Help before she gets a new home

[ThatOneTexan]

Hello,
So we have had our leopard gecko since august. She was about 1.5 years old when we bought her. I have tried different bowls since we’ve had her and I can’t get her to eat out of the bowl. She really only eats when I feed her individually with tongs. I’ve tried just leaving the food in the bowl but I give in out of concern around day 5. She’s grown and her tail is thick. Here lately she just will not eat. The food sits in the bowl and eventually dies. I try with the tongs and nothing. I tried not dusting all the food and nothing. I’ve tried messing with the food combos and nothing. She will not eat. It’s extremely frustrating. I wish she ate as good as my ball python. My kids are devastated with the idea of Blue going to a new home but she either needs to be with someone that knows what to do or I need to figure it out. Please help

 

[acpart]

If her tail is nice and fat, she's fine. They do not need to eat often like mammals do because they are not burning calories to heat themselves. At this time of year, some females are ovulating and eating much less because of that. Other geckos are eating less because it's winter and they perceive that there's less light. As long as her tail isn't getting really skinny, just offer food every few days and try not to worry about it. I have geckos that fast nearly the whole winter and they're all in good shape.

Aliza

 

[ThatOneTexan]

If her tail is nice and fat, she's fine. They do not need to eat often like mammals do because they are not burning calories to heat themselves. At this time of year, some females are ovulating and eating much less because of that. Other geckos are eating less because it's winter and they perceive that there's less light. As long as her tail isn't getting really skinny, just offer food every few days and try not to worry about it. I have geckos that fast nearly the whole winter and they're all in good shape.

Aliza

Awesome thank you. What about the whole not eating out of the bowl situation?

 

[ThatOneTexan]

If her tail is nice and fat, she's fine. They do not need to eat often like mammals do because they are not burning calories to heat themselves. At this time of year, some females are ovulating and eating much less because of that. Other geckos are eating less because it's winter and they perceive that there's less light. As long as her tail isn't getting really skinny, just offer food every few days and try not to worry about it. I have geckos that fast nearly the whole winter and they're all in good shape.

Aliza

 

[acpart]

She's in great shape. Don't give her away! Some geckos just don't eat out of the bowl. You can try to train it to do that by getting her interested in the mealworm and then dropping it into the bowl. Sometimes a see through bowl works (I've used those little tea candle glass bowls you can get from a craft store). Sometimes there can be an extremely stubborn gecko who has its owner trained to hand feed! It can be very frustrating.

Aliza

 

[ThatOneTexan]

She's in great shape. Don't give her away! Some geckos just don't eat out of the bowl. You can try to train it to do that by getting her interested in the mealworm and then dropping it into the bowl. Sometimes a see through bowl works (I've used those little tea candle glass bowls you can get from a craft store). Sometimes there can be an extremely stubborn gecko who has its owner trained to hand feed! It can be very frustrating.

Aliza

Thank y’all so much. I’m going to work with her on the bowl thing.

 

[CaperJenJen]

Mine is spoiled rotten and will also only tong feed. LOL Will NOT eat worms left in the terrarium in any way, bowl or not. And if they get loose, they irritate her big time She's a little diva, but we adore her. She wasn't feeling well last month but she is much better now, but she is in a stage where she is hiding most times and not much interested in eating, maybe only 2-3 worms once/twice a week, but she's otherwise fine and I blame it on the time of year. Yours looks great and healthy in my opinion (no pro here by any means, but Aliza is so I'd trust their opinion a lot!)

 

[Climbers mom]

Hello,
So we have had our leopard gecko since august. She was about 1.5 years old when we bought her. I have tried different bowls since we’ve had her and I can’t get her to eat out of the bowl. She really only eats when I feed her individually with tongs. I’ve tried just leaving the food in the bowl but I give in out of concern around day 5. She’s grown and her tail is thick. Here lately she just will not eat. The food sits in the bowl and eventually dies. I try with the tongs and nothing. I tried not dusting all the food and nothing. I’ve tried messing with the food combos and nothing. She will not eat. It’s extremely frustrating. I wish she ate as good as my ball python. My kids are devastated with the idea of Blue going to a new home but she either needs to be with someone that knows what to do or I need to figure it out. Please help

Hey. I feel your frustration but if she's eating then your doing something right. Not all gecko's eat out of a food dish. For my little guy I dust the mealworm then drop it in front of him with the tongs & he goes for it. He doesn't like eating out of a dish. He did go thru a spell of about a month not eating. We changed things up a bit in his environment. I put his moist hide on the warm side of his tank with a heat mat underneath the tank. I know they have to have belly heat to help with digestion. He stays in the hide a good bit & when I pick him up he's toasty and warm. He eats now every other day about 7 or 8 mealworms & a superworm. Do some reading, temp, heat lights etc, heat mats play an important role in digestion. We also took him to an exotic vet when he stopped eating to be checked for parasites. You will need a recent stool sample (keep in refrigerator - don't let it dry out). That could be a possibility. I would encourage a vet visit if she doesn't eat soon. Don't be too worried if her tail is fat, but always a good idea to get her checked for mites/parisites. Good luck! Post how she's doing.