# [PICTURES] Red lumps at base of Leopard Gecko tail :(



## LeoGeckoDude (Jul 2, 2012)

Hello all,

In the last month or so Teicho has developed a gunky left eye, causing him to barely open it at all. We have been back and forth to John Chitty in Andover with various courses of eyedrops and it seems to be getting better slowly.

However, while applying the eye drops just now I noticed 2 rather large, swollen, painful looking lumps at the base of his tail. It looks very uncomfortable and they appear to be filled with pus 

We are very worried and would welcome any advice on this. Have you seen it before? Is there anything we can do to help it? What is it!? We have an appointment scheduled for 10 days time, but I'm guessing this is too long to leave it?

Pictures below... I was tidying up after a bad shed which is why there is some stuck skin in the photos.





Any help will be greatly appreciated


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## harry136 (Aug 2, 2012)

Possibly infected cricket bites


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## LeoGeckoDude (Jul 2, 2012)

harry136 said:


> Possibly infected cricket bites


He doesn't get fed crickets - he has never been interested in them and won't eat them


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## Athravan (Dec 28, 2006)

Looks like an infected hemipene to me. He will need vet treatment - I would recommend moving your vets appointment up to as soon as possible. It looks pretty treatable right now but if you have a strong stomach and google image "leopard gecko infected hemipene" you will see how bad it can get. If that is what it is, eventually it will get so swollen that it breaks the skin. Is he in with a female?


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

needs to see a specialist reptile vet, looks infected, there are a few ways it can occur, impaction, stuck sperm plugs, prolapse...either way needs proper diagnosis and treatment asap, let the vet know you need an urgent appointment or you may have to wait a while


if he had a bad shed aswell, that's a good indicator that this has been caused by problems with his setup, make sure temps are correct, and always provide a humid hide - also ensure all his feeder insects are properly gut loaded before feeding, so he has a good range of nutrients and therefore a strong immune system


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## Viqer Fell (Jan 12, 2015)

Found this but no idea if it is related or could help

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/newbie-advice/499969-help-red-lump-leopard-gecko.html

Good luck and hope it clears up asap


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## LeoGeckoDude (Jul 2, 2012)

To answer a previous question, no he is not in with a female. He has never been in contact with another gecko.

I thought an immediate vet visit would be the answer. I will give them a call on Monday morning.

Thank you all.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

LeoGeckoDude said:


> To answer a previous question, no he is not in with a female. He has never been in contact with another gecko.
> 
> I thought an immediate vet visit would be the answer. I will give them a call on Monday morning.
> 
> Thank you all.


call them tomorrow, infections can quickly become fatal if they are left


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## LeoGeckoDude (Jul 2, 2012)

CloudForest said:


> call them tomorrow, infections can quickly become fatal if they are left


For some reason I assumed they weren't open on the weekend, but they are open for an hour tomorrow.

I sent them an email as soon as I noticed with pictures asking for contact from my specific vet.

I hope this is all okay


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

LeoGeckoDude said:


> For some reason I assumed they weren't open on the weekend, but they are open for an hour tomorrow.
> 
> I sent them an email as soon as I noticed with pictures asking for contact from my specific vet.
> 
> I hope this is all okay


early treatment is the best treatment, let us know how he gets on


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## JboneG (Apr 15, 2017)

Hello all. I see I'm a little late on this post but I hope your little guy made a healthy recovery. 

From what I've seen with my leopard gecko I'm assuming this is stuck sperm plugs. It looks like you cought yours a lot earlier than I did. 

I'm hoping to spread a little awareness on these sperm plugs cause it seems like an overlooked issue and I had a hard time finding info on this problem. 

From what I understand these plugs can get stuck and block things up and eventually cause kidney failure.Males can have this happen to them even without a female around as mine has been alone his whole life. 

I was unable to get to a vet so I attempted to remove them my self and was successful. I was very gentle and my Leo was actually very cooperative with me but I do not recommend trying this procedure yourself. I would take it to a vet if you see a bulge around the vent area. 

After they were out I soaked him in a warm Epsom salt bath every night for almost two weeks and eventually the swelling went down and everything returned to normal. 

I was away for work when this happened and a friend fed and gave him water while I was away. I am unsure how long it took for the swelling to set in. 

He was housed on paper towel after to help keep the affected area as clean as possible. I've since switched to repti carpet. 

The picture was taken before I attempted the removal.


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