopard gecko needs a 20-gallon long tank as an absolute minimum, with a 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) footprint now considered the recommended standard — plus a secure lid, an under-tank heater on a thermostat, a thermal gradient, at least three hides, and a shallow water dish.
Set up in this order: substrate, then heat source wired through a thermostat, then hides and water dish, then decor — and run the whole enclosure for at least 24–48 hours to confirm stable temperatures before your gecko moves in.
Hatchlings can start in a 10-gallon tank or tub, juveniles do well in 20 gallons, and adults need a 20-gallon long as an absolute minimum — with 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) now the widely recommended standard, not just an upgrade.
Heat a leopard gecko enclosure with an under-tank heater and/or overhead heat source (halogen or deep heat projector) wired through a thermostat — a thermostat is mandatory, not optional, and heat rocks should never be used.
Leopard geckos can survive without UVB using dietary D3 supplementation, but current husbandry guidance now recommends low-level UVB (roughly 2–6% T5) as best practice — it improves D3 synthesis, bone density, and natural behavior, and views on it have shifted significantly from older nocturnal-species advice.
Keep ambient humidity around 30–40% across most of the enclosure, with a dedicated humid hide raised to roughly 70–80% to support smooth, complete sheds.