Need to fatten some tails

[JasonO80]

I have to small young leopard geckos that could use some tail fat. Is there anything out there that is small enough that would carry what they need to add a little bit of weight to them. they are eating mealworms and crickets right now but I would like to booster weight their tails are way too thin.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

As long as they are healthy, normal feeding and time will fatten them up. Younger leos put most of their calories into growing. Once they hit 25-30g or so they start to "save" more calories as fat. If they are really thin then there is something awry and it may be best to get them checked for parasites or worse by a vet.

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

I think the perception of a "healthy" leopard gecko has been a little misconstrued to all of us. Fat tails are just that...FAT. Now don't get me wrong, I have a lot of girls with FAT tails on them. That being said I keep my geckos leaner until just before breeding season, then I fatten them up so they can loose weight and still be within my personal "healthy" limits. I keep my males more lean as they never have the stress and weight loss the females have. If your geckos are eating and being supplemented and are not gaining weight then you may want to look at other health conditions (parasites, intestinal issues, etc.). If they are clean of parasites and still wont gain then I would ensure your feeders are fed and healthy and up the volume of worms. Worms produce much fatter geckos than crickets or roaches will.

I am personally switching all of my breeders over to roaches as I personally have had better clutch counts/viability, healthier breeders, larger babies, and simply believe it is better for them (less concern for fatty liver and other weight associated issues...long term). I have performed and witnessed many necropsy and a majority of Leos had fatty livers as well as pulmonary irregularities. Unfortunately most people shy away from roach/cricket feeders so my babies will be on worms to allow ease of care for new home providers.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Like people said, just feed them, give them the right supplements, make sure temps are good, and they'll fatten up. You don't want to try to force it.

I think the perception of a "healthy" leopard gecko has been a little misconstrued to all of us. Fat tails are just that...FAT. Now don't get me wrong, I have a lot of girls with FAT tails on them. That being said I keep my geckos leaner until just before breeding season, then I fatten them up so they can loose weight and still be within my personal "healthy" limits. I keep my males more lean as they never have the stress and weight loss the females have. If your geckos are eating and being supplemented and are not gaining weight then you may want to look at other health conditions (parasites, intestinal issues, etc.). If they are clean of parasites and still wont gain then I would ensure your feeders are fed and healthy and up the volume of worms. Worms produce much fatter geckos than crickets or roaches will.

I am personally switching all of my breeders over to roaches as I personally have had better clutch counts/viability, healthier breeders, larger babies, and simply believe it is better for them (less concern for fatty liver and other weight associated issues...long term). I have performed and witnessed many necropsy and a majority of Leos had fatty livers as well as pulmonary irregularities. Unfortunately most people shy away from roach/cricket feeders so my babies will be on worms to allow ease of care for new home providers.

His gecko's tails are very thin. Like, all bone.

Out of curiosity, since I think you've mentioned this before, what would be an example of something that is generally considered acceptable that you feel is too fat?

~Maggot

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

Like people, they carry weight different, metabolize different, etc. I dont have a set scale in which a X month old gecko should weight so much or at x length...I use the animals activity levels, proportions, food consumed, etc. I personally have noticed "fat" girls tend to slug out more and have fewer viable clutches than "healthier" girls.

To make this easy I will use examples of my own animals over the years and show what I see as fat and healthy. These are all adults and were breeding (or of breeding body type) when pictures were taken.

Fat;
(left heavy, right fat)

Not the best pic for showing her weight but you can see the tail enough,

Heavy/Border Line;

Healthy;

As you can see some may be border line but as big as fat ones, but thats when the other factors such as activity, volume of food consumed, number of season breeding, etc. come into play. Also, healthy geckos DO have fat storage in their tail, but not near the volume. All of these geckos bred for at least 2-3 years and were pioneers in my desire to seek what I believe to be "healthy". I have been trying to refine the feeding regime and feeders themselves to get and keep my animals at a healthy weight. The market likes FAT geckos with huge tails, but anything staying in my care will be maintained on less fatty demands as I value their life longevity over chubby tails.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Okay, so I guess you and I kind of have the same ideas about what's heavy and what's healthy. But since the fatter ones seem to be common, I thought maybe I was just wrong. I was just curious if anyone happens to agree with me about leo weights. I'd rather see my girl slightly thinner than most geckos I see.

~Maggot

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Thanks Travis for some awesome illustrations! Awesomeness in color and education in one

Most of the breeders I've spoken with have said the same thing that Travis is saying: fat geckos produce FAR fewer eggs. This would lead me to believe that they are indeed healthier and better off long-term than chunky ones.

Travis - When you feed to keep them lean do you reduce the number of feeders or how frequently you feed? I want to think that a consistent feeding schedule with smaller numbers of feeders would be better than less frequent feedings?

My 40g+ geckos seem too chunky and my smaller ones all seem to be gaining weight steadily at 1-2g per week but I feel like I'm barely feeding them giving 10-15 mealworms about 3 times a week. I wish my darn roaches would start breeding so I could offer a more healthy alternative on a regular basis!

 

[JasonO80]

Wow this has been probably some of the most enlightening responses I have gotten out of any of my questions to date. I appreciate all the help and input. I am just mainly concerned with the smallest of my 2 newest. Looks to be eating well I am just going to have to keep an eye on that one. Looks to be shedding so intake may go down for a day or 2. The other little one just shed and has a little heavier tail so less concerned there. But I will just keep doing what I am doing and monitor them like crazy!

 

[Embrace Calamity]

If they're shedding, that's a good sign. It means they're growing. I'm inclined to believe they're so thin because of the breeder, not because there's anything wrong with them, especially if they're now eating and shedding just fine.

~Maggot

 

[JasonO80]

If they're shedding, that's a good sign. It means they're growing. I'm inclined to believe they're so thin because of the breeder, not because there's anything wrong with them, especially if they're now eating and shedding just fine.

~Maggot

I think so too! I will not be getting anymore from that breeder they are good looking gecko's but I don't like how the condition they were in when I got them. Especially the smallest one. I will however be attending Repticon in Tampa, FL on March 16th & 17th!

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I think so too! I will not be getting anymore from that breeder they are good looking gecko's but I don't like how the condition they were in when I got them. Especially the smallest one. I will however be attending Repticon in Tampa, FL on March 16th & 17th!

Not to sound like a prick, but out of curiosity, why'd you buy them if you didn't like their condition?

~Maggot

 

[JasonO80]

Not a prick at all lol. I knew they were underweight and that it could be corrected. I loved the color and markings of both of them. And just because he was a douche and not taking care of them properly didn't mean they didn't deserve a shot. I am a sucker for a cute face. So they got a ride home with me and now hopefully will have full bellies and a happy life ahead of them.

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

@ Lisa - I feed twice a week and offer dubia's (gut-loaded with an array of green, fruit, and chow). The amount I offer depends on the geckos specific needs. I don't have a set number and sit there and count them out, but have rough estimates and go with that. I use to just allow them to free feed and it worked great. However, I think if we truly cared about them then this method would become obsolete as it is not in the animals best interests to be fat.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

@ Travis - Thanks again for awesome info and advice

@ Jason - best of luck getting them healthy! Keep us posted on their progress

 

[JasonO80]

Will do Lisa thanks.