Common Leopard Gecko Diseases & Illnesses
Metabolic bone disease (MBD)
Caused by insufficient calcium or D3, from either diet or UVB, or an imbalanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in feeders. Signs include soft or bent jaw and limbs, tremors, and lethargy. Prevention is straightforward: consistent calcium/D3 dusting and, ideally, appropriate UVB.
Impaction
A blockage in the digestive tract, most often from oversized prey, low enclosure temperatures slowing digestion, or dehydration — not simply from loose substrate on its own in an otherwise well-kept gecko. Signs include reduced appetite, a visible lump, and straining without producing waste.
Respiratory infection
Usually triggered by an enclosure that's too cold, too damp, or both. Signs include audible clicking or wheezing when breathing, mucus around the nose or mouth, and open-mouth breathing. This needs a reptile vet — it doesn't resolve on its own.
Parasites
Internal parasites, including the serious protozoal infection cryptosporidiosis, can be picked up from wild-caught feeders or an infected gecko. Quarantining any new gecko for 30–90 days away from existing animals, and having fecal testing done by a reptile vet, is the standard precaution.
Scale rot and tail rot
Bacterial infections that typically start from prolonged contact with damp, dirty substrate or an untreated wound, showing as discolored, soft, or blistered scales, often on the belly or tail. Clean, dry substrate and prompt wound care prevent most cases.
This is general information, not a diagnosis
These descriptions are meant to help recognize when something needs professional attention, not to replace one. Any gecko showing these signs should be seen by a reptile-experienced veterinarian.
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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.