Egg Yolk Peritonitis (Coelomitis) in Leopard Geckos
How it happens
Rather than being laid normally or safely reabsorbed by the body, yolk material can leak or rupture into the coelomic (body) cavity, where it triggers inflammation and is highly prone to secondary bacterial infection.
How it relates to other reproductive issues
It can follow complications like a difficult lay, trauma, or a failed reabsorption of unlaid follicles — it's a distinct condition from simple egg-binding, but the two can be connected in a female with underlying reproductive problems.
Signs to watch for
A swollen or fluid-feeling abdomen, lethargy, appetite loss, and general decline in a female gecko — especially one with a known history of egg-laying or retained follicles — are reasons to seek veterinary care promptly.
Why it's an emergency
This condition can progress to serious systemic infection (septicaemia) quickly, and treatment typically requires veterinary diagnostics (such as imaging) and often surgical intervention, so it isn't something to wait out at home.
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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.