Rescue Leo

[lindsay.m12]

Hi Everyone! Hopefully I’m posting this in the right place, but I came across an ad for a leopard gecko living in a small tank with no apparent heating or lighting and a few hides. I just picked her up this morning and she is in much worse shape than the original photos showed. She has a facial deformity, regrown tail, sunken head (malnutrition/dehydration?) and is incredibly thin. I set her up in a temporary 10 gallon with a warm side set at 94 degrees F, a humid hide, water, and other hides/enrichment. I picked up some mealworms and waxworms (I know waxies aren’t the greatest, but i’m trying my best to get her to eat and gain a little weight. So far, she’s struck at the food i’ve offered, but it takes her a while and she doesn’t appear to be able to actually eat the worms. I was hoping for some feeding tips/any suggestions on how to help her. Thank you for reading!

 

[acpart]

If the gecko will tolerate it, you can hold it and gently push the feeder at its mouth to help it eat. Be sure to provide calcium and vitamin D3. It may just need time to adjust and start eating, or you may have to hand feed it indefinitely. If you have any other geckos, keep this one quarantined for at least a month in case it has problems that are contagious.

Aliza