Lazy leopard gecko[male]

[brookehiggy]

So, i have two Male leopard geckos Both Very healthy and happy. have had our first one [buddy] since beginning of 2011 and the other one a few month after we have had him. recently we have noticed. [buddy] doesn't hunt for his crickets. Now, being i made the mistake and fed them WAX WORMS more than i should have but not to much. i believe it as made him lazy and not want hard shell bugs. crickets meal worms. etc. well i haven't fed them wax worms for a while. and probably wont ever. my younger one [resin] yes and bad choice in name but i call em boo instead. he eats fine. sometime is lazy. i can hold em and he'll attack the cricket. or he'll hunt on him own. or i can hold the cricket and he'll eat it. buddy our oldest is so lazy will not eat unless i hold the cricket in front of em. [he used to hunt on his own.] so i don't know why all a sudden i have to feed him directly. or what ev ive read about bad eye sight? maybe he can't emm hopping around . but i think he's just lazy.. it just sucks because i am not and DO NOT want to get him used to feeding him by hand] or tongs or what ev. i want him to be like he should be and hunt and wag his tail like he should. they are both really healthy and we just got them new sand a week ago. and cleaned tanks. and now we have a day time light and night time lamp for buddy so he can explore out in his tank more. being bc heating pad he'll just sleep in one spot n wont come out.. [resin] our younger one is fine. he always wants out no matter how happy he is in his tank..[i babied him] when they were littler we had them tanked together and buddy pretty much ate him tale eeww] so resin is my baby and i spoil em and hes very goood. now so is buddy but why is it he wont hunt for his crickets? i show both of them the same amount of attention. is there something im doing wrong. something were missing. or is there a remedy to help get him back into his natural hunting mode; anyone help with any info or advise .. would be very greatful..

the more yellow one is buddy and the darker one is resin =]:main_thumbsup:

 

[Dimidiata]

Is it possible he has an impaction from the sand?

 

[brookehiggy]

well. never thought bout that he seems to be fine . today i watched em stare at a cricket. and act like he was going to attack it and then turned away. how would i check to see if he has that sand impact.[i'm considering getting the sheet and take out the sand to see if it'll better his appetite. but i don't think that's the case. hes just lazy but .. would i have to get a stool sample and take to local vet and see if they can see if theres anything in his poo sample?

 

[brookehiggy]

i just noticed. [there's NO poo in his tank. ] so what are some things i could and should do to fix his sand impaction b/c i believe he could have it. he'll eat. but if hes not pooping... somethings not right. [im going tomorrow and getting him a tank rug thing . because i don't want him to get it again. but i have read some stuff on google and it says sand doesn't always cause impaction. but better safe than sorry.[my other gecko is doing great i just liked the sand. because it looks nice and more comfy than the sheets. and paper towels. but for now i have put paper towels in buddys tank until i get the tank bedding or what ev

 

[Mickykayla]

Give him a nice bath, warm(ish) water and if he is a little constipated this should help. But I would really suggest a visit to the vet if this doesn't make him poop as impaction can cause death as the body can't pass out the sand. Sand is really not a good idea, I use tiles. They are so easy to wipe and keep clean. It's surprising how much sand gets picked up with a mouthful of cricket.

 

[katie_]

A vet visit sounds like its in order. It sounds like you caught it early, I hope everything goes well.

 

[justindh1]

i show both of them the same amount of attention. is there something im doing wrong.:main_thumbsup:

Sorry but this part made me smile and laugh a bit.

It sounds like your doing everything fine. I would take the sand out just to keep the risks of impaction from being in the equation but the choice is yours to make. I also like paper towels over reptile carpet. One thing I would consider you trying is that you put a dish of mealworms or roaches in the tank for the one which isn't eating by himself. Some geckos just prefer one feeder over another. I have had some which hate crickets but love mealworms and vise versa. Also what are the temps of the hot side, cold side, and ambient temps? If the hot side isn't around 95 then it needs to go up. If he starts to loose weight then I would take him to the vet. If he isn't loosing weight then I would just play it by ear and wait. Sometimes geckos will go off food unexpectedly. I hope this helps you a bit. It is easy to get excited over nothing but you also want to make sure things are fine.

 

[STUTFL]

Yeah, tastes can change without it necessarily being all about appetite. Mine was raised on (more like covered in) crix for the first however-many years his old owners had him, and he hunted them up fine for a while after I got him. But then one day ... nope, nothing doing. Still lively, still hungry (had that "prey response," whipping his head around and watching like a cat when something moved in his field of vision), but he just let crickets walk right past. If I held one by his face, he'd sniff, realize it was another cricket, and be all, "oh heck no."

I tried other feeders, and since then he's greedily gobbled mealworms, superworms, silkworms, phoenix worms and butterworms, but he just will *not* have anything to do with crickets. Apparently he is insulted by mature insects and feels entitled to a regular tribute of fresh and tender babies, terrifying dragon that he is?

 

[Adirondackgeckos]

What type of "day time lamp" are you using?

 

[brookehiggy]

so, today .. 5/4/12.. they both seem to be doing fine.. buddy[the one i thought had sand impaction] he didn't have it but i plan to take a stool sample to vet just to make sure neither of my geckos have pin worms or anything. .. i worry too much.. i used a lamp.. for buddy.. but lamp fried out. like bulbs are still useable but lamp its self shocked out and made a horrible burning smell.. so havn't been able to use it since. his tank is usually about 80-82... how could i make it warmer in there. [ im sure its a bit warmer where his heating pad is. but they both have the green carpet lizard liner. n doesnt seem to be as nice [warm] as when they had the sand.. =/ but i dont want them to get sand impaction to sand STAYS out haha. but.. .. what are some things. i could do to make sure thank is at a good temp. [buddy still will not go after crickets. he ate. one cricket the 11th. one cricket the 12th and one the 13th.. i had to hold them.. how much crickets should they be eating in one week or two? all together. should i go ahead and try roaches i seen em at a local pet store. but there 6.99 or i think 9.99 not sure don't remember.. CRAZYY. Where could i get them .. do they sell them at petsmart..[i doubt it] or would it hurt to give him a wax worm like 1 time ever other week? i just get nervous he will get addicted to them. i wish he would go after the crickets him self. his eyes have no issue i just think there too fast for em. and he wont even wagg his tale to go after it. hes healthy . eats.. temp i hope is fine. i make sure there hydrated. but its like he forgot to USE HIS EYES n spot a cricket n go after it like my other one does. he follows it until he gets it aha.. but buddy WONT =[ what are some things i could do. bc i cant always feed him my self. being i could go outa town or somthing. and he'll just stave him self bc hes so lazy. he doesn't like mealworms. i think they give off a smell that he doesn't like. hes picky i guess.. please someone help me on what i could do to get him back to normal.. bleh.. and also.. where his arm pits are i noticed they looked inflammed like poofy .. i looked it up and some say its there fat deposit place but hes not fat at all. NOR is he skinny. hes the size he should be but could be a bit bigger i guess.. .. should i worry .. its like where his armpits are kinda beside it.. it only bubbles or poofs up when he has his arms agaisnt him.. but i dunno.. help?

 

[brookehiggy]

so, today .. 5/4/12.. they both seem to be doing fine.. buddy[the one i thought had sand impaction] he didn't have it but i plan to take a stool sample to vet just to make sure neither of my geckos have pin worms or anything. .. i worry too much.. i used a lamp.. for buddy.. but lamp fried out. like bulbs are still useable but lamp its self shocked out and made a horrible burning smell.. so havn't been able to use it since. his tank is usually about 80-82... how could i make it warmer in there. [ im sure its a bit warmer where his heating pad is. but they both have the green carpet lizard liner. n doesnt seem to be as nice [warm] as when they had the sand.. =/ but i dont want them to get sand impaction to sand STAYS out haha. but.. .. what are some things. i could do to make sure thank is at a good temp. [buddy still will not go after crickets. he ate. one cricket the 11th. one cricket the 12th and one the 13th.. i had to hold them.. how much crickets should they be eating in one week or two? all together. should i go ahead and try roaches i seen em at a local pet store. but there 6.99 or i think 9.99 not sure don't remember.. CRAZYY. Where could i get them .. do they sell them at petsmart..[i doubt it] or would it hurt to give him a wax worm like 1 time ever other week? i just get nervous he will get addicted to them. i wish he would go after the crickets him self. his eyes have no issue i just think there too fast for em. and he wont even wagg his tale to go after it. hes healthy . eats.. temp i hope is fine. i make sure there hydrated. but its like he forgot to USE HIS EYES n spot a cricket n go after it like my other one does. he follows it until he gets it aha.. but buddy WONT =[ what are some things i could do. bc i cant always feed him my self. being i could go outa town or somthing. and he'll just stave him self bc hes so lazy. he doesn't like mealworms. i think they give off a smell that he doesn't like. hes picky i guess.. please someone help me on what i could do to get him back to normal.. bleh.. and also.. where his arm pits are i noticed they looked inflammed like poofy .. i looked it up and some say its there fat deposit place but hes not fat at all. NOR is he skinny. hes the size he should be but could be a bit bigger i guess.. .. should i worry .. its like where his armpits are kinda beside it.. it only bubbles or poofs up when he has his arms agaisnt him.. but i dunno.. help? ??

 

[Tangier1911]

Hey, I was wondering if u ever figured out what was wrong with you gecko, my male has been doing exactly the same things, I'm worried about him, we bought super worms today and gave him half of one and he ate it, then this evening we gave him the choice of crickets or a worm and he didn't want either. He is pooping tho, but they are very small compare to what they use to be. The only thing is he's not in sand nor has he ever been. It's always been Eco carpet sold at the pet store. What can we do??

 

[Cesar_Da_KIng]

i would recomend taking out the carpet and putting in paper towels. i had repticarpet for a few days and got rid of it because my leo would't move AT ALL! i think its cause the carpet snaggs their claws and it hurts. paper towel or tile if you can afford to have it cut to fit your tank works best and is healthiest.