Problem Gecko

[theCREECH]

I have this gecko that always has problems with his shed. I have to say this is also the same gecko that couldn't figure out what food was when she was first brought home. I had to force feed her for at least a week before she finally started eating on her own.

this same gecko doesn't seem to have enough sense to use the humid hide when she's close to shedding. Everytime she sheds I end up giving her a wet soak and helping with the bits she missed. I don't understand. All my others have figured it out this one is crazy.

I wondered if anyone has any solutions to this, has experienced it, or just has similar geckos.

thanks

 

[RampantReptiles]

You could try spraying the enclosure if you notice she is about to shed. That way its humid everywhere and you dont have to worry about her not using the humid hide.

 

[gothra]

I think you are doing too much. When they first arrive at a new home, they are stressed and some geckos will take days or weeks to start eating. Force feeding a new gecko is doing more bad than good. I have geckos that doesn't use the humid hide at all, that's normal, not everyone likes the humid hide. Just check on her when she is done shedding each time, and help her get the bits and pieces off.

 

[LeoTyreal]

agreed to gothra about the stress of new tanks, and a good idea on the misting the whole tank but on the same note not to sure about it only because they are used to dry environments. the only real foreseeable problem i see from misting the whole tank is mold. but thats just a thought. what i have done with mine the first few sheds and i guess it works is when they look close to shedding guide her to the moist hide ( tho like gothra said some dont like them ) but place her next to the opening and see if she walks in. word of caution be careful handling when she is about to shed. its a sorta stressful time and their skin is a bit more delicate so try not to pick her up just help guide her to it. but only once she has settled in or you compound the stress. if she still isn't taking to it, check her out as your doing after sheds and use water and cue tips to gently work the bits off by soaking the tip and gently rolling it along the shed skin until its soft and mist. now if your confident enough, use a pair of tweezers to get the last bits when they are wet enough to pull off so you dont pull off actual skin since sometimes the water will only soften it up to come off and not actually detach it fully. i spent an hour the other night on my one females toes because she had a few skin rings around the claws lol

 

[theCREECH]

I'm talking about a gecko I've had for nearly a year. And when I say I force fed her it was because she hadn't eaten for two weeks after I brought her home and was on deaths door. All I did was hold her still and rub mealworms on her mouth untill she ate it. Once I did this for a couple of days she figures out mealworms were food and she started eating.

I've tried misting the entire cage and maybe that helps a little.

I've switched moist hide substrate. Still no interest.

She's actually very sweet when I help her with her shed, she seems to know what I'm doing because she just sits there and enjoys it.. (seemingly)

I don't think there's a perfect solution. I will continue to try different things. Maybe she will like the new enclosure I just built for her. We'll see

Mostly I wondered if anyone else had a quirky gecko

 

[LeoTyreal]

yes actually lol once in a blue moon mine will use the moist hide to shed, otherwise they seem to do good with out it. still leave it in there tho in case they have the urge but normally they dont shed to often in the moist hide. then you sometimes have to aid their shed.
now as for the lack of eating, their tail is a fat storage, kind of like a camels hump with water. so even if they dont eat for a while they will be ok in the short term. but if it gets thin and no noticeable bulge to it, then thats when you take steps to get her to eat. but if thats not the case then it could be due to the weather and almost like a "hibernation" type of thing where their metabolism slows down and they dont eat as much or as frequent. mine right now eat maybe a meal worm or 2 a week and the occasional cricket. takes them a while to eat a dozen