Shrinking tail???

[StarDancer129]

I have noticed that my leopard gecko's tail is shrinking. What is the cause of this and how can I fix it? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[StarDancer129]

Can anyone please help? I am really worried about my little guy.

 

[Keith N]

Sounds like its loosing tail weight. If you could tell us more about him it would help. What is his enclosure setuo like? When was the last time he ate? If there is any other info it would help

 

[toxictoast96]

If he is still eating normally but losing weight parasites may be an issue.

 

[StarDancer129]

I have 2 gecko's in a 10 gal. aquarium, one's definitely a male, not sure about the other one. The big on (male) is getting bigger, the smaller one is still shedding but not getting bigger. I don't know if he's eating because I don't stand there and watch them. I believe the male is stealing food from my little one. I think his tail is shrinking because he is using the fat storage in it, but I don't know that for sure. I dust my crickets with calcium powder. They are on sand and have a heating rock. If you need more info just ask.

 

[Tony C]

First off, welcome to GF!

Split them up into separate tanks. If your little one is a male, the bigger male will kill him sooner or later, and if the little one is a female he will stress her out with mating attempts and quite possibly impregnate her before she is large enough to safely lay eggs. Ditch the heat rock ASAP and replace it with an undertank heat pad and/or heat light, they are notorious for developing hot spots and burning reptiles, often fatally.

What kind of sand is it, natural sand or a pet store calcium sand? Calcium sands are very dangerous, they disrupt natural digestive processes and can build up and block the digestive tract (impaction). Natural sands are a safer choice, however I would advise switching to paper towel at least temporarily until your geckos have a clean bill of health and are housed appropriately.

Gregg's care sheet is an excellent resource, give it a good read and you will have all the basic info to properly set up and care for your geckos.

Once you have them split up and on paper towels as a substrate you will be able to tell us if each gecko is eating and defecating regularly. Your little one may just be underfed because the big one is hogging all the food, if that is the case you will have solved the problem. If it is eating but not defecating, impaction is a possible cause. Losing weight while eating and defecating regularly may be caused by a parasite overload, which can be confirmed by a fecal sample analysis.

 

[roger]

First off, welcome to GF!

Split them up into separate tanks. If your little one is a male, the bigger male will kill him sooner or later, and if the little one is a female he will stress her out with mating attempts and quite possibly impregnate her before she is large enough to safely lay eggs. Ditch the heat rock ASAP and replace it with an undertank heat pad and/or heat light, they are notorious for developing hot spots and burning reptiles, often fatally.

What kind of sand is it, natural sand or a pet store calcium sand? Calcium sands are very dangerous, they disrupt natural digestive processes and can build up and block the digestive tract (impaction). Natural sands are a safer choice, however I would advise switching to paper towel at least temporarily until your geckos have a clean bill of health and are housed appropriately.

Gregg's care sheet is an excellent resource, give it a good read and you will have all the basic info to properly set up and care for your geckos.

Once you have them split up and on paper towels as a substrate you will be able to tell us if each gecko is eating and defecating regularly. Your little one may just be underfed because the big one is hogging all the food, if that is the case you will have solved the problem. If it is eating but not defecating, impaction is a possible cause. Losing weight while eating and defecating regularly may be caused by a parasite overload, which can be confirmed by a fecal sample analysis.

Tony, You've got it all covered .Ditto

 

[Tavaris Young]

Man you sure covered all the bases for this kid, don't think he did enough homework before he got his leo sure hope everything worked out for him.