Need advice fattening up a gecko...

[neubauer geckos]

So i got my friend into leopard geckos about a year ago,when he got a pair of nice geckos.he took really good care of them for the first 4 months.but the novelty wore off,and he stopped feeding them,which resulted in their death.then he got another one at a reptile show and asides me he wouldn't let this one die.well,now 5 months later the adut male gecko weighs 20 grams...so I convinced him to let me take it and get him fatter.his tail looks like a normal lizards tail it's so skinny,and his spine is visible.I got him home Sunday,and he ate 3 crcikets and 2 mealworms eagerly,but yesterday I found them pooped out almost completely whole.so my question is,what should I feed him that can be easily digested,but is also fattening.I don't think I need the slurry yet,as he Does go for the crickets and mealies.any ideas?maybe a freshly molted dubia?thanks!and other help on getting this guy fattened up is greatly appreciated!

 

[richardrojas]

You can start feeding him with a supplement called Repta Aid from Flukers. If he weights 20g you should start feeding him .9cc for the first 4 days then can give him 1.8cc daily. Another thing that can help to fatten up are wax worms.

 

[BrilliantEraser]

An animal that has been that starved for so long does NOT need to be quickly fattened up. They can suffer re-feeder syndrome, which can lead to coma and death. The animal needs a regimented feeding program to bring its weight slowly back up to normal. And, no, wax worms are a bad idea. This boy needs nutrients and protein, not fat-filled lizard twinkies.
Since he's been pooping out his prey items almost whole, there's a chance his gut flora is depleted. Acidophilus supplements (Bene-Bac for reptiles, or Acidophiliz+) will help restore normal gut activity. I've used Acidophiliz+ with great success for a sick Bearded Dragon, not sure if anyone has any experience using it with Leopard Geckos?
After acidophilus administration, keep the animal in question WARM. Acidophilus needs warmth to grow and flourish. About a half hour after that, slowly introduce food items. Maybe one or two the first meal. If he can hold that down, good! If not, cut the meal portion down again. I'd suggest feeding something like Silkworms for the first few weeks. They're soft-bodied and super high in protein. They also have an enzyme called serapeptase, which helps in calcium absorption, reduces arterial plaque, and reduces inflammation.

 

[Dog Shrink]

An animal that has been that starved for so long does NOT need to be quickly fattened up. They can suffer re-feeder syndrome, which can lead to coma and death. The animal needs a regimented feeding program to bring its weight slowly back up to normal. And, no, wax worms are a bad idea. This boy needs nutrients and protein, not fat-filled lizard twinkies.
Since he's been pooping out his prey items almost whole, there's a chance his gut flora is depleted. Acidophilus supplements (Bene-Bac for reptiles, or Acidophiliz+) will help restore normal gut activity. I've used Acidophiliz+ with great success for a sick Bearded Dragon, not sure if anyone has any experience using it with Leopard Geckos?
After acidophilus administration, keep the animal in question WARM. Acidophilus needs warmth to grow and flourish. About a half hour after that, slowly introduce food items. Maybe one or two the first meal. If he can hold that down, good! If not, cut the meal portion down again. I'd suggest feeding something like Silkworms for the first few weeks. They're soft-bodied and super high in protein. They also have an enzyme called serapeptase, which helps in calcium absorption, reduces arterial plaque, and reduces inflammation.

EXACTLY what I was going to say. My experience is moreso with fixing emaciated dogs but this is along the exact same protocol. Very good info. There is no fast way to fix emaciated animals... it is a slow on going process BUT the only thing that concernd me is the high protein thing. When recovering mammals from emaciated state they can develop a protein disorder from the sudden intake of major protein sources, think concentration camp victims... they were fed meat and other high pro foods and a lot of them DIED because their bodies couldn't absorb/process the protein. I can't think of the name of the illness off hand but it isn't pretty. They suggest a diet higher in fats and lesser in protein because it is easier for the body to use/break down. I believe this is the re-feeding syndrome that was mentioned. Hopefully some one well versed in leos will chime in on this point.

Also here is a link I found about recovering emaciated wildlife. Scroll down and you'll find a section on reptiles right after raccoons about half way down the page.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Bp0SH0PAdFQJ:marcandeliana.com/files/File_Main_files/20060810_Cornell_Nutrition.doc+effects+of+high+protein+in+emaciated+geckos&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

and an article on refeeding syndrome
http://www.sheltermedicine.com/portal/is_starvation.shtml

This one doesn't involve refeeding syndrome but I thought it was a cool link for reptile pathology
http://www.abaxisuniversity.com/pdf/Clinical_Pathology_for_Reptiles.pdf

 

[BrilliantEraser]

Good to know, "Kermit". My only experience with re-feeder syndrome is the sudden intake of calories leading to incredibly high blood sugar, coma, and then death. I will have to look into it some more.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Additional fluids are needed too as dehydration and starvation go hand in hand. It takes moisture in their bodies to break down food properly. Warm soaks would be helpful, dripping water on its' nose to lick. It took some time for it to get to the current physical condition, it will take some time to get healthy. A proper diet will go a lot further in the long run than trying to pump it up fast.