Not eating and lethargic, but fat with armpit bubbles

[lovemygecko]

About your leo:
- Sex
Male
- Age & Weight
About 4 years old
- How long have you owned your leo
About 4 years
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend)
Pet store

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo
Hardly ever
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now.
Used to eat a lot, but now barely eats, but looks fine otherwise.
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe.
No
B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal)
Looks normal
- When was the last time he/she went
C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size
About 1 foot deep and 2 feet wide
- Type (ex. glass tank)
Glass tank
- Type of substrate
Calcium sand
- Hides, how many, what kind
B) Heating
- Heat source
Bottom under tank heater on 24/7 and top above tank heater on a timer during the day. Both are on one side of the tank only.
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side)
Hot side about 85-100 Fahrenheit
- Method of regulating heat source
Bottom we have a turn dial, and the top is just on during the day
- What are you using to measure your temps
Simple in tank temp gauge
- Do you have any lights (describe)
No. He's beside a window
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females)
No mates
- Describe health, or previous problems

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much)
Dubai roaches. He seems to only eat once a week. I've never really kept track (on paper) how much or how often, but he used to eat 1-2 roaches a couple times a week, but now he only seems to eat 1 roach every 1-2 weeks.
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect)
Tweezers. Sometimes we drop them in.
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands)
None
- What are you gut loading food with
We bought some roach food from the roach supplier.



I used to feed our leopard gecko a couple times a week dubai roaches, but within the last year (or 6 months at least), he has seemed very lethargic. He's going to the bathroom, and he looks fat and healthy. He has the armpit bubbles. I am just getting concerned since he doesn't eat like he used to. Should we get him out more and play with him? When we first got him, he wasn't acting very good, and we added the underneath heater, and he got better. I don't want to worry since he's not losing weight, but he sure seems lethargic.

 

[acpart]

I have found that leopard geckos can go through periods where they just don't eat much, sometimes for weeks. That said, there are some concerning things about your setup: most people prefer to keep their geckos on non-particulate substrates. For those who do choose something with particles, calcium sand is a big no-no because it can get stuck in the digestive tract and cause impaction (which can affect appetite). Those who prefer sand (which is not a natural leopard gecko substrate) use play sand. Others use coco fiber.
It's a little concerning that your gecko has never had supplements. Normally, leopard geckos need calcium and vitamin D3 to build strong bones. Consider getting a supplement like Repashy Calcium Plus (all in one supplement) and dusting the feeders.
Please keep us posted about how your gecko is doing. Generally, if a gecko isn't eating, as long as it's not losing weight, it's probably OK.

Aliza

 

[lovemygecko]

Thank you. I ordered some Repashy Calcium Plus and some coco fiber. I looked at pictures of non-eating (thin looking) geckos, and mine is definitely fat, but the barely eating thing just had me concerned.