sedating? please help

Neo · 07-30-05, 12:05 AM

is there a way to make the gecko go unconscious for a while? one of my leos failed shedding parts of its head. i've been working for hours cleaning off some of the skin but there's skin on its eye and toes that it wont let me touch. it spazes out when i touch it. this leo gets scared very easily not to mention one eye can't see right now because of the skin. so.. is there a safe way to sedate the leo so that i can remove the skin without resistance and have it wake up later?

king nick · 07-30-05, 10:08 AM

have you tryed putting the leo in a container with some warm water, that may help you get it off easyer...

HerpAddict · 07-30-05, 10:19 AM

I definitely don't recommend sedating a leo! I had a problem with a crested that wouldn't shed properly. What I would recommend is putting the leo is a container with about 1/4" of luke warm water in it (not too warm!). Put the leo in there with a lid on it for about half an hour. Just leave him alone. When he comes out, see if you can keep him still enough to use a moistened q-tip to remove the shed.

I also recommend making sure he has a humid hide on the warm side of the enclosure.

The gecko should be fine as long as the skin does no dry up, so giving the leo daily, or even twice daily baths will help this. Just be careful because too much humidity all the time can give leos a respiratory infection.

Good luck! With my crested, it had stuck shed on about 75% of its body, and I just kept up the humidity, tried to get as much skin off as I could, but eventually all she shed a second time, and the old shed came right off.

Neo · 07-30-05, 12:23 PM

thanks, i'll try the warm water thing. the problem isn't as much getting the skin off as it is getting it to stay still long enough for me to do it.

HerpAddict · 07-30-05, 12:29 PM

Well, the only situation I know of to make leos lethargic is to lower their temps a bit. I don't know how much I trust the safety of this method though.