HELP ME??

[ReptilesForTheWin]

Hey thanks for taking the time to look at this post!

Leo is a 2month Leopard Gecko and I need some advise. He was been skinny ever since I got him. I am planning on taking him to the vet. But could you help me before I spend $50 on my gecko.:main_huh:

PS His tail is not cut off the picture is! So dont say his tail is gone.

 

[corvettefan]

Hey thanks for taking the time to look at this post!

Leo is a 2month Leopard Gecko and I need some advise. He was been skinny ever since I got him. I am planning on taking him to the vet. But could you help me before I spend $50 on my gecko.:main_huh:

PS His tail is not cut off the picture is! So dont say his tail is gone.

Try worms, failing that I'd say vet visit.

 

[ReptilesForTheWin]

Try worms, failing that I'd say vet visit.

I am giving him worms I just put almost 5 in there and he didnt show any interest. Tomorrow we will see if he eats any.

 

[corvettefan]

I am giving him worms I just put almost 5 in there and he didnt show any interest. Tomorrow we will see if he eats any.

Okay, good luck!

 

[EchoPet]

What sort of a set up is he in?
-What size is his enclosure?
-What sort of substrate are you using?
-What are you using for heat?
-What are the floor temps on your warm side and cool side?
-How many hides does he have?
-Does he live alone?
-What do you feed him and what supplements do you use?

 

[ReptilesForTheWin]

What sort of a set up is he in?
-What size is his enclosure?
-What sort of substrate are you using?
-What are you using for heat?
-What are the floor temps on your warm side and cool side?
-How many hides does he have?
-Does he live alone?
-What do you feed him and what supplements do you use?

1.) 10Gal.
2.)Repti-Carpet
3.)1.75wat Fluckers lamp with a 75wat Blue moonlight bulb
4.) on the hot side about 90 and the cool side I don't know the ground temp but in the middle it is never below 80 normally 83
5.) 1 but there is a bridge like structure with plants that he sits under also
6.) yes. I am planning on getting another one tomorrow about to same age maybe a little younger than him. (would he do better this a play mate?)
7.) I am using meal worms and wax worms. I have calcium with D3.

Hope you can help me!:main_yes:

 

[adventurer06]

Ok, so I though of a few possibilities of why this could be happening and some things you could try. First thing- 90 degrees for the hotspot seems low, and many geckos will not eat if the temp is too low, because they cannot digest their food. I have my hottest spot set at 94. You could always ditch the overhead heating/lighting and get and under the tank heater (UTH) for around $ 20 or less at a common pet store. I use a zoo med and have had no problems. They do run hot though you will need a dimmer or a rheostat or a thermostat to control the UTH. I found a reptitemp 500 R thermostat online for about $30 with shipping. I use my digital thermometer probe right next to the thermostat probe to monitior the temp. The probes should be on the floor of the substrate, as reading the air temp won't be accurate. I picked up my digital thermometer online for $10.There are also what they call proportional thermostats which display the temp and are supposed to be more accurate but they are $100 +. Some people simply use a lamp dimmer which can be found at a hardware store or such for less money, probably somewhere around $10 , but you will need to adjust the dimmer more often,which is why I went with a thermostat. If you want to be able to see your leo at night you could use a low watt black or red bulb ( the party ones at wally world are pretty cheap and serve the same purpose) Also I would not recommend getting another leo until the one you have gets well. If you try all these things and it doesn't get better it could mean your leo has parasites (which are contagious to other leos) and you will need to go to the vet. And a 10 gal seems a little small for 2 leos once they grow up so I would aim for a 20 long if you are planning on keeping them together. You need 2 dry hides (one for the hot end, the other for cool end) and 1 wet hide ( which you can make out of plastic bowl yourself if needed). Also, I had a leo that wouldn't eat worms but loved crickets so you could try that too. Good luck!

 

[ReptilesForTheWin]

Wow thanks for all of the info. I am not going to get an under tank heater. Just saying. I was told to put some gatorade in him water for the electro-lights. Also I got him crickets today. And I cleaned his cage. I might get some jump start from a pet store and people have had much success with it. Thanks again. And I'll update you on him.

I am not getting another baby to go with him BTW.
I am getting 2 adults and they will be in a 20 gal. Not sure if it is long. Um can those adults get the paracites if they are in the same room?

 

[JordanAng420]

Wow thanks for all of the info. I am not going to get an under tank heater. Just saying. I was told to put some gatorade in him water for the electro-lights. Also I got him crickets today. And I cleaned his cage. I might get some jump start from a pet store and people have had much success with it. Thanks again. And I'll update you on him.

I am not getting another baby to go with him BTW.
I am getting 2 adults and they will be in a 20 gal. Not sure if it is long. Um can those adults get the paracites if they are in the same room?

What is the reason you don't want to use a UTH? It's much more efficient as far as a heat source for leopard geckos. It could also be why your little guy isn't eating. I strongly recommend you use one.

Those two adults CAN get parasites from the other one if you aren't careful about how you go about cleaning cages and handling the geckos...ALWAYS quarantine new animals (by themselves, each separately, preferably in a separate room) for at least 30 days...YOU can also get a lot of the parasites they can get if you're not careful.

When cleaning, always start with the healthiest animal and work your way down to the sickest/newest. Don't use the same sponge and sink you use to prepare food in. Scrub all cage furnature with 90% water + 10% bleach. I keep a box of latex gloves in the house for cleaning & quarantined animals.

If you're going to use gatorade, then get the clear stuff. The food coloring and other additives in the flavored stuff isn't good for them. I don't think it's necessary though, water and a balanced diet of properly gut-loaded insects should be sufficient.

 

[JordanAng420]

Also, if $$ is an issue (as it is with us all nowadays) then you might want to focus your attention on getting THIS gecko healthy, not getting an additional gecko. He shouldn't be around any other animals right now.

 

[AndyRC]

UTH is a very important thing to have for your geckos cage, I would call it a necessity. Geckos Can only digest food at certain temperatures, and will not eat if the temperatures are too low. They also absorb heat through there bellies, so under tank heaters are best for leopard geckos. This should get him to start eating. if not I recommend wax worms, they are very addicting and are good to get geckos eating again. Just be sure to feed these worms in small amounts, as they are very high in fat.

Also if you are considering getting other geckos, keep this one quarantined, to prevent spreading of parasites (if he has them) And if all else fails. There's always the vet!

 

[larry26]

Just alittle thing about the uth since the wattage is lower on a uth than on the heat lamp you are using your electricity bill will become alittle lower of you switch.

 

[ReptilesForTheWin]

lol thanks! Well I might do that but I am getting some repta-aid today