HELP!!! Lighting question/issue

[mjr_my]

Hi, I have been searching for answers. First of all, my son just got a new leo, female sub-adult, that was eating like a pig for the first two weeks.

Crickets, mealworms. Set up is as follows

1. UTH belly temp is 90-95. Moist hide on this side.
2. paper towels on floor
3. hide on cool side
4. calcuim powder with D3 provided free choice
5. water clean and fresh daily.

Lizzy was great until last saturday. she had a cricket that I thought might be too big, but she handled it like a champ. Scat on Sunday had some cricket parts.

She was not interested in eating at all on sunday and I thought he tail looked thinner. Monday ate a superworm that was too big and regurgetated. That was the last thing she ate.

She has mealies and waxworms in a feeder in her tank but she is showing to interest. Went to vet today, she is not impacted and other than not eating for about a week, seems to be fiesty and active.

She weighed 26g today.

My question. We had her up on my son's dresser where she would probably get more light during the day coming from the window. and the hallway. She was sitting in front of a mirror and she seemed to like that. We moved her to his bookshelf were it is much darker all the time. That was about a week ago. Do you think that she thinks it is winter because of the lack of natural light and she has slowed down eating? Should we put her back on the dresser?

I'll try anything at this point, she is just not interested in anything other than sleeping.

 

[PaladinGirl]

I'm by no means a gecko expert at this point, but the fact that she is regurgitating and having bug parts in her stools make me wonder if there's something more going on other than having a couple bugs that seemed too big.

From books and websites that I've read, her symptoms actually sound like parasitic disease such as cryptosporidiosis. If she doesn't get better soon, I'd see about taking some stool samples into the vet for testing.

Where did you get her from?

I'm not sure about the lighting scenario. I just know that you have to keep direct sunlight off the tank, and provide adequate shelter so they can hide during the day. I use the plastic Exo Terra caves and have the entrances to them facing away from any windows or light sources.

 

[mjr_my]

thanks, i have already been to vet and she was not super concerned given her activity level and brightness of eye and the other things she checked. Cricket parts in poo is not too unusual if the cricket was big and tough. The superworm was large.

Our set up is fine, she has plenty of heat, hides and water. The lighting was the only thing we changed recently. thanks for the input though. if she ever produces a fecal, i will be more than happy to take it to the vet. I actually took her last one in, but since it was only a urate they really couldn't do a float on it.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

The test for crypto is a stain test, not a regular fecal float as for other parasites. As for your tank location, leopard geckos need to distinguish day and night. They instinctively know morning from afternoon by the sun's position coming through a window, just as in the wild, shade changes patterns over trees and rocks.

 

[roger]

Hi, I have been searching for answers. First of all, my son just got a new leo, female sub-adult, that was eating like a pig for the first two weeks.

Crickets, mealworms. Set up is as follows

1. UTH belly temp is 90-95. Moist hide on this side.
2. paper towels on floor
3. hide on cool side
4. calcuim powder with D3 provided free choice
5. water clean and fresh daily.

Lizzy was great until last saturday. she had a cricket that I thought might be too big, but she handled it like a champ. Scat on Sunday had some cricket parts.

She was not interested in eating at all on sunday and I thought he tail looked thinner. Monday ate a superworm that was too big and regurgetated. That was the last thing she ate.

She has mealies and waxworms in a feeder in her tank but she is showing to interest. Went to vet today, she is not impacted and other than not eating for about a week, seems to be fiesty and active.

She weighed 26g today.

My question. We had her up on my son's dresser where she would probably get more light during the day coming from the window. and the hallway. She was sitting in front of a mirror and she seemed to like that. We moved her to his bookshelf were it is much darker all the time. That was about a week ago. Do you think that she thinks it is winter because of the lack of natural light and she has slowed down eating? Should we put her back on the dresser?

I'll try anything at this point, she is just not interested in anything other than sleeping.

You are over analyzing where to put the tank.Leave it where it is.By your own admission you are giving her prey that is too large.Crickets and worms.She is regurgitating them because of that reason, and now she is turned off by any food items.

 

[mjr_my]

Roger,
thanks. now that i know that, what i really need is for someone who had a similar situation to help me understand how to get her appetite back. i find it hard to believe that i am the first and only gecko owner to put a cricket in the tank that was to large.

I would really appreciate someone giving me solutions or suggestions, not telling me what I already know.

will she eventually eat again without my help? it has been a week so i am starting to worry here.

thanks though, i do appreciate any thing any one can tell me.

 

[Dog Shrink]

There is a sticky in the feeding section by member designer geckos. It would answer how to get them eating again.

 

[mjr_my]

Thanks Dog Shrink,
I have tried all of those unfortunately, crickets with legs off, dish of waxworms (currently) dish of mealworms. Her tail has reach a certain "skinny" level but hasn't gotten any thinner...

She is acting "normal" otherwise, my sone said he came home yesterday and she was peeping up out of her hide looking around. She is also out and about to do her business. So I guess she has enough energy and feels well enough to keep up with hygene. She is just so small (26g) that I don't think she has the reserve to last like some of the other guys on here if she doesn't start to show interest again.

I will go back and read again and see if I missed something. Thanks so much.

 

[mjr_my]

Oh Happy Happy Day...after giving up hope that she would ever eat again....she, right in front of my eyes hunted down a waxworm in her bowl and gobbled it up. Just one, that was all she wanted but at least it is a start, and after not eating for a week I guess it is better for her to start small any way.

I made a bowl of legless crickets, waxworms and mealworms and little carrot slices for them to munch, when I was checking the temps of her warm hide this morning she wanted to get back immediately so I decided to cover the opening with the bowl. It was sort of funny I think she was like "fine, I'll eat something, then will you leave me alone?" To which I replied "YES!!" But I don't think she was stressed because she wasn't paniced running, just leisurely crawling up her rock to the opening.

So she had a waxworm, licked her lips a few times and I said "OK, a deal is a deal you can go to your room now." I guess she is a typical teenager, haha.

At least I feel better knowing that she ate something on her own. Hopefully this one little worm will get her gut working again.

Thanks for sticking with me. I really hope this does the trick.

 

[roger]

Oh Happy Happy Day...after giving up hope that she would ever eat again....she, right in front of my eyes hunted down a waxworm in her bowl and gobbled it up. Just one, that was all she wanted but at least it is a start, and after not eating for a week I guess it is better for her to start small any way.

I made a bowl of legless crickets, waxworms and mealworms and little carrot slices for them to munch, when I was checking the temps of her warm hide this morning she wanted to get back immediately so I decided to cover the opening with the bowl. It was sort of funny I think she was like "fine, I'll eat something, then will you leave me alone?" To which I replied "YES!!" But I don't think she was stressed because she wasn't paniced running, just leisurely crawling up her rock to the opening.

So she had a waxworm, licked her lips a few times and I said "OK, a deal is a deal you can go to your room now." I guess she is a typical teenager, haha.

At least I feel better knowing that she ate something on her own. Hopefully this one little worm will get her gut working again.

Thanks for sticking with me. I really hope this does the trick.

Thats a great start.Obviously feed her smaller sizes.We also fall into the trap of when they finally do start to eat,we feed them as much as they will devour.Once she regularly starts eating,maybe just give her 2 pieces of pry at first,then u can increase the quantity the following days.Just keep trying to mix the prey up.Maybe she will pick one that she likes.Your surface temps are good.She'll start eating.Ive never heard of a gecko that starves itself to death.She'll be fine.We all have been thru the same dilema as u.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Yay!

 

[mjr_my]

Eating like a champ now. She is actually pretty good at not gobbling so I can usually keep out about 6 mealworms and a couple waxworms and she will eat one two every couple hours but not all at once. Usually by the morning though they are all gone. Her little tail is already looking better and she is more active.

I really think putting her tank in the darkness of the bookcase mess up her light cycle, duh, right. But all is well now...