Worst breeding fast I've ever had, Help!

[MiamiLeos]

I hatched out this girl myself and she has always been a voracious eater. This year I decided I would try to prove her out, she is an Eclipse 66% het Radar. So around January I started introducing her male, a Bell het Radar. She was huge, fat, healthy and ovulating. Just a few weeks after copulation however, I noticed she was dropping some weight, not much, just a little. After she laid her first clutch I was not happy with her weight and decided to take the male out until she put some more on. It's been a fast downhill slide from there. I have never seen a gecko loose weight so fast in suck large ammounts. Furthermore, even though the male was taken out long ago, she is still producing and laying eggs. I need to get weight on this girl, I really do not want to lose her. She won't toutch her mealworms and has refused pinkies. I would like to get some wax worms or supers and try to see if she will eat those. She looks like one of those sick craigslist geckos!!! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get her to start eating and stop laying??? I am feeling at a loss right now. In the pic below, you can see the bulges from the eggs in her! :bigcry:

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Make the slurry and dot it on her little lizard lips. She will lick it, consuming both calories and supplements. Hopefully she'll take worms offered soon after that. The recipe is a sticky in the medication section.

 

[Theinfidel]

I can relate to this 100 percent. Same thing is happening to one of my tangs which i thought her season was over after 11 eggs and losing losts of weight she is still producing eggs and is pretty skinny and wont eat much at all. I never tried the slurry but i think im going to have to do it this weekend. One thing i might recommend is squishing a mealworm and let her lick the juices.

 

[MiamiLeos]

Thanks I will get on the slurry. Just wanted to mention also that she does not have issues with parasites. Does anyone else have an opinion?

 

[tlbowling]

You didn't mention crickets? Have you tried those?

 

[Halley]

I agree more active foods like crickets or roaches might entice feeding.

Also, I remember Gregg M posting something a while ago where he kept his cages at 97 (I believe this was the temp) and his females were able to keep weight on better.

 

[Pinky81]

GECKO SLURRY FAST!! Remember these gals store sperm so even though you removed the male she's got plenty of his sperm to keep producing MANY clutches!! Good Luck

 

[MiamiLeos]

Thanks for all the support. I will go get some crickets tomorrow and crank up the heat on her rack (it's at 90-92 right now). She laid one of her eggs yesterday, possibly from the stress of me taking pics of her. It wasnt fully calcified, kind of like the gecko version of a ball python boob egg and it was infertile. I'm hoping the other one is not fertile and she just gets rid of it like this one... would be even better if she absorbed it but I think it's a little late in the process for that. She looks slightly better today. Her color is remotely improved and she seems a little bit more hydrated. Still very worried about her though. Thank you all again for your help, I will keep you posted on her progress!

 

[Thorgecko707]

GECKO SLURRY FAST!! Remember these gals store sperm so even though you removed the male she's got plenty of his sperm to keep producing MANY clutches!! Good Luck

+1 nine months give or take

 

[roger]

Thanks for all the support. I will go get some crickets tomorrow and crank up the heat on her rack (it's at 90-92 right now). She laid one of her eggs yesterday, possibly from the stress of me taking pics of her. It wasnt fully calcified, kind of like the gecko version of a ball python boob egg and it was infertile. I'm hoping the other one is not fertile and she just gets rid of it like this one... would be even better if she absorbed it but I think it's a little late in the process for that. She looks slightly better today. Her color is remotely improved and she seems a little bit more hydrated. Still very worried about her though. Thank you all again for your help, I will keep you posted on her progress!

What about assist feeding ?

 

[Daidra]

I had 2 females that were laying eggs do the same thing with their food and they were feeding on superworms before they were gravid and I found out that they wanted crickets,so go to the petstore as you can't wait for them to be shipped and get some crickets and hopefully that will work.Good Luck with your girl.

 

[MiamiLeos]

What about assist feeding ?

Yes, I've tried. She's one of those geckos who is really bad about it. I've never been successful with her eating from me. Plus, in her reduced condition I am now scared about the stress involved. Headed out to get some crickets. Hopefully these will entice her.

 

[KelliH]

Of course she is producing eggs long after you removed the male, they store sperm and will produce all year from just one successful breeding! It is good that you removed the male though; less stress on the girl. Some females lose a lot of weight and get like that during the breeding season. She should begin eating again once she is done laying. Offering crickets or waxworms is fine, but I certainly would not recommend slurry feeding and especially not assist or force feeding!

 

[MiamiLeos]

Yea, assist feeding is basically useless with this girl. It's just one of her pet peeves I guess. But why would you not recommend slurry? The stress?

 

[MiamiLeos]

Just wanted to give an update on this girl. She passed the other egg and it was also infertile. She has taken a few dusted crickets but not nearly as many as I would like. I am thankful she is willing to eat some though. Her first clutch is out and she proved to be het Radar Hopefully next season will go a little smoother for her

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I'm curious about your slurry statement also, Kelli. I've done it short term, placing the animal in a tub and dotting on lips or spoon feeding even. No holding them firmly or syringe involved. The longest for one gecko was two weeks, then she started taking freshly shed supers, but she was very sick. Usually it's been just a few days, long enough to jump start them with some nutrition.

 

[MiamiLeos]

Hey everyone, just wanted to say thanks for the helpful support. She is doing so much better already! She does have developing eggs still in her which I am hoping will not suck all this new vitality out of her. Here are a few new pics for you to compare:

 

[ElapidSVT]

looks much better!

 

[MiamiLeos]

Thank you! I am finally comfortable with her health status. While it's not by any means perfect, I don't worry about her not waking up anymore. I think it was the crickets