geckos tail not fat need help!

[flynnallthetime]

ok i bought 2 new geckos. my patternless gecko has a super skinny tail and does not really like to eat much often. i was tapping on the side of his jaw to get a few worms into his stomach but he only opened his mouth once and i missed the opportunity. also where his arm meet his body it looks very skinny. so anyone please try to help me out =] thank you

 

[acpart]

There are several reasons why the gecko may be skinny:

--sometimes the gecko just hadn't been fed enough, will start eating and recover well and gain weight. Since you're suggesting that she isn't eating on her own, this may not be the main problem unless she's just settling in

--sometimes the gecko hadn't been kept in the appropriate conditions so it wasn't eating or digesting its food

--sometimes the gecko has an infection, parasites, or is too weak to eat because it has soft bones (from MBD, a calcium deficiency). In this case it really needs a vet visit.

I don't know where you got the geckos, but in general, it's not a great idea to get geckos that aren't in good shape. Some people feel that they want to rescue ill geckos but it is a complicated, sometimes heartbreaking undertaking and not recommended for someone who wants a nice pet. It's probably best to take this gecko to a vet and to make sure that she is not in the same cage as the other one in case she has something contagious. If they've already been together, then it's probably a good idea to take them both to the vet.

Good luck,

Aliza

 

[flynnallthetime]

well its pooping so id figure that its eating some crickets behing my back. ill start dusting crickets with calcium for him too, i tried force feeding him today by taping on the side of there mouth, i got him to open once but missed getting it is and now i cant get him to open it again=/

 

[Jordan]

tapping on the mouth will rarely get them to open up. the way to do it is hold him, and tap with your thumb and fore finger on bothsides of the jaw and as you tap slightly drag down. this works everytime.

And i dont mean ths to sound mean or snidey, but dont buy the skinny unhealthy looking ones...

 

[flynnallthetime]

thank you !!! how long will it stay open be im doing this by myself so its gonne be hard for me to do that and hold a worm u know . im just worried, i wanna try to get his tail fat and be a happy little gecko again or a happy gecko for once

 

[Taquiq]

Here is a video on force feeding. http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=64299

 

[fl_orchidslave]

If he's pooping then he's eating and it's not necessary to assist or force feed. Plus it can stress them. Maybe try some different feeders that he may find more interesting and tasty. How old is he? Adults generally don't eat everyday anyway. He should also be in quarantine since you just got him, to observe for any specific issues.

 

[gothra]

If you think he has been eating something behind your back, why do you still want to force feed it? It takes time for a new gecko to settle in, and it also takes time for a gecko to gain weight. It won't happen overnight. Prying open their mouths and stuff food in is very stressful to the gecko, it can only hinder the settling process.

It also won't hurt to get a fecal done on a new animal, just to make sure he does not carry heavy loads of parasite. If he is clean and have proper husbandry, he'll fatten up eventually.

 

[flynnallthetime]

If you think he has been eating something behind your back, why do you still want to force feed it? It takes time for a new gecko to settle in, and it also takes time for a gecko to gain weight. It won't happen overnight. Prying open their mouths and stuff food in is very stressful to the gecko, it can only hinder the settling process.

It also won't hurt to get a fecal done on a new animal, just to make sure he does not carry heavy loads of parasite. If he is clean and have proper husbandry, he'll fatten up eventually.

thank you whats a fecal. and hes sooooo skinny hes a year a lil more maybe he just doesnt take intrest in food but i just hope he gets better

 

[gothra]

Do you have a picture of him? If the tail is not thin like shivelled up, and that he is eating something, I wouldn't worry too much. A fecal is a parasite test.

 

[flynnallthetime]

ill have a picture of his tail up by today . i dont think its shivelled up but it is like uber skinny

 

[flynnallthetime]

pistol and his not fat tail

this is pistol and his none fat tail

 

[gothra]

Mike, your new gecko seems to be extremely thin and emaciated; the tail has also began to shivel up. If he is eating on his own, then that's great. If he doesn't, you may need to feed him some slurry. The slurry will not cure anything (in case he is sick), but it'll allow him to produce a fresh stool sample so you can take it to the vet for parasite test. I personally think a vet visit is needed according to his condition.

Good luck in bringing him back to health.

 

[flynnallthetime]

so i should deffinatly get him to a vet , he was huntiong some crickets last night, but idk he doesnt seem intrested in food at all really. should i at least get a worm into his mouth every other day or should i bring him straight to a vet

 

[gothra]

I think its good that he is hunting; perhaps you can pull off some legs and also the antennae of the crickets, so he can catch them more easily. Or you can feed him a slurry: http://www.reptileculture.com/forums/showthread.php?t=759. Getting the gecko to lick drops from a syringe is less stressful than force feeding.

It would be best if you can bring along a fresh stool sample to the vet for parasite test - you can keep the fresh poop in a zip-lock bag and store in the fridge (not freezer), but it should not be over 48 hours old.

 

[flynnallthetime]

thank you, so much i really apperciate it, im so worried for this guy, my little gecko had his tail bit off, my fat tail got his tail bit off=/ i want a normal one, but i love all 3 of them. P.S why does my gecko lick his eye balls all the time

 

[flynnallthetime]

do you think he has mbd? i dont know what to look for if it could be, and whats this inigma every ones saying ?