Reasons for not eating?

[sushikam]

I know there's been a lot of threads about geckos not eating, but I thought I'd start my own to see if I can get some different responses. My girl is about 10-11 months old and seems completely healthy, with the exception of her not eating. She hasn't eaten in over a week and I'm beginning to really worry. I've been keeping a big thing of mealworms in her tank and she just isn't eating. She used to eat like crazy, then one day it just stopped.

For those of you who may want to ask...I was housing her on repti carpet, but just recently (two days ago) switched to paper towels to keep her tank a little cleaner, it seemed the new carpet I bought was making it stink in there, so I figured I'd disinfect the carpet and let it dry out for a while and change out the paper towels again one day. And her temps are between 88-94 always, usually cooler at night (88). And the cool side is room temperature (70s). She has a warm hide, a cool humid hide, and a cool dry hide.

I can't figure out why she isn't eating...I try and work with her every night to get her to eat, but she just doesn't accept any mealworms. I was thinking maybe I should buy some crickets and test that out, maybe she is just bored of the mealworms. I've noticed her licking her calcium (which I never saw her do before), and I have been spraying her with water on occasion, as she seems to like it, but I do it to try and keep her hydrated.

Anyway, sorry to drag out this post, anyone have any ideas? I was just thinking I should take her to the vet, but I have to call around and find one that will care for reptiles, and actually do a good job at it.

 

[goReptiles]

Try the crickets... I've had geckos not eating crickets for over a year, all of a sudden refuse mealworms. I threw a few crickets in the cage, and they went after them.

 

[Inland Geckos]

yes i think you should stimulate your leo and that may help. mine have done this before and i usually have to try a different diet to get them in the habit of eating again. once they start eating their appitite builds back up. try putting a wax worm up to her mouth, thats always a good offer. if that doesnt work then try supers or crickets and let them run around in there a bit.

 

[sushikam]

Well the other night I went to go feed them and she actually ate some mealworms, about 5 of them. I figure that's a good start, but I think I will still try and get some crickets to give her something more challenging.

Thanks for the help!

 

[rubym]

We have them that go through spells of refusing to eat. I monitor their weight and just keep trying to get them to eat various types of food. They always seem to eventually decide to eat again.

 

[Stitch]

It's winter time too. A lot of geckos will decrease their food intake during the winter months.

 

[blizzard]

she maybe ovulating. mix that with cool months and she may not eat a lot for a couple weeks. make sure her weight maintains. also you notice if she drinks? If there is no significant drop in weight, don't be too worried. anything longer than a couple weeks and you may wanna try adding electrolytes to her drink like a little gatorade mix with water not a great amount though. or she maybe uninterested in the variety or lack of of her food. she could be stressed about the news surroundings also. a mix of a couple something. but too too long a vet may need a visit.

 

[gothra]

Good to hear your female ate some mealworms for you. I agree with Kyle that it possibly is a mixture cool weather + ovulating that caused her to stop/ eat less. I have 2 females that go through this once a year, they aren't hibernating, but they will stop eating for 3-4 months and lose up to 15% of their initial weight. Good luck! I know its very worrying when our geckos don't eat.

 

[sushikam]

Thanks everyone! I'm not so worried anymore...I just have to keep checking her every time she sheds though, she seems to get it stuck on her head and nose and eyes and I have to help her, so that's my bigger concern with her now.

But thanks for all the help! Next time I order more mealworms I'm going to order some crickets too to try and give all my geckos some variety.

 

[blizzard]

I just have to keep checking her every time she sheds though, she seems to get it stuck on her head and nose and eyes and I have to help herQUOTE]

make sure your humid hide is sufficient. keep it wet!

 

[sushikam]

I just have to keep checking her every time she sheds though, she seems to get it stuck on her head and nose and eyes and I have to help herQUOTE]

make sure your humid hide is sufficient. keep it wet!

I do. I soak it every day. I think she is just one of those ones that is just going to have difficulty shedding. But I spray her hide everyday and when I see she is about to shed I spray her and her tank. She gets it all off of her body fine, juts not her head and nose and eye area. I bought some Shed Ease too to help with her shedding and to maybe help the shedding process easier on her.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I'm glad your gecko ate for you! I have had newly acquired geckos go up to 2 months before they would eat, and breeder males go 3-4 months without eating! Remember, if the gecko is pooping, then it is eating something.

There are several reasons a gecko will not eat:

- belly temperature on warm side of enclosure is not around 90 degrees
- female ovulation
- male smells breeding pheromones from ovulating females
- natural seasonal winter brumation (colder room temps. & short daylight hours)
- stress... from new environment, too much handling, conflicts with other geckos in enclosure, etc.
- does not like or is bored with type of feeders
- gecko getting ready to shed
- female getting ready to lay eggs
- gecko is sick

- and... sometimes they just go on hunger strikes because they are being little boogers and like to worry us!!!

 

[sushikam]

Thanks Marcia! I'm going with the thought that 1: she is ovulating; or 2: she is bored with type of feeders...but I'm leaning more towards number 1. She hasn't eaten since that one night that I fed her, and tonight I tried again and she looked like she was going to eat the mealworm, but she didn't. I'm probably going to order some crickets next week with my mealworms so that I can test that out, and I'm sure the other geckos wouldn't mind a little variety...maybe I'll even get them some waxies too ! They'd love that!

And I was just thinking that I hadn't seen any poop in her tank for a while, but I looked behind her hide in the corner and she's been going, not as much as may be normal, but she is going.

But anyway, thanks for the help everyone!