My brothers leapard gecko is really thin compared to when we got it. We have had it for about 5-6 months or so, and it seems like it isn't eating. It's midsection is really thin with a lot of loose skin, it looks like it's sunken in. We bought some calcium powder to dust crickets with. We just dump in 1 dozen crickets and he eats them when he wants throughout the week. We do have a working heat rock on one side. Do we need to feed him something other that crickets, or does anyone know of something that may be wrong with him?
2007-02-23 09:12:52 · 10 answers · asked by Josh 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
He's also a lot more sluggish lately. Please only answers from people that have some idea about this.
2007-02-23 09:17:20 · update #1
TRY FEEDING MEAL WORMS AND DO RESEARCH AND SEE WHAT ELSE SEEMS GOOD FOR HIM FOOD WISE AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS GO TO UR VET NEVER THE PET STORE THEY NEVER RLY NO ENOUGH TO HELP AND IT MAY ALSO BE TO COLD AN DTHEY WILL NOT EAT IF THEY R I CONSTLENTLY KEEP CRICKETS IN THE CAGE FEED THEM EVERY OTHER DAY NOT EVERY WK
2007-02-25 12:58:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is a product that you can buy at pet stores called repta aid. I would get this as soon as possible and try to force feed him by GENTLY (because it's called force feeding does not mean it should be rough) placing the tip of the dropper or syringe without the needle on the side of its mouth on an angle (pointing up so the bottom edge of the tip of the dropper is resting on the top of his bottom lip and GENTLY tilting the dropper in place so it is then in the mouth. You can also try to chicken baby food and liquid caclium mixed in with the repta aid. It is extremely important to get this guy eating again before kidney failure sets in. Normally, I would say take it to a reptile vet but I don't think by the way you are describing him that he would handle the stress. I would feed it the repta aid as often as you can during the day in small amounts and also to help get him rehydrated you can give him a bath for 20 minutes or so in warm half water/half pedialyte(name brand is fine and flavor does not matter) up to his arm pits. He will soak in some of the fluid through his vent. You can also try to give some pedialyte(full strength) by mouth in the way described above. You need to be really dilligent about this and do the bath and feeding at the very least 3 times per day. I wish you luck and really hope your guy makes it.
I would also take the heat rock out, double check your temps they may be too low and make sure he has a UVB light that is not too old.
I would suggest silk worms other then crickets, they are much more nutritious and offer more more moisture.
2007-02-27 09:05:01 · answer #2 · answered by Dale d 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont use heat rocks they can burn the animal and i think you should be feeding more than a dozen crickets in a week they need a temp of like 80-90 degrees in their cage at all times and a basking area of 95-105 so the rest of the cage is probably too cold and that would account for the sluggish behavior. try giving alot more crickets in smaller sizes and make sure they are gut loaded (fed properly) before the feeding otherwise the gecko isnt getting anything from them most places dont feed the crickets first but they do sell the food make sure that you feed the crickets their food about a day before you feed them to your gecko hope this helps
2007-02-23 10:01:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Get rid of the heat rock! These are a bad idea with any animal - there is no way to control the temperature and they can burn your animal. They can also - and I have first-hand experience with this - create an electrical shock if they're wet and you touch them. There's no way for an animal to get warm with these unless he sits on it.
It's far better to use an undertank heating pad. The pad should cover 1/3 to 1/2 of the bottom of the tank (farthest from the water dish). It can be left on 24/7 and supplemented from above (in the same corner) with a light to add more heat during the day. This creates a heating gradient, from warm on one side to cooler on the other - your leo can move back and forth to the temperature where he's most comfortable.
It's important that they get enough heat (90o on "warm" end of the tank - check with a thermoneter) so they can digest their meals, otherwise they don't get the nutrition from what they eat and have a possibility of becoming impacted from their food. You don't say how old your leos are, or what kind of substrate you are keeping them on. If they are still juveniles, it's best not to keep them on sand - newspaper or reptile carpet is better (you can save any sand for when they're older - about 6" or so). If they ingest it, this can cause impaction as well, as can internal parasites. He should be checked for mites, also.
Are you sure he's eating his crickets? I'd check that out. Also, unless your crickets are tiny, they may be biting your leo, especially if you don't put anything in the tank for them to eat. It's not that hard to keep the crickets in a separate container (plastic box with lid, give them a slice of potato or a sponge with water in a jar lid) and feed a few to your leos every/every other day. Some reptiles don't like the taste of vitamin or calcium powders - I like to gutload mine (feed nutritious food right befor feeding them to the leo - this way all the nutrition is "inside" and all they taste is "cricket". Even so, it's best not to give them the same food all the time. Variety is best.
Since your leo sounds like he's really losing weight, it would be best if he sees a vet - preferably one that specializes in reptiles.
I'm attaching links for a vet listing (by state), info on leopard gecko care, and info on hot rocks. Hope the little guy gets better!
http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html#vetlist
http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html
http://www.anapsid.org/hotrock.html
2007-02-23 09:53:06 · answer #4 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
From what you wrote you arwe luch to have had it live for as long as you have. Only feed them a few crickets as a time. I ususally give my smaller leopard geckos 2 small crickets every day and my bigger leos 2 big crickets every day. If you leave crickets in they can eat at the lizard and cause it lost of stress that can kill the leo. NEVER and I mean NEVER use a heat rock. They can kill you lizard. The lizard will lay on it and burn itself or they will get wet from their water and lay on the rock and short it out. Try feeding it a dish of live meal worms.
2007-02-23 14:49:22 · answer #5 · answered by Brandi W 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I wish you the best of luck with them. I know nothing about reptiles (yet) but comparing the pictures was very sad indeed. Legit: two 13 year olds, a 5 year old, two 4 year olds, a 3 year old, a 2 year old and an almost 2 year old.
2016-05-24 03:27:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
heat rock=very burt skin=death
take him to the vet or try wax worms for a little wile...if you are useing sand or walnut grazel buy reptil carpit
i have a leo[leopard gecko]and this same thing happend to him it was cuz of the sand...it was "inpacked" in his blader wich makes him not eat wich kills him...its best to talk to a vet about it
2007-03-02 07:29:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
get meal worms.dont get heat rock,it burns them,and dont dump alot in,2 every other day is fine.
2007-02-23 09:16:52 · answer #8 · answered by Shaley A 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Take him to the vet.
Maybe he is lonely or has cancer and is dying.
2007-02-23 09:16:28 · answer #9 · answered by holeeycow 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Call a pet store nearest you. they'll tell you.
2007-02-23 09:16:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋