# Leopard gecko shedding(stuck skin on digits)



## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Hey guys, got a leopard gecko recently and he immediately shed about 2 days ago. He always stays in his moist hide only to get out during the night to feed. He shed nearly all the skin apart from his hands and head. I managed to remove the skin from his head with a Q tip and also removed the skin off of one of his hands. The other 3 limbs still got some skin on their digits. I already tried to remove them by putting him in abit of luke warm water for 5 minutes. Any suggestions on what should i do?


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## Mozart (Jan 10, 2011)

My old leo used to have the same issues, and did it every time.
The advise I can give is to get a ice cream tub, poke some air holes in to it and get a cotton flannel, soak that in warm water and place it on the bottom of the tub, then put your leo in side for 5 mins, sealing the top on.
This acts kinda like a sauna and where the cotton flannel is rugged it should soak and rub the skin of the toes.
if some skins remained use a cotton bud to rub gently to try remove the remaining, if its still not loosen then repeat the cycle for another 5 mins.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

This is skippy . No idea what morph he is as the owner didn't have the slightest idea.


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## Mozart (Jan 10, 2011)

Harder to guess with him being in shed, but looks like a normal to me.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Mozart said:


> Harder to guess with him being in shed, but looks like a normal to me.


Yeah hes normal most probably. Il try your method and see if it works. Il leave him abit now as i just spend 30 minutes trying to remove his old skin. Let him rest abit


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## Mozart (Jan 10, 2011)

Thats a good idea, don't want to stress the poor little guy.


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## roddymclaren (Mar 11, 2011)

My oldest Lola now 4 suffers from bad shed on here feet, she is very comfy coming out for hours which gives me time to rub warm water on her toes and when all else fails I use extra virgin olive oil, that usually works and she doesnt mind me rubber her toes so long as she sees my hand.


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## Ben678 (Jul 29, 2009)

the best advice I can give is to get a cotton bud and try and ease it off


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## Tadashii (Oct 4, 2010)

So long as you keep an eye on them, you can leave them in a bit of shallow warm water for up to 30 mins at a time. I stick mine on a statted heatmat to keep the water warm. This softens the skin and you can then use a cotton bud.
As your leo is quite small still you can hold his chest between your thumb and forefinger (chest against your thumbpad) and usually they settle and hold still in that position leaving your other hand free to tackle the stuck skin. I hold the damp cotton bud under against the underside of the foot and then gently roll it forwards towards the toes. That usually does the trick. 

Good luck


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks all, yesterday i retried but the skin seems to be stuck real good. At one point the gecko just started to remove the skin on on of his hands himself lol. He still got one foot and one hand with dead skin tho. Il try putting him in the water for 30 mins instead of 5 mins like im doing. Yesterday he didn't eat(can't blame him with all the handling to remove the skin). Il post updates soon


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## Ayra (Mar 3, 2011)

You don't want to over do it or it'll get sick of you interfering. You only need to be concerned if the skin is stuck there for a week or more. Put something rough in there that it can walk on (like a flat rock) and keep a water bowl in there that it can walk in and it will most probably take the skin off on its own.


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## Ben678 (Jul 29, 2009)

Maybe in future as he may be a problem shedder you may need to use a product such as Zoo Med Repti shed aid


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Hi again guys, 

Yesterday i placed a rock in his enclosure and a dish with some water for him to enter in it if he wants. He seems to have removed some but still has a full "sock" on one of his feet. I was thinking of giving him time till Wednesday and if he doesnt remove it himself i was going to leave him in some warm water for 30 minutes then remove it even if he seems to not like to get in the water much lol. Well its for his own good!


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## Morwin Nerdbane (Apr 24, 2011)

One of mine has a little bit of trouble with their feet too.

If you do the shallow water soak but rather than using a cotton bud dipped in water dip it in olive oil. 

Olive oil seems to lubricate the skin much better than water and doesn't irritate them. Not sure if other kinds of oil work but I've only ever read about people using olive.

It'll work a treat.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Morwin Nerdbane said:


> One of mine has a little bit of trouble with their feet too.
> 
> If you do the shallow water soak but rather than using a cotton bud dipped in water dip it in olive oil.
> 
> ...


Will try that tommorow or thursday if he doesnt remove by himself. So i have to place him in warm water for 30 mins , dip a cotton bud in olive oil(got extra virgin lol) and try to remove it that way? Most probably i got a problem shedder..hope he can sort future sheds alone lol


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## Morwin Nerdbane (Apr 24, 2011)

With the olive oil trick it doesn't even really need to be 30mins.

I usually give mine 10mins in a tub of water and then rub the skin with a cotton bud dipped in olive oil (I'm sure extra virgin will do the job lol). I only rub in one direction, start at the top of the skin (where it tore off) and brush it down towards the tip of the toes. Be firm with your leo, the quicker it's over the less stressed it'll be.

I think most leos have a bit of trouble shedding every once in a while. They'll leave a little bit on a toe or on their face or belly. Hopefully it won't happen again.


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## Tadashii (Oct 4, 2010)

Personally, with a young leo (as yours seems to be) I really wouldn't leave it and wait and see. It can constrict pretty quickly, and when there's a whole "sock" left on, he could lose the whole foot. It wouldn't drop off in a week, but with little ones it can get past the point of saving in a matter of days. I echo Morwin above saying be firm and get it over with. They can be wriggly little things, but a slightly pee-ed off gecko is beter than one with a missing foot!


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## Morwin Nerdbane (Apr 24, 2011)

As above^ 

Your leo will only be cross with you for a couple of days or until you feed it again lol.

I've noticed when I've been helping mine they seem to calm down once the skin begins to loosen. I can imagine retained shed isn't very comfortable and once the pressure is eased for them they settle down a bit.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Ok guys, tommorow il make sure to remove every bit of skin . Don't want a 3 footed gecko! Will update you all tommorow : )


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## Morwin Nerdbane (Apr 24, 2011)

Hey, hows the shed removal going?


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

A few hours ago i tried and managed to remove a large part of the skin. I put the gecko in warm water for 15 minutes and dipped the cotton bud in veg oil. Im re trying just now as i can still see some skin left(with veg oil it seems to become transparent). Put him in water again just now. He's not the happiest gecko right now but hes giving me a hard time to remove his skin lol.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> A few hours ago i tried and managed to remove a large part of the skin. I put the gecko in warm water for 15 minutes and dipped the cotton bud in veg oil. Im re trying just now as i can still see some skin left(with veg oil it seems to become transparent). Put him in water again just now. He's not the happiest gecko right now but hes giving me a hard time to remove his skin lol.


Sorry for the long wait but i was really busy and forgot to reply here :blush: lol. I successfully removed the geckos stuck skin with bathing and veg oil. He's now shedding again! Hope he can make it alone this time but if he doesnt im more prepared now. This is my first gecko lol. Stuck tarantula moults are much more easy to remove lol. Will keep you guys updated : )


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> Sorry for the long wait but i was really busy and forgot to reply here :blush: lol. I successfully removed the geckos stuck skin with bathing and veg oil. He's now shedding again! Hope he can make it alone this time but if he doesnt im more prepared now. This is my first gecko lol. Stuck tarantula moults are much more easy to remove lol. Will keep you guys updated : )


You can buy ZooMed Repti Shed Aid for like £4, spray it on his/her toes whilst shedding so should moisten it so it's even easier to come off.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Till now hes still shedding. He is covered in white skin and its only broken in some parts. Hes been like 3 days like this now. Should i wait or help him?


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> Till now hes still shedding. He is covered in white skin and its only broken in some parts. Hes been like 3 days like this now. Should i wait or help him?


I would help him, poor guy is must be getting stressed!


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

For reference I personally wouldn't let them go on much longer than 24 hours shedding. Some of them really need help, better to help after a day so they don't get stressed and will eat etc.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Just removed alot of the skin. The skin is still attached to the tail and 3 of his limbs :/. Im kinda afraid to remove the skin of his tail, don't want him dropping it!
Damn hes one problem shedder lol


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> Just removed alot of the skin. The skin is still attached to the tail and 3 of his limbs :/. Im kinda afraid to remove the skin of his tail, don't want him dropping it!
> Damn hes one problem shedder lol


You're going to have to moisten it really well. Put him in a cricket tub or something, dampen some wet tissue in there and place on the heat mat for 15 mins. You're going to have to peal it off very slowly on his tail I've had to do it a few times .

But if he I'd a problem shedder id get some Zoo Med Repti Shed Aid you can spray it on him when due to shed, and should make it much easier for him and yourself if you have to continue to assist. 

If stuck on their toes etc, I spray them with the shed aid, leave for a minute or so, and then it starts to come away much more easily! 

Hope you manage it mate.


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

nsn89 said:


> You're going to have to moisten it really well. Put him in a cricket tub or something, dampen some wet tissue in there and place on the heat mat for 15 mins. You're going to have to peal it off very slowly on his tail I've had to do it a few times .
> 
> But if he I'd a problem shedder id get some Zoo Med Repti Shed Aid you can spray it on him when due to shed, and should make it much easier for him and yourself if you have to continue to assist.
> 
> ...


Just ordered Shed Aid. This time il have to work without it tho. Cheers and thanks : )


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Quick update - Yesterday i removed nearly every bit of shed skin(he had his ENTIRE shed still attached) He does have a moist hide that i mist very regularly but still hes got the shedding problems. Hope zoomed shed aid will help the little guy as i hate to stress him with every shed. Only one limb remains with the shed still attached. Will remove later today


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## Samiwolton (Jul 10, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> Quick update - Yesterday i removed nearly every bit of shed skin(he had his ENTIRE shed still attached) He does have a moist hide that i mist very regularly but still hes got the shedding problems. Hope zoomed shed aid will help the little guy as i hate to stress him with every shed. Only one limb remains with the shed still attached. Will remove later today


My Leo always had problems shedding his toes, we always had to bathe him to get it off, I decided to get some repti-shed I wasn't sure it was going to work but I tried it, and it worked very well, I just spray it on him when I notice he is going to shed, and he sheds absolutely perfectly every time, which means no having to mess around stressing him out bathing him. Hope it works for you too


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## sophie92 (Oct 3, 2011)

aww soo cute u know all my baby geckos hatched like tht and they have all changed i now have some mack snow nd some jungle type ones u can't really say what they are til they are fully grown.. i thought my male was a normal but hes actually a mack snow. i don't really have this shedding problem the babys seem to do it perfectly, try and give them a log or two so they tug it off themselves, or get the really tae that they let u do it for them like my older ones they love sitting in my hand while i do it lol


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Just bathed him again and removed some more skin...i cant seem to get the skin out of one of his legs. I ordered ZooMed shed aid so il be prepared next time he sheds. Unfortunately he lost a little bit of one of the digits (only like 1 mm but i feel so sorry for letting it happen). Im kinda afraid he will be afraid to be handled due to all this handling and trying to remove the skin with the Q-tip once he gets older . Fingers crossed next time should be an easy shed for him as il have shed aid. Wish skippy luck! 
lol


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Hes going to shed again lol. I should receive the shed aid on monday or tues! No one had that product here so had to order it off ebay . Hope it will help him remove the shed himself. Hate to see the little guy getting stressed! Also is it normal for a gecko to shed this often? I know baby gecko tend to shed frequently but mine has been shedding 2-3 in a month lol


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> Hes going to shed again lol. I should receive the shed aid on monday or tues! No one had that product here so had to order it off ebay . Hope it will help him remove the shed himself. Hate to see the little guy getting stressed! Also is it normal for a gecko to shed this often? I know baby gecko tend to shed frequently but mine has been shedding 2-3 in a month lol


Make sure his moist box is nice and moist 

Yeah that's fine, 2-3 times is nothing unusual mate.


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

Is that your Leo above? Very cute, but only 5grams :O lol. How s/he doing weight wise? (not saying its your fault by the way, norm people only sell a Leo once their 20grams).


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

nsn89 said:


> Is that your Leo above? Very cute, but only 5grams :O lol. How s/he doing weight wise? (not saying its your fault by the way, norm people only sell a Leo once their 20grams).


I mist the moist hide everyday to make sure it's wet. 

Swapped the little guy with some tarantula slings . Here they tend to sell the babies at a very young age. Most people only care about the money . When i got him his tail was very thin but he's getting fatter slowly now. I place mealworms in his bowl and he eats how much he pleases. Normally around 3 mealworms a day


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> I mist the moist hide everyday to make sure it's wet.
> 
> Swapped the little guy with some tarantula slings . Here they tend to sell the babies at a very young age. Most people only care about the money . When i got him his tail was very thin but he's getting fatter slowly now. I place mealworms in his bowl and he eats how much he pleases. Normally around 3 mealworms a day


Ah didn't realise you were in Malta! Lol.

Oh ok, well he really should be eating more than 3 mealies at that age. Have you tried putting the mealies on the floor in front of him to hunt as well as leaving some in the bowl?


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

nsn89 said:


> Ah didn't realise you were in Malta! Lol.
> 
> Oh ok, well he really should be eating more than 3 mealies at that age. Have you tried putting the mealies on the floor in front of him to hunt as well as leaving some in the bowl?


haha yeah in from Malta


He used to eat them when i place them in my hand but due to the bad sheds he had he was kinda stressed(baths, q tips etc). Infact he used to eat them all 8 everyday before he sheds . Hopefully he will start eating again after he sheds again(with the help of shed aid) . Il try to handle him abit today and offer him some meelies directly infront of him. Maybe that will make him more hungry!


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Just got shed Aid . Misted him really well..should i let him shed on his own now?


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Mine's about that size and is eating about 20 mini mealies a day!


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## nsn89 (Jun 11, 2011)

BoomBeat said:


> Just got shed Aid . Misted him really well..should i let him shed on his own now?


Is he due to shed now? If so then leave him alone if you've sprayed him with the shed aid, and he should find it much easier to shed. If not you will have to help him if he's struggling to get the last few bits off his toes etc. When you help him just spray the shed aid on the desired part and leave for a minute or so then it should come off nice and easy for you:2thumb:


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Hi again guys,

Shed aid did help abit but i still had to remove nearly all his entire shed(thanks to my fiance lol ) Don't know why he's such a problem shedder lol . Has any of you guys ever had a gecko like this? It's the second time i had to remove nearly all the skin myself. I guess he will be able to do it alone when he's older? Thanks for the help guys, here are some pics! Cheers


















Sorry for the quality of the last photo but he doesn't like to stay in that position xD
Can Skippy be sexed at this age? I think it's a she!


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## BoomBeat (Jan 1, 2011)

Quick update - Skippy shed all alone for the first time yesterday. Hes also eating 5-7 meal worms everyday(the medium sized meal worms(3-4cm not the small ones)

On 10-10-2011 he was 5 grams. Today 3-11-2011 hes 9 grams.Hes also developing spots which are starting to look real nice : ). Thanks for the help i got when i needed it! Cheers


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