Leopard Gecko Stopped Eating 3 weeks ago !!

[JBOB]

Hi,

I really need some reassurance and advice please.

My female Leo is about 9-10 months old.
Lives in a 24x18x18 wooden viv with lino flooring
Heat mat on one side at about 90F
One warm hide / one humid with sphagnum moss and a hide on her cool side with the water bowl
She eats mealworms every other day and a wax worm once a week. Occasionally I'll get her some crickets.
Food is dusted with a vitamin inc d3 powder one feed then a pure calcium the next. She also has a small dish of calcium that she licks sometimes.
She has a 2% UV bulb on during the day and red led lights on for a few hours at night

She's been a really good eater since we got her as a baby, and maybe could lose a few grams (She was 92g when she stopped eating)

Almost 3 weeks ago she shed and she never wants to eat for a day or two after, but when I offered her some mealworms 2 days after she wasn't interested.
A week went past and she still wouldn't eat and I got very worried because she wouldn't even want a wax worm !! so I took her to my local reptile vet, who said it looks like the start of her ovulating. he asked about her setup and said it seems fine.

He did say that Leo's can go off their food during ovulation. It's been three weeks now with no food and she's lost 3-4grams in weight.

The other worrying thing is that she's taken a dislike to her moss hide. No issues before as she would spend hours in there before, but the vet said she'll lay her eggs in there. So I've added a second hide with coco fibre as substrate, but she's ignoring that as well.

I spoke to my local reptile shop owner yesterday who said I need to put her on sand as a substrate. He said they need to dig in the sand before they'll lay in the moss hide. If I don't change her flooring then she could get egg bound !! Is that true ???

Is there anything blindingly obvious that I've missed. She seems to be her usual self otherwise, but I'm very worried.

The vet wants to see her 2 weeks after her last visit, if she's not eating again. Its a week to go yet.

Any advice please

J

 

[tb144050]

I am always short on time, so please forgive me for keeping my post short and getting straight to my tips. Most of everything you mentioned sounds great, but here are a few thoughts I had:

1) A small minority of people will suggest a UV light. These mostly-nocturnal creatures are said by many to not need a UV light...just use proper Calcium, D3, and Multivitamin supplements.

2) A small minority of people will suggest sand as a substrate. The majority will side with "Safety" and say "don't use sand". Sand can, and will, cause impaction (which can often be fatal) when they accidently or intentionally ingest it. Accidental: small nips of sand while eating....Intentional: "Ooooohhh, it's the yummy 'Calcium Sand' and I need some Calcium!! I can just eat sand instead of licking my calcium in the dish."

3) I agree: Ovulating females can
---a) go "off food"
---b) get favorite spots that changes every few days...warm hide for 5 days, moist hide 2 days, warm hide 4 days, cool hide 2 days, dig around in moist hide (for practice or exploring?), then back to warm & cool hides...etc etc...more digging...
---c) may eventually lay an egg or two, even if she hasn't mated. Most of the time it will be laid in the moist hide..not always.. (don't know why).

4) Here is a video showing that a female will dig in the moist hide, even if the primary substrate is Repticarpet and she hasn't "practiced" in sand:
[video]http://s268.photobucket.com/user/s13_240_rb20/media/geckos_2014/Jan2014_g3/2014-03-25031350_trimmed_8min.mp4.html[/video]

5) I am ecstatic that you care enough to carry your girl to a vet!! Alot of "casual owners" don't spend the money.

6) 92grams @ 9-10months old? WOW!! Is she a giant, seem obese, or ??? my 10month olds are only 45-60grams.

7) 3-4grams weight loss is just her belly being empty. I have weighed my smaller geckos "before & after" eating, and a "belly-full = about 2-3grams". Your girl has a bigger belly..hehe

8) Unless she drops below, let's say...80-82grams, I would attribute the "off feed" to ovulation. You can usually see the ovulations from her underbelly. Check the "Breeding section" for pics of ovulating females (especially my current thread with almost-daily pics of the 26day development process, or I have a different post in "Show off your Leo's" section for my gravid/ovulating Rosie)".

9) If she hasn't mated, you can try to stop ovulations by lowering the warm floor temp 3 degrees. She may "sense" that the seasons are turning cooler, and her body should adapt to prevent a winter-"pregnancy". (not the official word...umm..."gravidness??")