Leopard Gecko Health: Paralysis and Weakness

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.

Paralysis and paresis (weakness) in leopard geckos are extremely serious medical problems and require immediate veterinary intervention. They tend to signify a potentially serious underlying disease.

Possible Causes

There are a wide variety of different possible contributing factors do paralysis and weakness. The most common causes include:

Diagnostic Techniques

There are a variety of diagnostic techniques available to your veterinarian. The most common include:

Complete physical examination.
Complete patient history and overview of husbandry.
Blood work.
Fecal exams.
Radiographs
Cytology
CT scans
MRI scans
Urinalysis

The radiographic images will allow your vet to discern:

The production of eggs in female geckos.
The presence of an object such as metal in the intestinal tract.
Kidney or liver enlargement.

Treatment Options

The most appropriate treatment option will ultimately depend on the cause and the nature of the paralysis and/or weakness.

Treatment of underlying disease and problem.
Nutritional support and supplementation.

Those conditions that have a good prognosis include:

If the gecko is able to defecate and urinate on its own.
The problems are caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
The recovery from weakness (paresis) is better than that for paralysis.

Those conditions that have a poor prognosis include:

Spinal cord fracture.
The recovery from paralysis is less likely than that for weakness (paresis).
Neoplasia.
Spinal abscesses.

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 Rescue, Canada Leopard Gecko Forum!