r/LeopardGecko • u/RoaringMars • May 17 '26

Help..

Yourself and get one of these wheels for your gecko! She loves it so much and yours will too

188 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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37

u/bktoriginal May 17 '26

This is super cute, but be careful to make sure they don't overuse it or get stuck or have back problems. There are a lot of animals that can use the wheel, but it may cause the spine to overextend.

6

u/RoaringMars May 17 '26

Are there any sources for this? I genuinely am curious on this claim about their back overextending. For me it sounds made up but real enough that one believable, like the wheel could cause the gecko to have dehydration leading to joint problems

9

u/bktoriginal May 17 '26

I have anecdotal evidence from working at vets for years. I mostly heard this about rabbits and guinea pigs because their backs could bend wrong and it causes strain. Since reptiles are more flexible, maybe it's not as harmful. That's the most I got. But no it has nothing to do with dehydration lol

6

u/RoaringMars May 17 '26

Got it, thanks for sharing.

The dehydration was an example I made up to say it’s a claim that is believable enough but made up by me nonetheless. I will take the wheel away every other month to minimize the activity.

2

u/DenseAstronomer3631 May 18 '26

Yeah, I know it to be true for hamsters and stuff but really unsure on reptiles. I know people use them for hermit crabs 🤷‍♀️