leo digging in his heels

[roger]

Ive been raising leos for the past 25 yrs so I'd like to think I have a pretty good grasp of leo husbundry and I've only had this issue come up only once before.I recently bought a year old leo from a breeder who keeps his animals in a rack system just like I do.He has good weight to him and healthy.I got him March 2.He has shown real skittish behaviour and there have been times were he was laying in his hide in a trance and showing real odd behaviour.I've started picking him up to try to get him used to being handled hoping this will get him comfortable..So its been roughly 40 days and he hasnt eaten.He's in a tub in a rack so he has lot of privacy.I've left him alone for a month with the exception of offering food and water.Warm end is 90-95 on the warm end and a humid cool end on the other with paper substrate.So I guess the one question I have is,is there anything I can do to kickstart his appetite.I really dont want to ram something down his throat to create more stress.I know its common for leos to go off food for 3-4 weeks in a new enclosure but its going on a month and a half now.Is there a way I can gently encourage him to eat instead of force feeding.I think once he takes his first cricket it will get him going.

 

[CallDr]

I don't have a clue! I would contact the breeder and see if by some chance he was doing or using something you are not. I would change his environment from the tub to maybe a tank or clear cage, including new hides, dishes and everything and give another week?

But it maybe a problem only a Vet can solve? Good Luck......

 

[shadowdragon619]

If he's getting dehydrated, you can get some pedialyte and drop it on his nose, he should lick it up. there's slurry recipe for geckos too, but i dont have it. Also, chicken baby food works too because it has a lot of protein in it. just dab it on his nose and he'll should lick some up.

what have you been trying to feed it? if he's only had one food, he's probably sick of it. my one leo, i have to alter between mealworms and crickets every month or she wont eat. she gets tired of the same food.

maybe try some wax worms too? mine has never refused waxworms. i trick them...i drop a wax worm in front of them, and once they eat that, i'll drop mealies in front of them, lol.

but the vet sounds good too. you need to call your vet if its been this long now.

keep us posted! i hope everything turns out okay!

 

[acpart]

I don't know if there's any chance he's aware of females and that's putting him off his food. Besides the slurry or baby food, there are a couple of other methods I've used with my colony of reluctant-to-eat geckos:
--assisted feeding: I hold the gecko and gently press a feeder against the mouth. It will open its mouth to bite and often take the feeder. I have one reluctant male, usually a good eater, who will lick the superworm if I put it in front of him, but will eat 3 or more if I hold him and push the superworm against his mouth. I always give him the chance to eat on his own first

--offer several feeders in sequence: I have a few geckos that will turn away from superworms but eat crickets and the next time it's the other way around.

--feed in a more constrained space: I have found that it doesn't work to take the gecko out of its accustomed space to try to feed it because then it gets all freaked out about being in a different space. I have had success feeding several of my geckos lately by putting feeders in the laybox or humid hide and sticking them in there

--I still maintain that as long as the gecko looks alert, is not losing weight fast and doesn't look sick that sometimes their gecko minds take them off food.

Good luck, I'm in the same boat with some of mine.

Aliza

 

[GeckoNub]

Im in the same predicament atm with 2 of my females but one is worse than the other.

Freya will sometimes eat the odd waxworm or mealie but Peppa is having none of it. Ive tried roaches, crickets, locusts, mealworms and waxworms and so far she just doesnt care. She has shed in the last few days and all her shed is gone so she must have eaten that but otherwise its about 3 weeks now.

All either of them seems to want is to be picked up and handled, which is kinda nice in one way that they trust me but is frustrating when i just want them to eat

They are in the same cages they have been in for the past few months and nothing has changed so im also interested in ways to try and get them to eat without forcefeeding.

 

[bjleemkuil]

maybe try some wax worms too? mine has never refused waxworms. i trick them...i drop a wax worm in front of them, and once they eat that, i'll drop mealies in front of them, lol.

I've done this before! :main_thumbsup: It works for sure!

what have you been trying to feed it? if he's only had one food, he's probably sick of it. my one leo, i have to alter between mealworms and crickets every month or she wont eat. she gets tired of the same food.

I've gotten a few Leos who didn't eat for weeks when trying with Superworms/Mealworms but when I tried with crickets after about a month they INHALED them. Some are picker than others I guess!

 

[RocksMama77]

I don't have nearly as much experience as you but I also had a female that wouldn't eat for about as long. She wouldn't eat anything but wax worms and then only occasionally. I was stressed and had about given up on her when I decided one day to feed her midday instead of at night. She went wild. Her first feeding she ate 5 good sized roaches. Now she is down to about one roach a day but hey anything is good after the start she had. Try different feeding times and different feeders. My leos love roaches and never seem bored with them.