If your female is ovulating and not eating...

[gothra]

What can you do for her, to make sure that she'll be ok? Bambi has not eaten by herself since mid-December, although I had been feeding her 0.6-0.8ml slurry twice a week. Last week, while she was climbing glass, I can clearly see the pink spot on her belly, and I think there's even eggs in her belly now. She used to be in a glass tank with open top, I now switched her in a lidded container (so the other females' phermones won't affect her), with extra thick moist coir in her humid hide.

She is losing about 1g per week average (but she lost 2.5g last week), as of last night she weighed 72.5g (was 80g on the 1st Jan). Shall I keep feeding her slurry? Shall I just leave her alone? I did take her to a vet last month, did ultra-sound, and the vet suspect she is having pre-ovulatory follicular stasis; but wanted to watch her longer before jumping to the conclusion of surgically removing her ovaries.

2 Years ago, I had another female suffered the same problem. Besides being anorexic, she also regurgitated everything that got down her stomach, including slurry and her own shed skin. In the end, although she lived through the surgery but died from fatty liver disease a few months later, due to the long period of not eating (that's why I had been feeding Bambi slurry twice a week now). These symtoms do not apply to Bambi at the moment; Bambi is willing to take all the slurry quite quickly, is shedding and eating her shed fine, she is pooping fine too.

So, how long shall I wait before taking her back to the vet? Again, if she really has formed eggs in her belly, shall I just leave her alone or shall I continue to feed her a bit of slurry? Usually, how long does it take for her to lay those infertile eggs? Or reabsorb them? She has been digging a little in her hide these few days.

Thanks.

 

[robin]

sometimes taking the temps down helps them to stop ovulating but if she is forming eggs nothing you can do until she lays them.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

It can be a 'catch-22'. Like Robin said, cooler temperatures can stop ovulation, but it can also cause even more problems with loss of appetite. If she develops eggs, hopefully she will just lay them and her appetite will come back. If you suspect there is another problem, a vet trip might be in order. It is my experience with the slurry that it will not help anorexic geckos gain weight, it will just sustain them while they are rehabilitating.

Good luck, Bonnie...

 

[gothra]

I saw her digging again last night, she was digging the water in the water dish, then digged at the paper towel, but didn't go into her humid hide. This morning, she's just sleeping outside her hide. I'm going to get her a bigger laying box this afternoon, hopefully she'll use it and lay some eggs.

Thanks Robin and Marcia.

 

[gothra]

Some updates: Bambi did not lay any eggs and is still not eating; but she'll lap up all the slurry that I give her very quickly (was only given once every 2 weeks without food). When I saw her digging last month, her belly was pretty huge, but now it seemed to have flattened. So I think she might have re-absorbed the eggs? Since the last time I posted (Feb), she had lost 1.5g only, not bad at all. I have moved all my females to another room away from the males, don't know if that'll help, but I hope she'll resume eating soon.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Bonnie, I'm having the same problem with 4 of my girls. They started ovulating at about 40-45 grams, and all have lost weight. I have moved them to another room and cooled them somewhat, but only one stopped ovulation. It drives me crazy!

 

[bronx]

Hello
We have one girl with the same problem she laid two clutches but after Egg 3 and 4 she stopped eating and now she is short before to lay the third clutch ! I hope she wants to eat after that again ! What should i do ?
Thanks 4 help !

 

[MichaelJ]

It can be a 'catch-22'. Like Robin said, cooler temperatures can stop ovulation, but it can also cause even more problems with loss of appetite. If she develops eggs, hopefully she will just lay them and her appetite will come back. If you suspect there is another problem, a vet trip might be in order. It is my experience with the slurry that it will not help anorexic geckos gain weight, it will just sustain them while they are rehabilitating.

Good luck, Bonnie...

agreed.. the slurry is just to get them to eat so you can get a fecal and help get them some nutrition. I'd get her to a vet ASAP.

 

[gothra]

Had seen a vet already in January, no other problems found besides that she is ovulating; well, actually my vet suspect she is having pre-ovulatory follicular stasis. I had a female that went through the same thing last year, she died from fatty liver disease in the end because she stopped eating for too long; so this time, I'm trying to feed my females a bit of slurry at least once every 2 weeks, so they have something in their system and won't develop a liver problem...(sigh)....