Leopard Gecko Eye Abscess

When you pet a Leopard Gecko, you might often see them going through different eye-related issues. Eye issues in geckos are very common but it does not mean that you will let it affect them repeatedly. Hence a question might arise in your mind- How to treat Leopard Gecko eye infection?

You can treat Leopard Gecko’s eye infection by using antibiotics, preservative-free saline, and sterilized cotton bud or reptile eye drops. This all can be used while handling your Gecko carefully. You can also consult a vet for treating the eye issues of your Gecko.

If you want to know more about treating Leopard Gecko’s eye issues, make sure to read till the end!

How Do Leopard Geckos Get Eye Infections?

Leopard Geckos have large eyes disproportionate to their head size, resulting in more ocular issues than in other reptiles.

Additionally, they have movable eyelids that allow blinking and closing their eyes, unlike other reptiles. That trait is a primary reason for poor overall eye health, especially when combined with:

Finally, you are responsible for your pet. Therefore, untimely reaction to the first signs that something is wrong with its eyes will almost always lead to complications.

Different Kinds of Eye Infections and other Eye Problems in Leopard Geckos

Conjunctivitis (pinkeye) is an inflammation of the tissue lining the geckos’ eyelids. It is often a result of poor hygiene and a consequent secondary bacterial infection. Unfortunately, inadequately treated long-term infections often result in septicemia and eye loss.

Experts from a veterinary teaching hospital conducted a long-lasting study from 1985 to 2013. The goal was to determine risk factors for the ophthalmic diseases in 112 Leopard Geckos, their occurrence rate, and outcome after diagnosis and treatment.

In that period, 52 observed geckos, or 46%, had some kind of ophthalmic disease. Of these animals, 77% had ocular discharge, while 12% or six geckos had a diagnosis of conjunctivitis.

Nonulcerative keratitis is a cornea inflammation without retaining fluorescein stain. A recent study on 26 male geckos tried to establish reference ranges for ocular diagnostic tests commonly performed in reptiles.

It showed that nonulcerative keratitis is the most common eye syndrome in Leopard Geckos besides conjunctivitis, anterior uveitis, and ulcerative keratitis.

Corneal ulcer (eye ulcer) is the painful cornea inflammation diagnosed in Leopard Geckos by retaining fluorescein stain. The primary causes are chronic inflammation, eyeball trauma, and a foreign body stuck in the eyeball.

For instance, a group of scientists studied a 6-year-old male Leopard Gecko with fungal keratitis. This lizard had a long history of a bilateral abnormal shedding pattern (dysecdysis).

Ophthalmic examination showed superficial corneal ulceration. It is actually a hole in the cornea that significantly varies in size, but it always results in potentially irreversible eye damage when not treated in time.

Blepharitis is a bacterial or fungal infection that causes red, swollen, and almost always itchy eyelids. In most cases, it occurs when bacteria that normally inhabit the skin multiply in excessive numbers.

It is not a severe condition but often causes conjunctivitis, dry eyes, or cysts when not treated appropriately. The infection may destroy the eyeball and sometimes lead to immunosuppression and systemic disease.

Leopard Geckos are prone to abscesses, but seeing a sub-spectacular bump located under the eye is relatively uncommon. The primary causes for this condition are:

Magdalena Zajac and her collaborators published an article in 2020 intending to show the cause of the abscesses. They concluded that opportunistic bacteria living on reptiles’ bodies cause abscesses, including gram-negative bacteria Salmonella.

This bacteria is a natural part of the gastrointestinal tract flora in approximately 80% of lizards. Once tissue damage occurs, Salmonella begins to multiply quickly, leading to pus formation.

This painful condition may lead to blindness when not treated on time. You can’t solve this problem on your own, and it is crucial to take the gecko to the vet for surgical abscess removal.

Conjunctivitis and vitamin A deficiency sometimes results in a pseudo abscess, but it is not the same condition.

Anterior uveitis is an eye inflammation that affects the uvea (eyewall) middle tissue layer. In such a case, blood or pus will fill the anterior chamber under the cornea. Typically, you can notice this health issue in lizards associated with:

However, it is impossible to identify a primary cause of this condition in all cases. Regardless of the reason for the occurrence, uveitis often leads to severe consequences, including permanent vision loss.

According to Martin P.C. Lawton, dry eye (Keratoconjunctivitis sicca) in reptiles is related to vitamin A deficiency. Consequent changes in the Harderian and lacrimal glands will cause a reduction in tear production.

Once there are not enough tears in the Leopard Gecko’s eyes, they will become too dry.

Even though Leopard Geckos require a common diet, their vitamin requirements are insufficiently known. Scientists have discovered that these reptiles often suffer from hypovitaminosis A.

This deficiency is linked to a few eye disorders similar to conjunctivitis in lizards kept in captivity. Initially, you will notice skin color changes, a decreased appetite, and shedding issues in your gecko.

The next step is eye squinting, excess tear production, pseudo-abscess forming, and the film under the eyelids development. As a result, your pet will have problems with eyesight and eye-bulging.

The best solution for this health condition is adding supplements to food or providing enough living insects in everyday diet.

Ophélie Cojean and associates discovered that the β-carotene supplement diet allows vitamin A storage in the liver. The results of their research imply that sufficient vitamin A hepatic storage may prevent the development of epithelial squamous metaplasia in geckos.

Even though oral supplementation can prevent eye complications caused by vitamin A insufficiency, you should be careful with supplements.

The safe vitamin A dose is 5,000 to 10,000 IU/kg, but levels higher than 50,000 IU/kg are risky and may cause overdosing. Giving too much vitamin A for a prolonged period may cause hypervitaminosis and additional issues with dry and flaky skin.

Thomas H. Boyer, DVM, DABVP, concluded that the prognosis of long-lasting vitamin A deficiency in insectivorous lizards, including Leopard Geckos, is not good. Most will end up blind or will suffer from corneal fibrosis.

This condition is similar to keratin accumulation in the conjunctival sac in geckos suffering from retained shed.

Parasites can cause eye issues in Leopard Geckos kept in captivity only in rare cases since they live far away from larger populations. Some reports show it is possible to see thin, string-like worms inside their eyeballs or in conjunctival sacs.

In most cases, a foreign body in the Leopard Geckos’ eye comes from a loose substrate, mainly sand you use in a terrarium. It is an excellent solution for preventing injuries, but dust can also bring many eye issues due to particle size.

Besides sand, other foreign objects entering the eye include food particles, retained skin, and bedding material.

Once a foreign body enters the eye, it gets stuck in the conjunctival fornices that protect the eye against environmental impact. As a result, the injury to the outer eye layer can result in:

In most cases, Leopard Gecko will solve the problem by blinking and increasing eye secreting. You can help it by flushing the eye with saline to remove debris, but it is an effective solution only when you notice the problem on time.

Otherwise, you should take your pet to the vet, especially if the first signs of infection, abrasion, or ulceration occur.

Leopard Gecko Eyes Closed

In many cases, a leopard gecko closes his eyes to deal with an injury to the eye. It can result from a foreign body, leading to an ulcer. Abscesses located just underneath the eye may also contribute to this problem. Take them to a veterinarian after flushing the eye with sterile saline solution.

There are many reasons why your leopard gecko may have his eyes closed and seem unable to open them.

In many cases, this is the result of a foreign body lodged in the eye. It can result from getting loose substrates such as sand or walnut shells stuck in the eye.

If your gecko cannot promptly remove the debris from its eye, it can lead to worsening issues such as an inability to open the eyes.

If something is stuck in your gecko’s eye, then it could lead to an eye ulcer.

Ulcers develop when the cornea is scratched or harmed from exposure to an injury.

It results from a hole or a tear in this delicate section of the eye and is often quite painful for your leopard gecko.

You might be dealing with an ulcer if they are keeping their eye shut, licking the eye often to clean it, or attempting to scratch it with their feet.

Another reason they may have their eyes closed is due to an abscess.

Often, the subcutaneous abscesses seen by veterinarians are not located in the eye.

Rather, they are found just underneath the eye.

However, the abscess leads to swelling in the region directly above it.

In this case, it means the eye area may swell and lead to your gecko’s inability to open its eye completely or at all.

Abscesses might be easy to spot by the average reptile owner.

Take a closer look at the affected eye area for a bump which was previously not there.

This abscess is potentially caused by any number of common occurrences, including:

If your gecko is having difficulty opening his eyes, you should consider making an appointment to see a veterinarian.

However, there are a few things to do in the meantime to resolve the issue on your own.

The first thing to do is flush the eye out with sterile saline, a commonly used solution for those who wear contact lenses.

This is easily purchased over the counter at your local pharmacy in the eye care section.

When flushing the eye, get the sterile saline into and around the eye as much as possible.

However, you should never force the eye to open in an attempt to get the solution directly into the eyeball.

The tip of the container should also never touch the eye or eyelid, as this can cause further damage to the struggling eyes.

It is always best to take your reptile to the veterinarian to ensure you have removed all of the foreign body from the eye sockets.

Sustained damage may need to be treated with antibiotic eye drops, or they may offer pain medications while the healing takes place.

An abscess may not be able to be treated with antibiotics or medication.

In some cases, the only option to effectively rid your gecko of an abscess is to surgically remove it.

If the abscess is also harboring bacteria, it might be doubly hard to treat.

You need the support of an experienced veterinarian to effectively treat an abscess and prevent it from ruining your gecko’s eyesight long-term.

Even if an abscess does not develop, extreme trauma to the eye can require surgical intervention.

If the damage sustained is too severe, you may need to surgically close the eye.

This is not something which will go away on its own, and there is nothing you are able to do about it from the comfort of your home.

As always, you need to seek medical attention for your beloved gecko.

FAQ

What is wrong with my leopard gecko’s eye?

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