(i just joined the site today sorry if i forget/mess up something) so i got my leopard gecko like a year ago, and up until a few weeks ago hes been fine. for the past couple weeks though hes had a loss of appetite. usually he'd pick up worms on his own from the food bowl that i layed out, and when i put crickets in his tank he'd go after them and eat them. however, he stopped going to the food bowl, and would only eat if i put the worms directly in front of him. he stopped eating altogether now though. he'd acknowledge the mealworm, maybe try to catch it lazily, and then give up. now he doesnt even bother trying to eat anything. i put crickets in, but he gave up on trying to eat those too. also, like 3 weeks ago, he ate like 5 mealworms but shortly after puked them all back up. ive ruled out impaction as a possibility so then i thought he might have an infection of sorts, but then i fed him waxworms and he ate them fine. after those passed through his digestive system though, i havent really thought of feeding him anymore waxworms because i remember people telling me they arent healthy for geckos, and certainly not a staple diet for him (now i feel like he probably wouldnt even try to eat them though). but he hasnt eaten in about 3 weeks. now im starting to think that the diagnosis might be some sort of hibernation that geckos go through when theyre environment gets cold, but he still needs to eat, and im afraid to force feed him. i also feel like he might have a bacterial infection, but my mom is hesitant to take him to a vet because of how expensive it is. (Im sure if i told her he was on the brink of death she'd take him to the vet for me, but i want to make sure it isnt something i can take care of on my own, especially since people are telling me he might just be going through a type of hibernation and that i just need to force feed him. (if it comes to that though, ill take him to the vet because i dont trust myself with force feeding) this is the first leopard gecko ive owned (also first reptile ive had) and i did do research before i got one, and i know that taking care of any pet isnt easy, but i still feel guilty right now because i feel like i did something wrong and i dont know if i'd be able to forgive myself if he died.
the thermometer says its 80 degrees (fahrenheit) in his tank, so i dont think its cold enough for him to go into a hibernating state? he has a heating pad on one side, and hes usually sleeping on that side under the log (he only ever wakes up if he hears a loud noise). someone suggested to me that i should try putting a heating lamp above him, and that if hes too cold he wont eat, but again, the thermometer says its 80 degrees so its hard for me to imagine him being too cold to eat. i also regularly change the water in his water bowl, even though i think he stopped going to it.
heres a picture of what he currently looks like:
his tail doesnt look skinny enough for him to die the next day or anything, but i feel like it definitely shouldnt be that thin. (i still dont know how his tail isnt stick thin though, since im pretty sure its been 3 weeks since hes last eaten, as far as i know at least, unless he ate one or two of the crickets i put in his tank, which is highly unlikely since i didnt see him eat any and i took them out of his tank after a few days)
any suggestions would be appreciated, if theres anymore info i need to give just let me know. i really hope theres something i can do because hes my responsibility and if anything happens to him its my fault and if taking him to a vet is the only thing i can do to help, then ill try to take him to one.
the thermometer says its 80 degrees (fahrenheit) in his tank, so i dont think its cold enough for him to go into a hibernating state? he has a heating pad on one side, and hes usually sleeping on that side under the log (he only ever wakes up if he hears a loud noise). someone suggested to me that i should try putting a heating lamp above him, and that if hes too cold he wont eat, but again, the thermometer says its 80 degrees so its hard for me to imagine him being too cold to eat. i also regularly change the water in his water bowl, even though i think he stopped going to it.
heres a picture of what he currently looks like:
his tail doesnt look skinny enough for him to die the next day or anything, but i feel like it definitely shouldnt be that thin. (i still dont know how his tail isnt stick thin though, since im pretty sure its been 3 weeks since hes last eaten, as far as i know at least, unless he ate one or two of the crickets i put in his tank, which is highly unlikely since i didnt see him eat any and i took them out of his tank after a few days)
any suggestions would be appreciated, if theres anymore info i need to give just let me know. i really hope theres something i can do because hes my responsibility and if anything happens to him its my fault and if taking him to a vet is the only thing i can do to help, then ill try to take him to one.
