Leopard Gecko Health: Abscesses

Background Information

Please read our Disclaimer before reading any further into these common problems. As with any medical problem, we strongly recommend that you immediately contact your veterinarian for assistance.

Abscesses are essentially localized infections. They may or may not occur at the original site of a previous injury. They may even arise on a spot where there was not previous injury. There are reported cases of abscesses developing long after the original injury.

Common Symptoms

The most common indicating features of an abscess include:

Swelling (not all abscesses swell however!).
Yellow, oozing discharge.
Reddish tinge to the skin.
Most abscesses are filled with pus that has hardened.

Possible Causes

There are a wide variety of possible causes of abscesses. The most common include:

Bacterial or fungal infections.
Penetrating wounds.
Trauma
Cage mate aggresion such as bite wounds.
Improper husbandry - especially the inability to thermoregulate properly.

Diagnostic Techniques

There are a variety of diagnostic techniques available to your veterinarian in the event of an abscess. The most common include:

Complete physical examination.
Thorough patient history and review of husbandry.
Fecal analysis.
Blood work
Radiograph
Urinalysis
Cytology
Culture and sensitivity testing
Open abscesses are debrided and samples taken from within the abscess for testing.
Closed abscesses are sampled by using a fine needle and then followed up with culture sensitivity testing.

Treatment Options

Ultimately the most appropriate therapeutic plan will depend on the cause and severity of the abscess. It is important to note that healing in reptiles can be a very slow process. Do NOT attempt to treat abscesses on your own - they require veterinary intervention!

Because many abscesses are very hard (ie caseated), they cannot be drained but must be surgically removed. Here are the steps involved with this procedure:

The abscess surface must be cleansed.
The abscess is incised.
The abscess material is then removed and cultured to help determine the appropriate antibiotic treatment.
The abscess wound is then flushed and the wound is often left open to heal.
Some abscesses will require more extensive surgery.
Topical antibiotics may need to be applied once daily until the wound has healed up.

When dealing with medical problems, proper personal hygiene, quarantine and disinfection techniques are absolutely necessary.

Still Confused or Concerned?

If you would like more information or further assistance, or just want to chat some more about leopard geckos, please feel free to post on the Reptile Rooms Leopard Gecko Forum!