1 mo and not eating or growing

[artgecko]

I have hatchling that does not seem to be growing. It is 1 month old and weighs about the same as it did when hatched (just under 4 g).

Doesn't seem to eat the mealworm and has very small infrequent poops.

Starting to think it just got a bad set of genes. The others from the same dame are growing fine. This one is also very dark pigmented, more that the others.

Any suggestions?

 

[doublet74]

Have you tried a different food ???? Maybe just doesnt like mealworms.

 

[Pinky81]

you can try crickets with the jumpers pulled off...maybe the more movement will help stimulate the hunting.


i also found this issue with my lil ones, so I got advice to just barely slit the shell of a mealie so the guts kinda come out. and using a set of tongs hold the mealie in front of the babys mouth so the guts maybe touch its lips...it should start licking the guts...and its weird suddenly they realize this is food and snatch it up. It takes patience sometimes as the leo will walk away just keep trying to get the guts in front of the mouth for them to lick. after a while you no longer will have to do this they will realize its food and eat readily.

Not bad genes just a baby thing.

 

[doublet74]

Or you could try helping it feed if you hold the gecko vertical and tap the side of their mouth it will open and you can put a small worm in its mouth. Just be ready to insert the worm when its mouth opens.

 

[artgecko]

Thanks. The crickets I have are probably too big for the little gal. I put the smallest dubias I could find in there this morning.
Feisty little thing almost jumped out of the bin on me. She must be eating some worms or I'd think she would have wasted away. She has licked the calcium. I'll keep trying things.

 

[ElapidSVT]

smaller is not always better.
you'd be amazed at the size of the food items that a leo can handle.
there's a reason that geckos have such large heads!
good luck!

http://youtu.be/z9MNVtyBOaQ

 

[acpart]

Every year I get some geckos that go through this. On rare occasion, one just doesn't eat and dies. Most of the time, they grow very slowly and then just catch on. One of the ones I gave you to sell at the show was like that. At 3-4 months it was only 5-7 grams and then it finally go the hang of things. If you can get it to 10 grams or so then you can try small superworms with it. That seems to really help them successfully hunt, eat and grow.

Aliza

 

[artgecko]

I finally got her to eat a few mealworms today!

I used tongs and waved a mealworm in front of her this morning and she decided to strike it. Then she ate another, and tonight she ate one more. At least it is a start. In the past she seemed startled by the tongs and my hand in her bin. Maybe she just needed to get used to that part.