Banded Gecko's Belly Bloated? Help?

[Mossshadow]

I haven't been here in a while. Hello everyone. ^^

Okay, so I had just noticed this a few days ago; my female banded gecko whom I have for about a year now, that her body is quite wide, with her head looking disproportioned to her body. I have been a bit worried, since I've never seen this before. She eats well and readily, with a changing diet of small crickets and mealies every other day. She eats around five each time. I have checked her feces, and she doesn't seem to be impacted. The temperature in the tank is around 78 degrees F, with the hot side at 88 and the cool at 78. Her terrarium is 10 gal.

She also to have appeared to eat /all/ of her calcium in her calcium dish before, and I thought that was a bit odd. I dust her food a couple times a week, once or twice a week with the D3 added. She spends a considerable amount of time in her humid hide which I keep moist. But, I have checked her tummy, and I saw no eggs.

Could she be developing eggs? She has laid infertile eggs the year before, and another one which failed to develop a strong shell in February. Other than the bloating, she seems just fine. Any help is appreciated. ^^

 

[M&S-328]

Hmm, this post caught my eye because just recently one of my leopard geckos went through some nasty bloating.
Im not sure of all the differences between leos and banded geckos, but heres my two cents..

If the bloating gets any worse/continues, you should take her in for a check up.
If your afraid the vets office will cost way to much (you should call in first and ask how much a check up for a small reptile is) then try and figure out yourself if you can whats ailing her.
If her poops look normal, and shes still eating as she always has, then she may have tiny little parasites in her causing the bloating - in which case you will need to get her medicine, and that can be pretty difficult without a vets prescription. But some people on here know meds that can help to "de-bug" your gecko from parasites, and perhaps they can give you some info on what to give her/where to get it from..
But, if her appetite starts to go down hill, then take a light and check her tummy. If the light shines straight through, and her tummy looks bloated but empty (you can see straight through her belly area and there are no organs in her lower half) then you can try the method Ive used..

But I CAUTION you! This is NOT a professional treatment and does NOT guarantee your gecko will be cured of any illnesses!
Personally, I have found that when one of my leos bloats up and loses his appetite, a little warm water soak and gentle squeezing can help.
The water should be lukewarm, and very shallow so their head and backs arnt submerged. Let the gecko soak for about 5 -10 minutes or until the water begins to get cool. After the gecko has had a few minutes to climb over a a towel to dry itself off, you can try the squeezing. This MUST be done very carefully and ONLY if you are sure the bloating is in the belly of your gecko. To do this, simply hold your gecko "backwards" (its head facing towards you with its back legs and tail hanging off over our hand) and its belly bwtween your thumb and outside-side of your index finger (think like you are holding the head of a snake in your head - your thumb would be used to apply pressure down and the side of your index finger would be used like a surface..) and then gentle squeeze down on its belly little by little. You should see a spurt or drops of liquid expel from your geckos "butt" at this time. If nothing comes out, then the belly was not the bloated area, and youll need a vet to help drain your geckos bloating. But, if you do see the liquid coming out, then this method may continue to be used as needed and you should see decreased bloating and improved appetite. Just dont "try again" in less then 48 hours. Give your gecko time to de-stress and recover before you attempt a second go-at-it. AGAIN, Please DO NOT depend on this to heal your gecko! If your gecko does have an illness that is causing the bloating the only way to heal it is to get it the proper meds! Going to the Vets is ALWAYS the absolute best way to find out whats wrong with your pet and what the procedure to healing it is..

I hope this does help some. And I hope your gecko is able to recover quickly from whatever is causing her to bloat! Good luck!

 

[Mossshadow]

Oh, I do hope it's not parasites. She seems to be acting way normal, but I know that doesn't mean much if it's in the early stages.

Thank you for the input. Her eating habits have been pretty constant since the day I got her, with eating a few more or less occasionally (like when she is shedding).

But I'll keep a close eye on her, and I'll try to get pictures.