Gecko Not Eating

[Zeph]

I'm new to the Herp world, so many of the do's and don'ts of reptiles are something I'm learning the hard way.

The particular gecko I'm having issues with I bought from petco around 9 months ago. She was nearly full grown then, So I don't know the exact age. I would assume over a year. She was originally kept in with a second female, but I separated them 5 months ago due to my own stupidity of using Cal-sand and resulting in getting them both impacted. Both recovered and seemed more content on there own so I left them apart.

Around 5 weeks ago she stopped eating. She would still stalk the food items but seemed to loose them if they stopped moving or gave up if they moved too far from her. I typically hand feed and keep them near her but even that stopped working.

Now I'm currently feeding her a slurry mixture of crickets, meal worms, calcium, vitamins and flukers repta+boost each night which she seems to like as she will readily eat it from the oral syringe. She never liked being held So she often fights me when hold her for feedings. She is not lacking in energy that's for sure.

As for a vet visit, there are no qualified reptile vets within 40 miles of me, and the one close to me, although, very qualified is also the most expensive hospital in the city and well out of my budget.

Any suggestions or recommendations I would greatly appreciate.

About your leo:
- Sex: Female
- Age & Weight: Around 1 year, 50g-60g?
- How long have you owned your leo: 9 months
- Where was he/she obtained: Petco

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo: once a day for around 30 mins for feedings.
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now.: she is still very active at night and sometimes during the day. No change in behavior other then ignoring food
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe.: sand impaction. was x-rayed and given mineral oil until cleared.
B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal) Still normal
- When was the last time he/she wen: two days ago
C) Problem
- She has not eaten on her own for 5 weeks. After 6 days of not eating I began Feeding her a slurry of crickets, meal worms, vitamins and calcium each night along with Flukers repta+boost. There has been a slight weight loss but not that noticeable

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size 20gal tank
- Type of substrate- paper towels
- Hides- two, fake rock decor; one warm, one cool
B) Heating
- Heat source: day lamp and blue heat lamp for night.
- Cage temps: 90-95 warm side 80-83 cool
- Method of regulating heat source- timers and adjustable stand for lights, Thermometers,
- What are you using to measure your temps Two temp strips and a digital innfrared thermometer
- Do you have any lights (describe)- 75w basking lamp, 50 w blue, LED- fish tank light
C) Cage mates- none currently

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- Crickets mainly (6-7 large nightly) Meal worms/Supper worms(1-9 nightly) wax worms(2per week)
- How are you feeding: Hand fed currently. Tried dish but they would escape and get under the towels.
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- Rep-cal with Vit.D dusted with each feeding, Flukers liquid vitamin 4 times a week.
- What are you gut loading food with: fluckers High Calcium Cricket diet, oatmeal, potato

 

[geckos9]

i see some issues with your care, you need a heat pad so they can digest their food, you also need to drop the cool side to 72-78 degrees, if not possible 80F and under max. I wouldnt feed waxworms twice a week, they are addicting. I wouldnt dust with vitamins every feeding, like us they can overdose on to much supplements. i would skip the liquid vitamins. you need to get calcium with D3 and calcium withOUT D3, dust with the D3 1-2x a week, dust with the multivitamin 1-2x a week. leave a dish of calcium withOUT D3 in the cage at all times..

someone with more experience on getting them to eat will help im sure

i hope I helped

 

[chastity]

i agree with changing the lighting/heating. they don't need a basking lamp and it can really hurt their eyes. you should really have an undertank heater for the warm side. they like to lay out over it to digest their food, which could be why she doesn't want to eat anymore. all lights should be turned off at night, but definitely get rid of the basking bulb.

 

[Zeph]

Thank you for the advice. I forgot to write I did have a small heating pad on the warm side, but I'll change out the lighting for sure. I'm not sure if I can get the temp that low. Its very hot where I live and even with the AC set at 72, I can't get the room to go lower then 80 except in winter. Until yesterday it was still 95 outside with the sun blazing against my walls. I did have a dish of Calcium in the tank at all times, but I'll switch that to the without D3 as soon as I can get some. with the change in diet, here's hoping she will start eating again.

Thanks for the advice. If there is anything else wrong let me know.

 

[SC Geckos]

An ambient air temp of 80 to 83 is not a big deal. That is fine for the cool side. The warm side surface temp should be between 90 - 93 (give or take a degree or two) as stated above. If that 90-95 temp your reading is the air temp its more than likely to hot on that side.
Belly heat is the best option for heating IMO.
It is possible for reptiles to overdose on vitamin/calcium supplements but from what I know, There has never been a recorded case of a leopard geckos death being directly caused by this issue.
I keep a dish of vitamin and calcium w/D3 in my tubs at all times. This way they can take what they feel they need. There is really know way to be sure when you dust feeders that you are giving to much or not enough supplements.
In regards to not eating. Its hard to say the cause of her issue without a vet visit. You may be able to get her to eat by holding her gently and rubbing a mealworm in the corner of her mouth until she opens. Place it partially in her mouth and see if she takes it. I have only done this once or twice but it worked.
Good luck

 

[SORROW89]

Repcal has a lot of D3. You shouldn't dust with it more than twice a week. The cool side should be in the 70's.

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

Use repashy all in one its so much easier, just dust every time.

 

[Lindz0518]

Use repashy all in one its so much easier, just dust every time.

I started using Repashy, I love it. My female bell will only eat crickets/mealworms when they are dusted, I was afraid that she would get too much of certain vitamins/minerals. So since Repashy is safe to dust every feeding, I don't have to worry.

 

[Zeph]

OK, lights are changed out and got some Repashy from the store. The 90-95 deg was the surface temp, and with the cooler weather the tank is getting around 75 on the cool side.

Still no eating as of yesterday, and today she started getting ready to shed so I didn't even try. I''l wait another day and try again.