Leopard Gecko Health: Deformities

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.

Common Symptoms

The deformities that are being dealt with in this section are musculoskeletal in nature. They could include:

Shortened tails.
Missing tails.
Kinked tails.
Malformations of the head.
Missing appendages and extremities.

Possible Causes

The most common causes of deformities that appear at birth include:

Genetic defects
Improper temperatures during incubation of the eggs (ie temperature levels that were too high or too low for some of all of the incubation period.

There are some deformities that can actually appear later on life. These types of deformities could be related to:

Genetic defects
Infections
Trauma
Nutritional disorders
Neoplasia

Diagnostic Techniques

There are several different diagnostic techniques that your veterinarian can use to examine the deformities more closely. The most common includes:

A complete physical examination.
Detailed patient history.
Radiography

Treatment Options

The treatment options available to your veterinarian will depend on the exact nature of the deformity itself. Some deformities may not require medical treatment at all. Always sit down with your vet to discuss any deformities with your gecko.

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 Rescue, Canada Leopard Gecko Forum!