lost tail and not eating

[msalter521]

I purchased a juvenile gecko and placed him in the tank with my older one... I think this was a bad idea... My bigger female tried to attack so the smaller detached tail so i immediately separated them and now the younger on won't eat. Should i force feed a science diet slurry and if so how much should i feed and how many times per day???

I've cleaned off the tail area, applied non medicated neosporin, and placed him in another habitat on paper towels. They were previously in sand and i figured this would irritate the tail.

 

[lisa s]

ohh so sorry to hear that it lost its tail - but great that you seperated them asap.

when did this happen ? for how long has it not eaten ?

the little one might just be stressed from the 2 moves and the attack - I would leave som mealworms in with it for a few days and if nothing happens then start to force-feed just once a day.

 

[msalter521]

I purchased him Friday. He hasn't eaten anything since i had him.

I feel like such a bad parent

Should i use packaged mealworms or live ones? If i have to end up force feeding him should 1 mL a day be enough, :main_huh: he is very tiny

 

[bubblez825]

1) DONT force feed. squeeze a live mealie till the guts come out and rub it against the side of the geckos mouth(gently, you dont want to stress it any more than it is already)

2) if it doesn't respond to any food, you can try the slurry(link) it will help the little leo pack on some weight and get the liquids and nutrients it needs to survive

I wish you the best of luck with the little guy

 

[Spooki]

if he's not eating it's probably just do to stress. just let him relax and keep offering food as you normally would. as was already said, you'd only need to offer slurry if it refuses food.

tail loss isn't the end of the world so don't beat yourself up over it. it should regrow fine. the regrown tail won't be perfect but i'm sure the gecko will be just as nice looking.

 

[loulovespat]

I think force feeding him would make him even more stressed... i think he should be left alone for acouple of days so he can feel safe, just leave some food in there for him, i would say leave bout 2mealworms in there so he dont get freaked out if you put like 4 in there

 

[2bacop]

Is your older leo still on sand, if so get him off ASAP

 

[msalter521]

yes my older leo is still on sand... Why sould i pull him out???

 

[missdragonxo]

sand can ball up in the stomach if ingested and cause impaction, tear tissue, and is possibly fatal to the gecko.