17/11/2025
One of the most common and preventable issues we see in leopard geckos and many other reptiles is retained eyecaps/eye lid lining.
In mild cases, there may only be one or two stuck, and once removed, the eyes return to normal. Unfortunately, most cases aren’t mild. Many geckos come in with multiple layers of retained lining, and by the time they’re noticed, the animal may already have long-term or even permanent eye damage, including partial or complete blindness.
The truth is that even with perfect husbandry, retained shed can still happen. But what is fully in our control is how quickly we spot them. Regular checks make the difference between a quick fix and irreversible damage.
When your reptile sheds—or in the case of leopard geckos, when you notice they’re about to shed—always check:
* The shed itself
* The eyes for cloudiness
* Cloudy eye even after shed removed
* Any pieces of skin, even tiny pieces around the lids
* Squinting or holding one eye partially closed
* Eye appearing slightly sunken compared to the other
* Eye surface looking dull/matte instead of glossy
* Eyes looking asymmetrical in shape or shine
* Rubbing face on décor or substrate
* Missing prey or struggling to aim
* Increased hiding or stress behaviours
* Reduced appetite due to impaired vision
* Persistent discharge or debris in the eye corners
These should be addressed as soon as possible. Every reptile keeper should know how to check for and safely remove retained shed, and if you’re unsure, please seek help from a specialist reptile vet.
The leopard gecko pictured has been with us for two weeks.
So far, it has had at least six pieces of retained shed removed from each eye, has had daily cleaning, vet-performed eye flushing, and I’ve still personally removed two large pieces of abscess-like material. These were pushing the eyes deeper into the sockets, essentially blinding the gecko and almost certainly causing significant pressure and pain.
This entire situation was completely preventable.
Retained shed shouldn’t be this common — yet they are one of the issues we see most often, especially in leopard geckos.
With simple routine checks, prompt action, and proper education, cases like this would almost never reach this stage.
