How Can I Tell If My Lizard Is Sick?

Does your lizard have lowered appetite, or not at all?

Does your lizard leaves fewer droppings than usual?

Is your lizard lethargic or just less active than usual?

Does your lizard has sunken eyes, sticky mucus in the mouth, and skin that won't shed?

Lizards generally love to eat. Some lizards are herbivores (vegetable and fruit eaters), others are insectivores (insect-eaters), and some species can be omnivores (eat insects and vegetables/fruit). Regardless of what the lizard eats, leaving lizard food after a meal can be one of the first signs of illness. Not eating at all is almost a certain indicator that your lizard is ill. Lizard owners should carefully monitor their pets’ appetites and take them to the veterinarian as soon as they notice any change.

Reptiles’ droppings have two parts: a white part made up of uric acid or solid urine, and a green or brown portion, made up of stool. Less stool production usually means less food ingestion. Therefore, as soon as a lizard owner sees fewer droppings in the tank, he or she should pay extra attention to the pet’s appetite. Whether the pet’s reduced stool production is due to decreased appetite or constipation, a lizard that is passing less stool should be soaked in fresh water to keep it hydrated and checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Healthy lizards are generally bright-eyed and active. They will respond to things they see and hear and appear alert, pushing up on all four legs in a ready-to-go posture. Sick lizards, on the other hand, often will stay stationary for hours or may even hide under lizard bedding or other objects in the tank. They may be too weak to push up off their bellies onto their legs, so if they move at all, they slither around like snakes. Any reptile owner who sees this kind of behavior or notices a weakness in their pet should have the animal checked out immediately.

In general, healthy reptiles have wide-open eyes, moist gums, and supple skin. Reptiles absorb water through the food they eat and through their skin when they soak or are misted. Sunken eyes, sticky mucus in the mouth, and retained, non-shedding skin all can be signs of dehydration. A lizard showing any of these signs should be soaked/misted with warm water to provide immediate hydration and should be examined by a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of the dehydration, such as a primary illness, causing the pet to eat less, or inadequate humidity in the lizard’s tank.

Weight loss in lizards is not always obvious until they have lost a significant amount of weight. There are some body changes lizard owners can look out for that can indicate weight loss, including thinning of the tail (a place lizards typically store fat) and prominence of the ribs. Some reptiles also demonstrate a greater definition of the skull bones from loss of fat on their heads. Lizard owners who notice any of these signs should have their pets checked as soon as possible by a veterinarian to assess the cause of the weight loss and to start nutritional supplementation until the pet is at a more appropriate weight.