Pets stack exchange is a question and answer site for pet owners, caretakers, breeders, veterinarians, and trainers. As a general rule, a gecko should be eating well, maintaining or gaining weight, free from common detectable infectious diseases and appear healthy for one month before it is released from quarantine or isolation. My son swears that nothing happened such as him being dropped etc. First of all, always separate a sick leopard gecko from healthy ones. Also, try feeding your gecko some of its favorite foods to increase its appetite, like live crickets or. Often, i hear that an adult leopard gecko has not eaten for a couple of feedings. This is very troublesome for lots of hobbyist as they often prefer to have more natural look for their reptile vivarium. Most of the time, a gecko does not eat well due to illness, stress or life cycle events. Thats right, hungry crickets will eat a leopard gecko. If your gecko is feeling too stressed out, it may not eat. It been like this since i got him and that was march 20. To take care of a leopard gecko that wont eat, make sure it has a cool area in its enclosure thats around 74 degrees fahrenheit and a warm area thats around 90 degrees fahrenheit since geckos might not eat if theyre too hot or cold.
Your leopard gecko will look very skinny especially the tail which is usually very thick. A captive bred gecko comes in different patterns and color mutations. Too many people have overfed and fat leopard gecko including myself and to them they look normal. Me and my brother have leopard geckos and we got them at the same time. Sunken eyes, sticky mucus in the mouth, and retained, nonshedding skin all can be signs of dehydration. Feeding leopard geckos beyond the cricket and mealworm. Aug 24, 2009 failure to eat, or a reduction in eating habits in a gecko is not really a problem in and of itself, but a symptom of either an illness or a natural situation. She was getting about 20 crickets every 2 weeks, and water every few days or weeks, depending on if brother paid attention. Jul 11, 2011 im not sure if im posting this in the right place but i have searched everywhere over the internet and i cant find whats wrong with my leopard gecko. My leopard gecko is not eating tips that reptile blog. My leopard gecko is not eating too much, is really skinny and pale and his head is caving in.
My son has a leopard gecko that is about 7 8 months old. Find out what you should be feeding your gecko in our food advice article. Unlike other geckos, leopard geckos have moveable eyelids. Feb 27, 2020 eliminate stress from your gecko s environment. This question comes up all the time, so dont worry, youre not the only one struggling with this aspect of keeping a leopard gecko. How to take care of a leopard gecko that wont eat wikihow. Abscesses, eye injuries, tail and toe problems can all be pretty uncomfortable and make your gecko not want to eat. Animals that are sick avoid eating also, sometimes they just get bored. This is a time when geckos are at their most vulnerable, being young and not quite fully developed. My gecko will not eat part 2 gecko time gecko time.
May 18, 2010 hi aliza, thank you for your very thoughtful and helpful post. This pyramid is also based off of what experienced. Currently, it is believed that most cases of stick tail disease in leopard geckos are due to a parasitic infection called cryptosporidiosis cryptosporidium parasite. My leopard gecko is skinny plus we force feed him but then he spit it out. In general, healthy reptiles have wideopen eyes, moist gums, and supple skin. He has continued to poop but not eating crickets or meal worms. How long have been you long previous, a leopard geckos tail does not get skinny in one day. When we got her she was only eating about 35 crickets every couple of days but she was very thick, heavy and sluggish. Hi aliza, thank you for your very thoughtful and helpful post. His tail was real skinny the other day and then a lil bigger today.
Dec 31, 2010 my sons leopard gecko has stopped eating and is getting skinny. Those who follow this advice may keep their pet alive for a few years, and may even feel satisfied that they have provided it with a good lifesimilar to the mentality that doomed millions of red. Leopard gecko health concern why gecko eat substrate. The leopard gecko has a long, narrow body with a wide, short, fatty tail.
You do not have to follow the schedule exactly see special considerations. Substrate young leopard geckos shouldnt be kept on sand, even if it is calcium sand, as they may ingest it and suffer an intestinal blockage. The leopard gecko eublepharis macularius, a pet trade staple, is sometimes promoted as an easytokeep starterlizard that requires little more than heat and some vitaminpowdered crickets. But apparentlyhealthy geckos sometimes refuse to feed, or cut back on their intake, and there is still much confusion as to why this occurs.
The can cause an intestinal impaction which would keep the leopard gecko from eating. Leopard gecko losing weight but still eating a lot. Will reach adult size in 9 to 12 months, under ideal conditions. Shes 2 and 12 years old, plump tail, reasonably active certainly not lethargic, in a 10 gallon tank 90 degrees at the warm end, not impacted, no fecal problems, tank is clean, water every day she just doesnt have that robust appetite that it. Im not sure if im posting this in the right place but i have searched everywhere over the internet and i cant find whats wrong with my leopard gecko. Now, if your gecko quits eating, you really dont need to worry unless its losing weight. Jun 16, 2017 currently, it is believed that most cases of stick tail disease in leopard geckos are due to a parasitic infection called cryptosporidiosis cryptosporidium parasite. Leopard geckos are available in a variety of morphs including luecistic, high yellow and albino.
What to do if your leopard gecko stopped eating pethelpful. These should show no significant parasites for a gecko to be considered for release. Fatten up your skinny leopard gecko the healthy way the. Reviewed in the united states on december 25, 2014. Leopard geckos also known as leos go crazy for a succulent mixture of worms and gutloaded crickets that is, live crickets that have been fed the vitamins geckos need. She has some blue on her, and she would be gorgeous if she didnt look like she was on the verge of dying. The first place a leopard gecko directs nutrition to is its body. I have been handfeeding her a mixture of chicken, turkey baby food with a pinch each of repcal phosphorus free calcium with vitamin d, herptivite, spirulina, leopard gecko dust, and three to four drops of electrodize from exoterra.
I seen the gecko walking around in a little bit of water while my son was bathing him and he seemed fine. Excess weight loss in geckos skinny tail in lizards petmd. How to care for a leopard gecko with pictures wikihow. Adult leos only need to eat four to five times a week, which makes them a relatively lowmaintenance lizard. With the right food and environment you cant go far wrong. I have a circle water rock and a wood tree thing calcium sand and a hiding cave. Leopard geckos also opportunistically feed on smaller lizards, snakes and newborn rodents if they happen to stumble upon their nests. Normally gecko hobbyist did not pay enough attention on the food supplement. In addition, if a lizard ignores insects in its tank and doesnt eat them within a few minutes, the bugs should be removed or they may chew on the lizard, causing significant trauma and infection. Leopard geckos are not prone to biting and are usually slowmoving.
If you know your gecko has an injury be prepared that it may not want to eat until its pain is controlled and it is feeling better. My older brother has a leopard gecko named spike, at least 810 years old, and was in good health for the last few years ive known her. My leopard gecko is very skinny and not eating, i changed. Unlike some other common pet lizards, leopard geckos will eat live insects only. If you know your gecko has an injury be prepared that it may not want to. In other words, it wont have a fat tail if its body is under weight. My gecko is skinny but my brothers is huge, mines tail is skinny too and his is huge. There can be a number of reasons that the gecko has stopped eating enough to begin to lose tail mass. It is based off of research on the macronutrient and calcium requirements of various types of reptiles outlined in the merck veterinary manual as well as individual scientific studies about wild l eopard gecko diets. Find your leopard gecko at a certified breeder if possible, or at a pet store with healthy, wellcared for animals. Missing toes and crusty material around the mouth are signs of illness or retained shed.
By ronny lavie 27 feb 2018 leopard geckos are small and adorable and are among the easiest reptiles to care for. May 04, 2020 find your leopard gecko at a certified breeder if possible, or at a pet store with healthy, wellcared for animals. My mind would race as i tried to figure out what the best way to add some weight especially for my rescues. If you have more than one leopard gecko in an enclosure, keep an eye out for tailwaving. A lizard showing any of these signs should be soakedmisted. We got our leopard gecko, starr, around the end of november. When you have a leopard gecko it can be very difficult to even realize that there is anything wrong with it, especially if youre not used to working very closely with it. Recently i went to a local pet shop and noticed an extremely skinny gecko. Since most keepers consider regular feeding to be a sign of good health, it is disconcerting when a gecko doesnt eat. Do not purchase an unhealthy leopard gecko if you are not prepared to rehabilitate it. They wont accept canned or dried reptile food or meat.
In this video i talk about why your gecko isnt eating, and when you should take them to the vet. The pyramid is a guide to feed your l eopard gecko. That being said, if you are having problems getting your leopard gecko to eat, there are many reasons and solutions. I feed them both at the same time and the same amount. Reptiles absorb water through the food they eat and through their skin when they soak or are misted. Hunter is a leopard gecko and she is about 8 or 9 months old and weighs 40g.
She was bought from a well known pet store in august 2012 as a baby and is housed in a 10 gallon viv with paper towel as sunstrate, heat pad for belly heat, 2 hides one on the warm side and a. Many factors can cause your gecko stress, try to make your gecko s enclosure and life as stress free as you can. Hungry crickets can be extremely aggressive, often turning the tables on your beloved pets and making them into food. A guide to caring for leopard geckos the spruce pets. When cared for properly, leopard geckos are among the most hardy and longlived of all reptile pets. Sand is horrible for leos they could be impacted and be dying. But if your only starting out and would like to find out about basic morphs this book covers this. Now she is eating 25 crickets every day but she has lost a lot of weight. So, if breeding geckos is what youre doing then this book is probably for you, but other than that most of the other facts in this book can be found from browsing gecko sites on the internet. My leopard gecko is not eating too much, is really skinny.
Discussion in leopard geckos started by luckygecko, sep 20, 2010. If your looking to find out about morphs i wouldnt bother buying this. Do geckos gain weight during the hibernation months and then lose it in the spring. We keep it right next to the tank for a quick reference when any questions come up. Leopard geckos do not need very humid environments, but if the humidity is too low below 20 percent you may find that your gecko has trouble shedding. Then we try giving him reptaaid and then nothing happen.
When you start to notice that the tail shows signs that it is losing mass, you then need to figure out whats wrong. Select an animal with bright, clean eyes and a fat tail. We had him 4 12 years and he has been housed with another gecko from the same day they came home. Ok, not the whole gecko, but they will sure nibble on the soft parts, like the eyes.
Extremely skinny leopard gecko reptile forums information. Its not uncommon for geckos to skip a meal every now and then, so unless you see weight loss, dont panic just yet. Mar 11, 20 my leopard gecko has stopped eating and i cant work out why. Dust a vitamin and mineral powder on your leos food. Jun 16, 2017 not eating at alleven onceis a sign that cannot be ignored. Jan 28, 2017 hunter is a leopard gecko and she is about 8 or 9 months old and weighs 40g. Transferring your gecko to a new environment may have caused it stress.
My gecko will not eat, part 2 describes my female leo to a t. Sep 23, 20 me and my brother have leopard geckos and we got them at the same time. The bodys yellow background color has dark spots and blotches. If your leopard not eaten after 4 or 5 days, contact the seller to work out options.
I know your talking about a leopard gecko, but i know a lady that does reptile rescue and she rescued a ball python that was shedding and. My leopard gecko has stopped eating and i cant work out why. Many factors can cause your gecko stress, try to make your geckos enclosure and life as stress free as you can. Jun 27, 2012 leopard gecko illness leopard gecko illness although geckos are basically amazing clean reptiles, which is actually an important factor that keep them healthy, but it is best if you recognize some common illness that might infect your gecko for some reason. I got the gecko from a garage sale from someone that used to have a shop. Crypto, in short, is a protozoal parasite that affects the gastrointestinal system, leading to loss of appetite, diarrhea, and a loss of body condition.
Give the gecko some time to settle down, adjust, and get comfortable with their new digs. However, there are some subtle signs that you need to watch out for, especially during the first twentyfour months of its life. If youre looking for a how to care for manual for you leopard gecko, i would not recommend this book. Help me with my gecko, not eating reptile forums information. It will move and respond to touch and disturbance but will not eat. Jun 30, 2006 this book covers in dept on how to really look after your leopard gecko, so if you your a beginner or own a few geckos, this book is for you. One of the better leopard gecko books i have found. There are lots of questions circulating around the reptile and gecko forum that why leopard gecko eat substrate.
If you are 100% positive, and i really mean 100% positive that she isnt sick, then try taking her out for feeding see if she gets interested after a change of environment. She was bought from a well known pet store in august 2012 as a baby and is housed in a 10 gallon viv with paper towel as sunstrate, heat pad for belly heat, 2 hides one on the warm side and a moist hide with sphagnum moss on the cool side. If you use carpet its mouth could have been caught and the string is holding it closed. He is shedding, but he seems to have been shedding a lot over the last couple of days. They have perky personalities and are known to be very vocal, especially when they are hungry. He stopped eating altogether about 4 days ago, right after getting a bath. However, the leopard geckos captive lifespan should be measured in decades, not years animals in their teens are common, and the recordbreaker exceeds 30 years of age. Failure to eat, or a reduction in eating habits in a gecko is not really a problem in and of itself, but a symptom of either an illness or a natural situation.
Sons leopard gecko not eating, seems to have troubles. If your leopard gecko has a wound or is in pain because of an injury, it may stop eating. I used to always stress about whether my leopard gecko was too skinny or unhealthy which would lead to sleepless nights. Sons leopard gecko not eating, seems to have troubles walking. Be sure to take a poop sample ideal 53 leopard gecko losing weight and not eating leopard gecko losing weight and not eating can help you lose weight, increase energy and gain several health benefits. He is not eating, is getting very skinny and his eyes seem to be closed or open slightly all the time. Crypto, in short, is a protozoal parasite that affects the gastrointestinal system, leading to loss of appetite, diarrhea, and a. You need to remove the sand and replace with cage carpet or paper towels. Leopard gecko lethargic, not eating in the last month it has stopped eating and drinking, it seems lethargic and its eyes have dried in to shrivels because of sand residuea dirty cage they say. I have listed 20 reasons why a leopard gecko isnt eating, i. Our leopard gecko has not eaten for a couple days now. Mar 01, 2003 if youre looking for a how to care for manual for you leopard gecko, i would not recommend this book. Following are some tips to help you provide the best possible diet for your pet. Less serious eating difficulties might also be stimulated by using a leopard gecko food rock.
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