Symptom Triage Flowchart

A new gecko owner reaches for one of two reactions when something looks wrong. The first is to do nothing and hope it resolves. The second is to panic and go to a small animal vet who has never seen a leopard gecko. Both paths cost the animal. The Symptom Triage Flowchart fixes this by sorting every common gecko symptom into one of three clear actions. VET NOW, monitor for 7 days, or treat as normal.

The flowchart is the first document the keeper opens when something looks wrong. It is short, scannable, and species-aware. Every block tells the keeper what they are looking at, what to do in the next 30 minutes, and which kit document covers the deeper protocol.

What the document does:

It covers 12 common gecko symptoms, each as its own block with five parts. What it looks like. Leopard gecko notes. Crested gecko notes. Vet now if. Monitor for 7 days if. The urgency tag at the top of each block (VET NOW or MONITOR 7 DAYS) is the first thing the eye lands on.

What is included:

• 12 symptom blocks covering anorexia, stuck shed, mouth gaping, prolapse, tremors, soft jaw, no defecation, regurgitation, lethargy, diarrhea, sunken eyes, visible injury, and mouth rot
• Species-specific guidance for leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) and crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) on every block where parameters diverge
• Clear urgency tags so the keeper sees the action level before reading the body of each block
• Cross-references to the deeper crisis playbooks for keepers who want the full protocol
• Closing section on what to do when a symptom is not on the list

Format and how it works:

Word version (.docx) for editing and a PDF version for printing. The print version lives in the go-home folder. Most keepers read it once during acclimation and then refer to it during a crisis. Specific symptom blocks are designed to be findable in under 30 seconds of scanning.

Why this version is different:

Most reptile symptom references are exhaustive medical encyclopedias or oversimplified "see a vet" lists. This one sorts symptoms by action. The keeper does not need to know the difference between cloacal and oviductal prolapse at 2am. The keeper needs to know it is VET NOW and what to do for the next 30 minutes. That is what the flowchart provides.

Who this is for:

For gecko keepers in the first year of ownership who want a real triage reference at the front of the go-home folder. Especially valuable for new owners who do not yet have the husbandry intuition to know what is normal and what is concerning. Pairs naturally with the Vet Now Checklist and the 7-Day Monitor Protocol, which are the two paths every triage decision routes into.

Get the flowchart on its own, or open the bundle for the full kit at volume pricing.