my gecko has stopped eating

[mascutt]

I'm not exactly sure what happened, but Lola has not eaten now for roughly three weeks. Her tail is still fat and she makes waste at least every other day.

My geckos are not on loose substrate but ceramic tile. Temperatures are consistent. The only thing that has changed is that I built them a climbing wall at the back of the vivarium. Ever since that day, she hasn't eaten. All she wants to do is climb the wall and sit on the highest point. She won't eat from that ledge either. If I bring her down to feed her, she turns right around and zips back up the wall. She spends both days and nights on that ledge???

Sela, my other gecko, didn't eat for about 2 days after I built the wall, but then got back to her old self. Besides not eating, Lola won't have anything to do with me anymore either. She won't let me hold her, jumps out of my hand, runs and hides from me (which is the only time she hides)... and she never used to be like this.

Has anyone else ever had a similar problem? It seems adding the decorations to the tank is what set her off, but I'm not sure if I should be worried just yet or leave her be and see if she starts eating on her own again?

Any suggestions?

 

[Lala]

try taking the wall out to see if that makes any difference? also try takin the head of a waxworm or something so that she can smell the juicy guts hehe sometimes smell over powers them and they just have to eat... well it did with my leo

let us know what happens tho

 

[rubym]

They can be stubborn little creatures but unless they are ill they wont starve themselves to death. I would just keep putting mealies in the tank and try offering some different food items along with the mealies. If she would start to loose weight, Id contact my vet to have a fecal done. I am sure hunger will eventually overcome the fun of her new wall. Its possible she could be ovulating if she is old enough also. We have had geckos that have never been with males quit eating and lay slugs this time of year. Best wishes.

 

[Eric1969]

I have also heard that changing their tank can stress them for a few days. I put a background on Sparky's cage one time and he acted weird, so I took it down.

 

[mascutt]

I have also heard that changing their tank can stress them for a few days. I put a background on Sparky's cage one time and he acted weird, so I took it down.

Right, I figured it was the stress of adding the climbing wall to their tank, but my other gecko adapted within a couple days, and Lola won't...and it's been three weeks since I put it in. But she's not afraid of the wall....she spends all of her time on it....to the exclusion of everything else...including eating

 

[mascutt]

They can be stubborn little creatures but unless they are ill they wont starve themselves to death. I would just keep putting mealies in the tank and try offering some different food items along with the mealies. If she would start to loose weight, Id contact my vet to have a fecal done. I am sure hunger will eventually overcome the fun of her new wall. Its possible she could be ovulating if she is old enough also. We have had geckos that have never been with males quit eating and lay slugs this time of year. Best wishes.

she is a female, and she is old enough.... I hope that's what it is

 

[bman123]

I can't remember where for the life of me but I read on some forum that someone had a adult Leo that didn't eat for like 6months. It eventually started eating again and barely lost that much weight. I think they said it was around 78grams before going off feed and when it started back up it was around 68-70 grams.

Just try different things like crickets or superworms, something should get it to eat. I learned the hard way awhile ago when my raptor quit eating. I finally said oh well he will eat when he gets hungry enough and sure enough he did.

Like said above maybe she's ovulating or maybe she's just trying to go on a little fast, she's trying to watch her girlish figure..

 

[mascutt]

try taking the wall out to see if that makes any difference? also try takin the head of a waxworm or something so that she can smell the juicy guts hehe sometimes smell over powers them and they just have to eat... well it did with my leo

let us know what happens tho

I will have to try the waxworm thing. I can't take the wall out. It's self-adhering corkboard. It will leave a big mess if I take it down

 

[mascutt]

I can't remember where for the life of me but I read on some forum that someone had a adult Leo that didn't eat for like 6months. It eventually started eating again and barely lost that much weight. I think they said it was around 78grams before going off feed and when it started back up it was around 68-70 grams.

Just try different things like crickets or superworms, something should get it to eat. I learned the hard way awhile ago when my raptor quit eating. I finally said oh well he will eat when he gets hungry enough and sure enough he did.

Like said above maybe she's ovulating or maybe she's just trying to go on a little fast, she's trying to watch her girlish figure..

I have all different stuff that I've been trying. She loves crickets and mealworms, and that's what she's gone off of. I've tried superworms, waxworms, roaches, etc.

Mind you, Sela LOVES that I'm throwing all this new food at them, but Lola doesn't touch any of it. I really do hope its an ovulation thing

 

[bman123]

She wouldn't even eat a wax worm? That's crazy, waxxies are like Hershey bars for geckos lol.

 

[mascutt]

She wouldn't even eat a wax worm? That's crazy, waxxies are like Hershey bars for geckos lol.

I know! and my other gecko is loving them. But Lola wouldn't eat it