Yet another Leo-Won't-Eat Thread

[Friedbread]

Winston is about 1 year old and from the last week in December to the present she has eaten a single waxworm. Today is the first day she's eaten and again, it was just a waxworm. She clearly knows the difference between wax and all other feeders. (Her usual diet was a staple of mealworms with the occasional wax. She sometimes ate crickets.) She now completely ignores all feeders except for waxworms apparently. I'm reluctant to keep giving her waxworms because they are not healthy for her and I'm worried that she has become addicted to them. Should I continue to give her wax worm every few days just to stimulate her appetite?

Throughout her hunger strike I have paid close attention to her weight, behavior, and intake of water and calcium. Her weight has been a consistant 55-60 grams. (I have a crappy scale so it's hard to be exact.) Her behavior has not changed, she is as curious and active as usual. She drinks and licks calcium powder regularly. All sheds have been normal.

Could her lack of interest in mealies be from it being winter or that she's ovulating? Maybe a combination? Any suggestions to get her back to a normal diet would be helpful. Experience with other hunger-striking geckos would be comforting, too.

 

[Shera]

How are the temps? Mine weren't eating for a week or so, but once I started opening the curtains in the morning and letting light in the room during the day they started eating again. I think they were hibernating.

 

[phoneguy]

You can try to cover your mealworms in waxworm guts. I know it sounds a little gross but it worked for me with my first gecko who was addicted to wax worms. After a few times I put less and less guts and she want back to eating mealworms. As Shelagh already said double check your temps, that could be why they stopped eating in the first place.

 

[Friedbread]

I might try the gut-coating idea although it sounds disgusting. lol Temps seem fine...

 

[mindgamer8907]

If the weight is relatively stable, and the decrease is not severe and physical I say (with all due respect): screw it! Just keep offering fresh mealies (no more waxies), keep an eye on her weight and tail size/body size, etc. and only intervene (with a waxie) if she drops below 50 grams. If the gecko gets hungry, it will eat. If it does not and drops below the 50 marker, you have ascertained that it is far more likely a vet worthy problem. It's been a few months but with a semi stable weight it seems like the gecko will come around.