Health and Safety Concerns for Leopard Geckos

Introduction

When dealing with medical problems, proper personal hygiene, quarantine and disinfection techniques are absolutely necessary. Remember that leopard geckos take a long time to get very sick and they can take a very long time to recover.

Please read our Disclaimer before reading any further into hese common medical conditions and health problems. More health problem sections will be coming soon.

Specific Concerns

This section was designed to provide you with an in-depth look into the more common health and safety concerns that could affect the your leopard gecko. These could include:

Enclosure Construction Concerns

Enclosure should be securely constructed.
Enclosure should be escape-proof.
Make sure the gecko cannot injure itself in any way.
Enclosure should be properly ventilated.
Make sure you use an appropriate substrate.

Electrical and Heating Concerns

Ground all electrical fixtures.
Protect all interior wires from chewing, water, abrasion and heat.
Prevent any water leakages onto the electrical appliances or wiring.
Securely mount all incandescent fixtures.
Use thermostat controls for all under-tank heaters and heat tape.
Make sure the gecko cannot come into direct contact with heating equipment.

Chemical Concerns

Use only acrylic artist paint on interior of enclosures.
Seal particle board with urethane or epoxy coatings on all edges / faces to prevent the gases from escaping from the binder or the glue.
Enclosure floor should be waterproof.
Ensure any urethane or epoxy coatings are completely dry and cured before placing leopard gecko in the enclosure.
Remove the leopard gecko from the enclosure before cleaning and disinfecting.
Avoid disinfectants and cleaners that contain phenols and pine scents.
Avoid use of insecticides because they are toxic.
Ensure any cleaning/disinfecting residues and fumes have been thoroughly rinsed and enclosure aired out completely afterwards.

Biological Concerns

Properly quarantine any new leopard gecko acquisition.
Prevent exposure of the gecko to all pathogens such as viruses, bacterias, fungi and parasites.
Keep environmental humidity under control.

Miscellaneous Concerns

Prevent and/or reduce stress-causing situations.
Be careful with UV lighting - excess UV exposure can damage the eyes and skin of leopard geckos.
Only use UV lights that are designed for reptile enclosures. Do not use sunlamps, industrial or medical light sources.