My Savannah monitor lizard has stuck shed on his toes. What to do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
my Savannah monitor lizards front hands seem to bug him there is also some stuck shed, what should i do?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 4th, 2019
GIve him a good long soak, at least 30 minutes, in a warm bath. During the bath, use cotton swabs or a washcloth to gently rub his toes. This should remove any stuck shed. If not, have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. Do not pull at any stuck skin.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 3rd, 2018
Soak him in warm water for 15-20 minutes daily until the bit of shed falls off. Monitor for swelling, discomfort, redness, lameness or lethargy. Keep his enclosure clean. If he develops any of the above symptoms, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Lightning’s toe, on his back right foot looks a bit odd, it looks like there is no scales there , and the “skin” on the toe looks like it’s about to fall off. Also the claw is in the toe and only sticks out a bit. He was shedding a few days ago but h
Soak him in warm water for 15-20 minutes daily until the bit of shed falls off. Monitor for swelling, discomfort, redness, lameness or lethargy. Keep his enclosure clean. If he develops any of the above symptoms, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I got my leopard gecko from petco and they didn't take care of her toes when she shed so the shedded skin tightened and now she seems to be losing part of her toes. What do I do?
You may need to have April examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If the blood supply has been compromised by stuck shed, the toes will indeed die. This could be painful and may lead to infection. Soak her in warm water for 15-20 minutes daily to help with any shedding. She may need minor surgery to remove dead or dying tissue.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My leopard gecko cannot shed his skin on his toes. I am spraying his tank with water to keep it moist and I have made a "shed box" with wet moss but he still cannot shed. He has lost his tail before because the dry skin cut off circulation on it, and
Try the following: Give your leopard gecko a bath. Make sure the water is lukewarm and not too deep. Geckos can swim, however you need to be present so he does not drown. or make a moisture chamber: use a tupperware, spray bottle, and a paper towel. Spray or wet the paper towel. Put the paper towel inside the tupperware. Put your leopard gecko inside the tupperware for 30 minutes. You can repeat this as often as you need. Take a wet q-tip and gently rub the skin off after moisturizing. you may also need to use tweezers to gently pick off the shed. Your gecko may not like it, and may get stressed, but this is not as bad as losing toes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I’ve had my leopard gecko for 3 weeks now and he shedded for the first time. I’ve noticed his skin is pretty dry but he’s eating and pooping fine. He’s not used to me yet and is just getting used to crawling over my hand, so I can’t get it off myself
You can soak him in a warm bath for 15-30 minutes to aid in shedding. Also, provide a moist hide on each side of the tank during sheds. This is done by adding moistened moss to the hide. The increased humidity aids in shedding. Do not pull any loose shed off by hand. That may cause injury.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
1)Raptor didnt shed real well because he only shed his back legs and neck. 2)Both of his eye are shut. 3)green liquid on his enclosure bedding.
Soak Razor in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Gently rub off any loose shed but do not pull or tear at it. If he is wiggly, you can place him in a small container with paper towels moistened with warm water for 15-20 minutes. The moist heat and humidity should help with the shed. Make sure he can breathe in the container. You can put this moist hide in his enclosure so he has a place to go when he is shedding. Monitor his stool and submit a sample to your vet to diagnose intestinal parasites if you see more "green liquid".
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
Hello, my leopard gecko shed a few days ago and all the sudden today I noticed this in her eye. It doesn’t move, it doesn’t seem to bug her too much. She occasionally licks at it but keeps her eye open. What could this be and what should I do?
This could be a bit of shed skin or the eyelid shed that has gotten stuck on the eye. Leopard geckos shed the skin on the eyelids but not over the eyes (eye caps). Occasionally, some shed can stick. Try soaking him in some warm water or placing him in a warm, humid hide ( make sure there is air flow) for 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, use a moistened cotton swab to gently dislodge it. Do not pull or force it in any way. If it won't come off, have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I tried to soak my Leopard Gecko's foot in lukewarm water for about 20-30 seconds to get some stuck shed off his toes, I got the shed off but now he isn't as active and isn't moving around as much as he normally does. He was running around because he
It is likely he was stressed. Give him some time to settle down and he should be fine. Keep an eye on his feet and toes. If there is any discoloration, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I'm owner of a leopard gecko. Recently I've noticed that his clow turned black. After waiting some days, it seems that one part of the claw has fallen off. What is it and what should do about it?
He may have injured it somehow or a bit of stuck shed could have strangulated the tissue. Ideally, he should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. In the meantime, soak the toe/foot in diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) a couple times a day. Dry it thoroughly afterwards. Use plain paper towels in the enclosure until he heals.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our leopard gecko has dried skin stuck in his eyes, and he cannot open them, and on top of his head. How can we help him?
Hi, This is usually the results of abnormal shedding. Please make sure that you are providing Gecky with the correct conditions (care sheets are available online e.g. on the Petco website). As to removing these pieces of skin, you can wet them down 2-3 times/ day and rub them very very gently with a wet gauze. It may take several days before they come off. Be patient.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My leopard gecko has a brittle discolored toe! Her age is unknown and none of her other toes are like this. She eats normal and acts normal from what I know. I’m scared her toe might fall off! I don’t know what is wrong with her toe but if anyone kno
It would appear that some shed skin was stuck around the toe which compromised blood flow, effectively "strangling" the toe. It could also be due to trauma, she may have caught it r pinched it somewhere in her enclosure.
have her examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. the remnant may need to be removed to prevent infection. She may also need antibiotics and/or pain medication.
In the future, when she is in shed, provide a moist hide at each end of the enclosure. Increase humidity temporarily and soak her daily to aid in shedding. Check her feet and toes for any stuck shed to prevent additional loss. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence if humidity levels are too low during a shed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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