Due to leopard geckos being cute and relatively easy to care for as far as reptiles go, the number of people who keep them as pets has grown exponentially over the last couple of years.
We have noticed that the spike in people new to keeping leopard geckos has also resulted in a correlating spike in the number of people reaching out and asking various questions about their new pets with a common question being about a leopard gecko having a bloated belly and a skinny tail.
The three most common reasons that a leopard gecko may have a bloated belly while also having a skinny tail are due to bowel impaction, a parasitic infection, and a female leopard gecko producing eggs.
In most situations, the underlying condition is usually easy to fix and the majority of leopard geckos will make a full recovery provided you implement a treatment plan quickly.
If you have any doubt at all or just want a professional opinion then we would highly recommend that you book a video call with a veterinarian to have them give your leopard gecko the once over.
This will usually work out to be much cheaper than an actual trip to your local vets while providing you the exact same professional information as well as advice on how to move forward treating your leopard gecko.
What Causes Bloating And A Skinny Tail In A Leopard Gecko?
Parasites in the stomach of your leopard gecko tend to be the most common cause of bloating in your leopard gecko that can then result in its tail shrinking.
Less common causes include a female leopard gecko starting to produce eggs or your leopard gecko suffering from impaction and having some form of blockage in its digestive system with a blockage in the bowels usually being the most common.
Depending on the severity, all three of these issues may need the assistance of a veterinarian and the majority of our readers should be seeking veterinarian assistance as soon as possible to prevent the problem from getting worse while also helping you start a treatment plan as soon as possible.
In some extreme situations, your leopard gecko may have to have an operation to treat a bad case of impaction but thankfully, this is rare, especially if you catch the problem early enough.
One thing that does catch many people out who are new to keeping leopard geckos is thinking that they have a male leo when they actually have a female and this can cause them to worry the first time she starts to produce eggs.
By chance, the first time a female leopard gecko is also the time when she has the highest chance of her body swelling up while her tail shrinks but this side effect does not tend to be as obvious with the production of subsequent egg clutches.
How To Help A Leopard Gecko With A Bloated Belly And Skinny Tail!
The main issue with helping a leopard gecko with a bloated belly and a skinny tail is correctly identifying the cause of the problem as the correct treatments are generally easy to implement once you know the cause.
Parasite treatments are readily available both online and from your local vet’s office, impaction can be treat by mediation sometimes but may require surgery, and egg production will normalize once the leopard gecko lays her egg clutch.
If your female leopard gecko is bloating up due to producing eggs for the first time then be sure to note that she can stay bloated until the end of her first breeding season.
This is commonly overlooked for people new to keeping leopard geckos and a female can produce multiple clutches of eggs over a single breeding season with bloating being common over the months, especially if it is her first breeding season but there is usually nothing to worry about provided she is laying.
We have seen some people discount the possibility of parasites being the cause of the bloated belly in their leopard gecko due to not being able to see the parasites in their leopard geckos poop but this is not an accurate way to diagnose the problem.
Bloating of the stomach and belly in a leopard gecko is usually due to parasites in the stomach of the leo rather than its intestine so it is rare that they will be in the poop but medication from your vet will be able to treat any parasites anywhere in your leopard geckos digestive system.
Should You Be Worried About Your Leopard Gecko Being Bloated With A Skinny Tail?
If your leopard gecko is bloating and having problems with its tail due to impaction or parasites then these can end up developing into serious issues so you are right to worry.
If your leopard gecko is bloating due to producing eggs then this will often be fine and can be natural provided the eggs are actually being laid and are not stuck.
There are some less common causes of bloating in leopard geckos with allergies being one of them that can also be serious and potentially result in long-term health problems.
This is why we have recommended that our readers do their best to get professional advice from a vet as soon as possible if they do notice these issues in their gecko as untreated, the underlying cause of the bloating can end up being serious and potentially fatal.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over why your leopard gecko can have a bloated belly and a skinny tail to an end as well as how you can treat it to an end. You really should be getting a vet involved as soon as possible for issues like this but for the most part, provided you get help from a vet early enough, your leopard gecko will be able to make a full recovery quickly without having any long term health problems that will cause it issue for the rest of its life.
