desperate help needed... dont know what to do?

[meg1111]

Hi

I am in desperate need of help.

My gecko isnt eating and i dont know where to turn anymore.

I adopted her 6 months ago. Before she didnt have the best appetite but was fine. Once i adopted her and her originally owner left,I kept the cage the same but it started going downhill.

She started eating a cricket a week then two a month and she kept getting thinner

Since then ive taken her to three recommended Experts in joburg.stool Sample said Round worms but nothing else. So treated her for that . One vet said shes doing what she needs too...shedding, drinking, has energy. He says theres no other symptoms. Other vet said it may be a congenital thing she was born with. Ive put her on baycox, panacur, flagyl..not at the same time But over a few months.

Ive also been given her High care dog food everyday, which the vet says is keeping her going. She takes 1,5 mls about a day but its watered down So shell have 0.5 mls

This week im trying to wean her back on her crickets. She had one wednesday and one thursday. That was fine. She had two today but brought them both up whole. Im concerned

Even with feeding she still isnt gaining weight

What do i do ? Where do i turn?or must i carry on as im doing and give it more time?

Thanks .

Its been

 

[meg1111]

Here are pics...ine with newspaper is from 3 months ago, the container from yesterday

 

[acpart]

Ask the vet to do a test for cryptosporidiosis (it's different from the parasite tests). If she has that, it's not curable and you'll just have to make her comfortable (note that I'm not saying she has it, just that it should be tested for). If you have any other reptiles, keep her far away from them until you know that she doesn't have it. If she doesn't, you can try holding her and gently pushing a cricket or mealworm (it's easier with mealworms because they're less squishy) at her mouth. Hopefully she'll bit it and swallow it. Some of the antibiotics reduce appetite, so that may be a factor now. I had a problem with my very first leopard gecko who was full of sand and had parasites as well. Once we got her treated she didn't eat either. Every evening I would put her in a small container (about 12"x8") with a few crickets and low lighting. Eventually she started eating. Good luck with her.

Aliza

 

[Butiki]

Dog food won't really do much good for her. Try getting a chicken-based baby food, make like a tablespoonful paste-like mixture with a little calcium w/o D3 or reptivit (as they use this slurry over here) and about half a teaspoon of mealworm or superworm body juice. Mix well and gently smudge it on the side of her mouth so she licks it. Once a night and another one in the early morning for about a week or two usually brings back the appetite.

Also check her enclosure temps. It maybe too cold for her. If not then do the crypto test in a worse case scenario

 

[megan111]

Hi , Thanks for the replies. Shes started eating, Im so happy Shes had 5 crickets in a week, 2 and a half she brought up. This is more than shes eaten in 5 months on her own (live food). I guess as her body heals shell learn how to digest them properly.

Going to keep your advice in mind.

 

[jimmynluz]

I need help

 

[jimmynluz]

 

[jimmynluz]

I adopted her about 1 week ago she hasn't ate at all... her tail is really skinny. Ive been feeding her repta boost.... any advice

 

[Amanda1]

Hi Jimmy, sometimes it can take a reptile a while to adjust to a new place. Up to 2 weeks isn't uncommon. Forcing ReptaBoost down her is only going to stress her more. Try keeping her in a quiet area of the house for a few days, and put some mealworms in a bowl so she can go for them at her own pace. Also check your temperatures; if it's too hot or cold maybe she doesn't feel like eating. If that doesn't work, you may need to take a trip to the vet. Bring a stool sample (if you have any) so the vet can check for parasites.

 

[tystew2197]

Was wondering if my leopard gecko is healthy also any information about them. I've had him/her since mid july heres a few pics

 

[Butiki]

@tystew it would be best to start your owb thread hehe. Otherwise your leo looks healthy to me unless it shows some symptoms of being not. Watch your humidity though, i'm seeing some lost toes in that photo >__<

 

[jimmynluz]

Hi Jimmy, sometimes it can take a reptile a while to adjust to a new place. Up to 2 weeks isn't uncommon. Forcing ReptaBoost down her is only going to stress her more. Try keeping her in a quiet area of the house for a few days, and put some mealworms in a bowl so she can go for them at her own pace. Also check your temperatures; if it's too hot or cold maybe she doesn't feel like eating. If that doesn't work, you may need to take a trip to the vet. Bring a stool sample (if you have any) so the vet can check for parasites.

Hey Amanda thanks... umm the guy that I rescued her from said she stopped eating for him a week before he gave her to me. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the cold winter weather. Umm it's been about 3 weeks and she isn't eating at all. She slurs the repta boost from the syringe by licking it like a bottle. I don't force it she takes it. But she won't eat mealworms or waxworms. . She is pooping from the repta boost but it's watery looks like bird poop

 

[acpart]

Looking at this gecko's (very thin) tail, I really think she and a fecal sample need a vet visit.

Aliza

 

[gavinsepanik]

You might want to try to feed some waxworms or even maybe some dubia roach nymphs.

 

[JoshuaW]

How old is she. Theres always a chance that when she was with the former owner she went into shed so she would have ate dead skin and not mealworms. Then she goes to you and is tressed so does not eat. Its diffrent for all leos to start eating when moved to a new tank. Mine ate the 3rd day.

 

[JoshuaW]

If she still young thats why her tail is small they grow in length then they get there tail. If her tail was plump before and now its skinney you have a problem.

 

[jimmynluz]

She tried to eat a cricket last night . But she missed first time she goes for food though. Wax worms she hasn't paid any attention to. I tried giving her a super worm after the cricket and switched her bedding to newspaper . She also notice and tried to eat the super worm also a first time she tried for me but she couldn't catch it and she gave up. But this must be a good sign of her wanting and trying to eat now.

 

[Amanda1]

It's a good sign that she's trying to eat, but I'm concerned that she isn't able to catch the food...She could be getting weak or have neurological issues. She does look really skinny on top of that, her tail should be much fatter, so I'd get her to the vet soon if I were you.

 

[jimmynluz]

So she started to eat the large crickets. But she doesn't keep them down. After a couple minutes she starts swinging her head from side to side and spits out the cricket

 

[Halle1283]

So she started to eat the large crickets. But she doesn't keep them down. After a couple minutes she starts swinging her head from side to side and spits out the cricket

My first leo did the same thing, but we found out that it was because he was albino, and yours looks like it ,may be albino, we switched his lighting from a regular heat lamp to a red light heat lamp and he started eating and stopped spitting iut his crickets, so your leo may be sencitive to white light