Leo eating normally but tail isn't getting fatter?

[nikiplanb]

I've had my Leo for about four months now. He's around six or seven inches long and eats like a pig. I feed him crickets, mealworms and the occasional wax worm. He is in a twenty gallon long, under tank heater, and even a heat lamp because it gets pretty cold in my house, and plenty of water. Solid and regular bowl movements.

My question is why his tail isn't getting very fat? My female is about a month older and her tail is huge and she eats less than he does. His has gotten a bit bigger than when I got him but it's not nearly what you'd call fat. Could there be something wrong or is he a late bloomer?

 

[cowana]

Have you had a parasite check done on him recently? I would suggest taking him and a fecal sample to a reptile vet to check for parasites. Even though a reptile is eating well or often better than normal they are doing this in order to try to replace the nutrients that the internal parasites are stealing from their body. It wouldn't hurt to bring a fecal from your female and have it tested as well (especially if they are housed together!).

This is just a guess, especially without knowing your gecko and seeing him and his changes. However it is a reasonable place to start and only a vet can give you the right meds and dosages you need if it is internal parasites. If not a vet will help you get this figured out

Good job on noticing that your Leo's tail wasn't getting as fat as you think it should be early on! A lot of people don't ask for help or look for vet care until their pet is super sick. Sometimes that is too late. :-(

Best of luck!

Amy

 

[tommysatterlee]

Tail grow takes a very long time, just make sure to use calcium and feed crickets and roaches more often than meal worms since most of a mealworm is exoskeleton. Yes there are late bloomer leopard geckos, I would start worrying if he was losing weight

 

[cowana]

Tail growth really doesn't take that long. They fatten up rather quickly with a healthy, gut loaded diet. A Leo can regenerate an entire nice big, fat tail in about 2 months.

By 6-7" and as much as you say he eats I would speculate that he should have a good reserve built up in his tail by now. Something is causing this to not happen like internal parasites.

I do agree if he starts to lose weight then your problem is becoming much more serious. Get him looked at before this is the case.

 

[nikiplanb]

I haven't taken him or her to a vet since I got them but I do plan to do so as soon as I can afford to. His body is still keeping healthy weight on his body and he's growing, his tail just hasn't gotten nearly as big as I'd expect. I'll definitely get them tested, I'd rather be safe than sorry! Especially when it comes to my scale babies! Thanks for your help guys.

 

[nikiplanb]

These are Rick and Daryl yesterday compared top when I got them.

 

[Shrapnailed]

I have two male leos and one of mine has a much larger tail than the other. Not all leos will be the same.

 

[cowana]

His tail doesn't look bad. I was thinking it was "skinny", but it has a decent little reserve. [emoji4]

Yearly fecals are a good idea just as preventative medicine, but I wouldn't be too worried if he isn't displaying any other symptoms. They both seem healthy based on the pics. [emoji4]