my leopard gecko lemon has a little bowl of dirt and last night I rolled over to see her in her home digging the dirt AND THEN EATING IT
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Are you giving it vitamin and mineral supplements?
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no am i supposed to
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Yes otherwise it can end up with Metabolic Bone Disease. All major pet stores will have a vitamin supplement for lizards. Give it a small dish that’s always got some in it. You can also dust it’s food the supplement to ensure it’s consuming it.
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ok thank you so much for the feedback
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@ballornothing is right. Leopard geckos need vitamin supplementation for their food. You should get a container of calcium without d3 and a multivitamin for reptiles (I use Repashy calcium plus). You should give them a small dish (I use bottle caps) of calcium without d3 and dust their food every other feeding with the multivitamin.
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Until you have corrected her nutritional imbalances you should remove the dirt. She could get a blockage and die.
Edit: if you search the forum, you’ll find lots of places where people (including myself) have detailed diet requirements for leopard geckos. I’m sorry, I’m disabled, and my hands hurt too much right now to type it all out again. I recommend silkworms, small (and only smaller) hornworms, black soldier fly larvae, and possibly dubia roaches. Don’t leave loose, uneaten crickets in the tank.
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thank you so much for the help I removed the dirt bowl and I told her ill give you the fun white powder if you STOP EATING DIRT
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Yes, do you supply UVB and UVA lighting? This will also help to prevent Metabolic Bone Disease (a.k.a. M.B.D.)
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yes I do im really worried because i have no idea where the local reptile vet thingy is
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So long as the gecko looks bright eyed, alert and is still pooping and so on regularly, I wouldn’t worry. Youre getting it what it needs by doing correct UVA/UVB lighting and mineral supplementing. (They need the lights so the minerals can metabolize into their bones as it were) So it should stop trying to eat dirt. (Don’t keep it on Calci-sand, btw, the stuff is shold by petshops but is no good.) If your gecko acts differently or stops passing waste, then you might need a vet.
I’d find an exotics vet near you who has experience with reptiles jut so you know who to go to. I used to drive an hour and half to see mine at one time but it’s worth it having an expert.
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thank you so much and i looked at the nearest reptile vet and its 2 HOURS AWAY
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Yes, I would definitely keep an eye on it. If its needs are well met (humidity, lighting, temperature, supplements/feeding, etc.) nothing should come of it. Just take extra care and watch the poops and behavior/activity.
What substrate were you using? 
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It might be a commute, but when you need a vet, you need a vet, so keep their address and phone number handy.
A lot of people here have firsthand experience with Leopard Geckos- I don’t- so they may have had discussions about Impaction or when to see a vet. If Searching doesn’t turn up anything, people here have been very friendly. Good luck!
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paper towels
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There is a possibility she could develop impaction. Do not keep her on the substrate. What do you use as substrate? Instead, house her on paper towels or newspaper.
I personally have nothing against using loose substrate UNLESS they are ingesting it. Because she is, it is a necessity that you get her away from any loose substrate ASAP.
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she is on paper towels
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I can’t tell from the picture but I don’t think you need to worry about it. Geckos have lots of organs and fat bodies that can be mistaken for other things. Do you know how old the leo is? Also, what kind of dirt was she eating and what was it from? Was it in a humid hide?
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Honestly 2 hours is not bad IMO. I take my pig to a vet thats 2 hours away. There are closer vets, they just don’t understand pet pigs like the vet I take him to does.
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