Overfeeding

[joneill]

Can you feed your leos too much food especially when they still babies or juvies? My 8 week old baby shed a week ago and he has been eating like a champion. He used to eat something then go back to hot hide and wait a bit before coming out to eat something else. Now he stays out, standing up on his legs and staring at the paper towel for another tasty morsel to drop down. It is very cute but I don't want to cause any problems by overfeeding. I did ask the chap at the pet shop where I bought him and he said they will stop eating when full so not to worry. Any other advice?

 

[SDCowboy]

If they will eat it, keep feeding them until they don't want any more when they are still growing. I also still keep a dish of mealies in the tank at all time.

 

[Dog Shrink]

Exactly how much of what type of feeder are you feeding this juvie? Some leos will eat themselves into regurgitation, others will eat and eat and be fine. Use common sense...i never fed eros more than 15 mealies a sitting when he was a juvie for 2 reasons... Didn't want him to regurg and didn't want him to get constipated from all the shell he was ingesting in 1 sitting.

 

[im faster]

I personally have never seen a leo over eat..

Im sure it can happen.. but unless they are regurgitating.. keep on feedin

 

[Dog Shrink]

it does happen Dennis... have you ever seen an obese gecko??? they over eat for sure... that is why it is recommended to reduce feedings when your gecko reaches adulthood... to prevent obesity and the related diseases that come with it.

 

[ElapidSVT]

i've had hatchlings overeat, regurgitate, overeat and regurgitate again when newly introduced to feeding from a dish.

if they don't regurgitate, it's all good.

i think there's a difference between overeating (1 meal) and overfeeding of obese animals.

 

[im faster]

it happening once or twice would be considered a learning experience.

and i have never had an obese gecko.

any pics of these?

 

[Dog Shrink]

I never asked if you ever had one hon, I asked if you've ever seen one... you're an exeperienced keeper, I'm sure you practice proper husbandry and proper feeding so your animals don't get fat/obese/overweight but there are plenty of inexperienced keepers that aren't. Google image searches are a great feature of the net... I'd try obese leopard gecko or fat leopard gecko... I'm sure a bunch will come up, but personally no I don't have any photos bookmarked or anything like that... sorry...

 

[im faster]

wow. i have just never bothered to look.beacuse ive never noticed it as a problem i guess but good lord.

 

[Dog Shrink]

See.....

 

[Pinky81]

HAHAHAHAHAHA Dennis is that your geck? Or just a random google pic? Cause THAT BABIES GOT BACK...AND LEGGG....AND LOVE HANDLES!!! LMAO!

 

[fl_orchidslave]

That can't be healthy..........

 

[im faster]

HAHAHA.. yeah google pic.. thats insanely fat..

 

[Pinky81]

You guys stop it...that Leo is just big boned!!

 

[TokayKeeper]

and that right there is why I don't feed fatty, lazy, dishfood mealworms.

Check out the stub tail on that thing too. Someone forgot to pull on the tail tip while it was incubating. Someone needs to put together one of those obese dog/cat vet office posters for leos.

 

[roger]

WOW