Please advice on cooling

[gothra]

Well, 2 out of 3 of my ovulating females are still not eating, its really, really driving my crazy...I'm going to turn to the last resort - cooling. Before I do it, I would like to make sure what I'm going to do is correct, plus I have some questions.

- I need to turn down the heat gradually from 92F (now) to room temp, perhaps a few degrees per day? However, it is getting pretty warm now, room temp is usually around 75F, is that cool enough?

- When do I need to turn the heat back up? Until I can't see the ovulating signs on their belly? Or do I turn the heat up after a certain period of time?

- During cooling, I will not feed them. Are they going to shed as usual? Without heat, are they going to digest their shed skin all right?

- I know without food, they have nothing to produce a poop...but will they poop at all during cooling?

That's all I can think of at the moment, sorry for so many questions. I just want to make sure I understand everything before I try out "new things" :embarassed: ...

 

[gothra]

Oh, one more:

- If I manage to stop their ovulation, will they start ovulating again after I turn back up their heat? Or this year's ovulation will be all done, they won't ovulate again until next year?

 

[trizzypballr]

Being a first year breeder, ive never delt with cooling, but I thought that ive heard that cooling can be bad for your geckos? I also thought that people cool them to start the breeding season to help them ovulate as the normally would in nature? Take this post as a grain of salt because I have no clue, I guess you could say Im actully asking questions about it myself

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Bonnie, cooling your geckos is tricky. If the girls aren't eating due to ovulation, they certainly won't eat during the cooling period. Sometimes it works, and sometimes not. If yo do choose to cool them (or try only one), turn the temps down a few degrees every 2-3 days until they are at room temperature. You should not let it go longer than about 4 - 6 weeks, and then turn the temps back up a few degrees every 2-3 days. Make sure they have no food in their stomachs when you cool them.

Good luck... I know what you are going through! I have 4 females in the same situation right now and it's frustrating and worrisome.

 

[GroovyGeckos.com]

Bonnie, they are just watching their weight trying to impress a male. Haha

No seriously, if that is the only reason they arent eating, I would not be worried at all. Better for the gecko, to let them, do what they would do, than for you to do something unnatural, to "correct" it. As they say: "If it aint broke dont fix it"

How often are they normally eating? Have they stopped completely, or just eating less? It will take a bit to see a drop in weight, but if they are eating something, they will not likely loose much weight. A few grams is fine.

These geckos we keep (and most all of us are guilty) are probably obese, and overfed even "spoiled"(lol), compared to one of them in the wild. They will do fine given less food, as they might not even have access to large amounts of food, in the wild. Then if you think about it they have to do alot more work to find even less food, having to hunt.

I think it will correct itself.

 

[trizzypballr]

care to tackle my questions, facts, myths?

 

[GroovyGeckos.com]

Think they meant cooling can be bad, if you do not know what you are doing. Yes, cooling is used to simulate a change from winter to spring. Some people use it, I find it is not really needed... Leopards cool themselves.

They know what time of year it is, probably from less light outdoors, and cooler ambient temperatures. Mine will slow down in winter, and then start ovulating in the spring, all on heir own, when it is that time of year.

 

[trizzypballr]

ok cool thanks I know this is my first season, people were having geckos ovulating in november, i dont think i had my first until january

 

[gothra]

My 2 girls are eating nothing at all... Both of them lost 10% of their body weight already during the past 3 months; although they are still on the chubby side (69-70 grams). Other than not eating, they are fine in every way. Maybe I should just wait for them to get back to normal, as risks are involved in cooling....AHH...its so stressful to their mama! I will definately go bald after they start to eat for me again!!! :dead:

By the way, they were way too fat previously, so they look much healthier at this point after the weight loss...One part of me want them to keep the weight, the other part of me want them to eat tonnes for me!! :drunk:

 

[curiousKathy]

Thank you for this thread as I have two little ladies that have decided they don't want to eat either. LOL They are both active and seem fine; not much weight loss, if any. I feel much better knowing that several people are experiencing the same thing. I just keep offering them a variety of fresh food in hopes that one day they will decide to eat! VBG

Kathy