Leopard Geckos-Anorexia?

Question

I have had several leopard geckos and two of them stopped eating. I don't think it was from impaction I used a calcium substrate. I tried force feeding them but they still wouldn't eat and they eventually died. I am very sad and I am afraid it will happen to my other one. What causes them just to stop eating and what should I do to help if I notice the other one stops eating?

Answer 1

I agree that that bedding is a major health problem and I wish it were banned. So many pet stores tout it as the best thing since sliced bread and they state how it is digestable and offers calcium to boot. I will say this, first of all it is not, not, not digestable and second, if it were....think about it. Because an animal needs calcium does not mean that they can't overdose on it. if the said calci-crap were truly digestable any reptile who lived on it would have such calcium overload that it would cause other health issues like calcium depostis, joint issues and gout. I am truly sorry that you are yet another person who was misinformed and was only trying to provide for their pet and because you were so misinformed actually did harm to your own pet.
OK, enough about that crap....for impactions, you should put them in warm water up to their armpits for about a half hour or so 2-3 times per day. You can also gently massage their abdomen from the head area and then moving down toward the vent. I tend to use olive rather then mineral oil since the mineral oil can actually mess up their digestion a little. You can see if they will eat a was worm or silk worm dipped in the oil but keep in mind that impaction often also kills the appetite since nothing is moving through and it starts to back up. Also, the worm is gonna die whether or not it gets eaten so don't put it back with the others. If they wont eat the worm, get a medicine dropper or needless syringe and only give a tenth of a cc at a time. GENTLY place the edge of the dropper or syringe on the side of the mouth with it angled so the edge of it it between the upper and lower lip, VERY GENTLY angle the dropper or syringe so it pulls the lower lip down and the whole tip of the dropper/syringe is now between the lips. Squirt it very slowly into the mouth.
Hope this helps and I am sorry that you had to lose some pets in order to find out that pet stores only care about the almighty dollar. Good luck.

Answer 2

Hey, parasites are common in leopard geckos, especially if you get them from a pet store(most do not clean the leos cages at all). I'm not going to say 100% for sure that that is the problem, but it is usually most common along with impaction. It's always good to go get a fecal check done at a Herp Vet. That is one reason they could be losing weight and not eating. It doesn't cost much for a vet check maybe 70$ total, that's what it costs me. Also I would change the substrate to something such as paper towels while they are sick, easier to clean and no impaction risk. And I would seperate them. Also what are your temps? I would bump the hot side up to 90F and keep the cool side around 70 to 80F. :) Also check out freewebs.com/the captive leopard gecko (no spaces) See if there is anything wrong with your husbandry.

Answer 3

As stated above Cal sand is worse cuz leos know when they need calcium and will eat the sand if its there. Its not digestable as stated on the lable. It might have been due to impaction but there are many other reasona leo will stop eatting. If there were all in the same tank the one that is still alive could have bullied the other 2 to the point where they stop eatting. I have had this happen but seperated them before it got to far. Alot of people think that there leos laying next to each other or on each other is a form of cuddleing or friendship but its just them trying to the best "warm" spot and in the end leads to stress and fighting. If they did live in the same tank and were male and female its a chance the 2 females got pregnant and were to young or they were just stressed out by the male. It also could have been a parasite from feeders or if you held any other reaptile with parasites and gave them to your leos. like i said there are many different reason leos stop eatting. It could have been as little as wrong temps but that prob would have effected all 3 of them.

Also above was stated that a staple diet of mealworms is not good. That is wrong and if you dont know what your talking about please dont give information. I have keep and breed leopard geckos along with many other types of geckos for many and many of years and have ever seen a problem with mealworms. In fact all 10 of adult leopard geckos right now are on a staple diet of mealworms and have been since there were hatched. I do offer then a wide assortment of different foods like crickets, phoenix worms, superworms, discoid roaches, hornworms, silkworms, and butterwroms. These different foods are offered at different times but there main source of food is mealworms.

I hope this helps.... If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

I agree with Arciciah above. I've kept leopards (as a hobbyist) on calci sand without any problems (but we both work at pet stores, so I guess we won't be believed because we're "pushing a product"). I've also used bark (sized so they can't swallow it), moss (it holds humidity better in the hide for shedding youngsters), and ground coconut fiber. I haven't had problems with any. But there are people who have.

There are also pet owners who have had their herps die from impaction of insect exoskeletons, because they fed improperly sized or molting stage insects to young animals who couldn't digest them. Or, weren't kept at a proper temperature to digest them.

I agree that this sounds like impaction. I don't know why you say you didn't think that this was the cause, but if your third leo is not eating, you should take it to the vet as soon as possible. You should also review your animal's captive environment. Change the stubstrate to whatever you like, but also check the temperatures, what you are feeding, how much, and when. You don't say if you were giving the leos a varied diet, or just crickets, or if you were using calcium and vitamin supplements. The fact that this has happened twice already, tells me something is not as it should be.

Leo websites:
http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/lizards/leopard-gecko.php
http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

btw: for those who have read to this point, sorry for the rambling! I agree that most "pet shop" employees don't know what they are talking about and are just out to make a buck. I've dealt with them. THAT is one of the reasons I chose to work in the industry (and volunteer my time answering questions on this site) - it sure wasn't the salary! I had a few really good people that I talked to when I got involved in keeping herps, and I'm trying to break the negative stereotype. It's a plus for the store as well when people know they can get an honest answer to a question (even if it's "you don't need to buy anything" or "you can make one yourself by...").

Answer 5

I have breed leopard geckos for 10 years now, I sure sand as many breeders do this is a great source for egg laying, I have never had impaction due to using it. Also making sure your reptile is warm enough is very important, feed crickets dusted with cal-d, dust every other feeding as too much calcium is not good either also mealworms, wax worms etc.. as a treat only as they are high in protein and cause problems with the liver if given to many same with feeding pinkies. When I first started breeding I was told the above information from a local vet/herpetologist. If you have had a death make sure you bleach the cage that the lizard was living in 1part bleach to three parts water works great for killing bacteria and diseases. before placing another lizard in the area to live. Make sure you are buying your lizards from a clean environment with knowledgeable staff. Research and make sure you have everything you need to properly care for you lizard. Good luck to you and don't give up sometimes death just occurs and its not always preventable. Best of Luck to you !!!

Answer 6

The two above gave excellent answers. I used to work at a pet store, and a customer who was an expert on lizards told me that the sand you used is not digestible as advertised. I never used or recommended it again. Sad. What were you feeding them? Hopefully not a steady diet of mealworms, as those are only good for an occasional treat. They don't provide proper nutrition as a steady diet. Also, make sure you use a veterinarian who specializes in exotics--call and ask about their experience with leopard geckos. Most regular vets don't know squat about reptiles.

Answer 7

Impaction was probably the culprit if they were othewise healthy. If you suspect that the third one has stopped eating and has similar symptoms as the others then I would dose the little bugger with a couple drops on mineral oil and take to the vet. The mineral oil lubes the intestines to help the impaction to pass (if it is able to do so). The vet could also administer it for you if you are unable to dose the lizard. I have had to do that for a Pac Mac Frog when it became impacted due to the substrate it was on. I immediately changed the substrate to reptile carpet and have not had problems since with my Leopard Geckos and Pac Mac Frogs. Just remember to clean the reptile carpet well on a regular basis or it can harbour bacteria and molds.

Answer 8

OK first of all, calcium sand substrate is the worst choice. It says "this is digestible, provides extra calcium". This is incorrect. Products will lie about anything to get you to buy them. This stuff is like kitty litter -it clumbs up when wet. How do you think that's going to turn out? I would HIGHLY suggest switching to reptile carpet or ceramic tile from the hardware store, or paper towels. The two that died were probably impacted. But next time your leos stop eating, be sure and take them to the vet. I would get this one to the vet soon. Hope it goes well! :) Feel free to email me with any questions.