Skinny baby Leo, help :(

[jrcb07]

Hey people, im new here and also a new leopard gecko owner. So i got him 6 days ago and put him in a 20 gal long tank with reptile carpet. I use a under tank heater (UTH) to heat up his warm side. He has 3 hides, 2 on the warm side and 1 on the cool side. The temperature for the warm side reads 93.5 degrees F. The first day i brought him home he looked pretty healthy (had a nice and fat tail) and ate 3 crickets and a mealworm. The next day he only ate 2 crickets and has been eating 2 crickets every night until last night (he did not eat). I had been noticing that his tail was getting A LOT smaller every day and his skin has a darker color and i know that's an indication of malnutrition. I noticed that he shedded last night because he was very pale and this morning i found some skin in his moist hide. Rocco (his name) doesnt look sick, he is very active so i dont know whats wrong with him he just wont eat the dusted crickets. Is it because he is still adapting to the new environment!? or is my tank too big for him? I know it takes them about a week to adapt but do they starve themselves? I really dont wanna take him back to the petstore because he is a pretty cool bell albino and I wanna keep him. Am I doing something wrong? I also tried to feed him waxworms (to try to fatten him up a bit) and he is just not interested :/. oh BTW when he shedded he did not eat his skin or at least not all of it (I was sleeping), i dont know why but i found some skin in the humid hide. I'm gonna try to feed him again tonight but we'll see what happens. :/

 

[Psychotic4mb3r]

If he is just a baby IMO I would use a 10 gallon aquarium. It will make it easier for him to find his food. Have you tried anymore mealworms?

 

[Dog Shrink]

Hi and welcome to the forum. You certainly gave a good background on your leo and your situation but if you could take a minute to fill out our care questionaire it would give the membership a lot better idea of what's going on.

About your leo:
- Sex
- Age & Weight
- How long have you owned your leo
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend)

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now.
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe.
B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal)
- When was the last time he/she went
C) Problem
- Please briefly descrive the problem and how long it has been going on

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size
- Type (ex. glass tank)
- Type of substrate
- Hides, how many, what kind
B) Heating
- Heat source
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side)
- Method of regulating heat source
- What are you using to measure your temps
- Do you have any lights (describe)
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females)
- Describe health, or previous problems

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much)
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect)
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands)
- What are you gut loading food with

 

[jrcb07]

thanks for the quick replies, @Psychotic4mb3r i've been trying mealworms every day and he would just turn around and ignore them :/

About your leo:
- Sex - i dont know yet :/
- Age & Weight - they said no more than 2 months but im not sure
- How long have you owned your leo - 6 days now
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend) - petsmart (petstore)

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo - i have handled it once
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now. - no he just sleeps all day but when i feed him or try to grab him he runs away and looks very active
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe. - no, he seemed very healthy (fat tail) when i got him
B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal)- his stool seems fairly normal though i did notice the last time, it was shaped like a cricket. he has also been peeing but not regularly.
- When was the last time he/she went - this morning i noticed he went..it was green, kind of watery with a white spot
C) Problem
- Please briefly descrive the problem and how long it has been going on- he shows no interest in food and his tail has gotten skinnier. He shedded last night and did not eat his skin or at least not all of it

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size - 20 gal long
- Type (ex. glass tank) - glass
- Type of substrate - repti carpet
- Hides, how many, what kind - 3 hides-- 2 on the warm side, one humid, one dry and the other dry one on the cool side
B) Heating
- Heat source - under tank heater
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side) - Hot side: 92-94F Cool side 78-82F
- Method of regulating heat source - none but will get a thermostat soon
- What are you using to measure your temps - digital thermometer with probe on the repti carpet
- Do you have any lights (describe) - yes a regular 60W bulb, i turn it on during the day for about 10-12 hrs
C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females)- NONE
- Describe health, or previous problems

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much) - Crickets every night and sometimes i try the waxworm or mealworm
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect) - just dropping it in?
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands) - ALL Rep-Cal: regular calcium without D3 or phosphorous (green label), Calcium with D3 phosphorous free (pink label), and Herptivite multivitamins (blue label)
- What are you gut loading food with- Flukers orange cubes and Flukers high calcium cricket feed[/QUOTE]

 

[Dog Shrink]

The irregular poo kinda scares me a bit. Was he kept on sand at the petstore? I would consider having a fecal sample checked out by your vet just to rule out parasites, and possibly might consider having him checked for possible impaction if he was kept on sand. I know a vet trip isn't the first thing a new leo owner likes to hear but better safe than sorry imo. In regards to your 60 watt regular bulb... do you mean regular as in white UV lighting? IF so leos do not need uv lighting and it can actuallys tress them out. If you're making temps withyour heat mat no supplimental heating/lighting is needed however if you DO need to make up heat loss that you're not getting with your UTH I always recommend teh blue moonlight bulbs as I know my leo doesn't like the red, he won't come out but he will come out in the blue lighting. Also if your leo is in a room that has daylight you do not need to suppliment a daylight source. What comes thru the window is enough to set his day/night cycle. If he is in a dark room or you just like viewing your tank a 15 watt standard incandescent bulb can be used without stressing your leo too much.

 

[jrcb07]

He was kept on repti carpet at the petstore as well, and seemed a lot healthier than now. the thing is i called an exotic animal vet and a visit is $70! or can any vet do a fecal sample exam?! as for the lighting its a regular household bulb so I suppose shouldnt turn it on too often? the heat is all coming from the uth so i dont really need the light...i just dont know why he's not eating? is it because he was about to shed? and now that he did he will eat again? I am really concerned about his tail size, its not super skinny but definitely lost some mass.

Best Regards

 

[Dog Shrink]

Prob any vet could do a fecal, but you'll have to call ahead and make sure they'll just do teh fecal with out an exam. If your leo is getting the proper light exposure int he room he is in and you only want to suppliment for viewing pleasure then go to the low wattage 15 watt standard bulb.

As for why he isn't eating it could be several things... he did eat part of his shed, he was coming into shed which does impact appetite on some leos, he ate big meals the 2 preceeding days,and he is still settling in. You can get a gram scale at wal mart or target for around/under $15.00 to get a more accurate reading of his weight aside of his tail looks skinnier. Make sure he has a waterbowl available 24/7 to be sure the tail loss you're seeign isnt dehydration. around 2 months old is pretty young. He'll likely fluctuate in how mucheh eats from day to day depending on his activity levels. More sedate days obviously won't eat as much as more active days. You should still offer a little food daily tho but don't stress if he doesn't eat as much as the day before. Also with all the different suppliments you have going on there I'd be getting confused. It really is a lot easier if you could go with an all in 1 suppliment like T-Rex leopard gecko dust icb from sandfire foods, or repashy calcium plus icb. Just dust with every feeding and voila. ALL your supplimentation is complete. No need for the extra calcium dish in your tank, no need to make sure you're doing the D3 and multi vit right, it's all figured out for you.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Several things here- first, calm down. Often they don't want to eat right before shedding, tho some gex will eat even while they shed. He may have eaten some of his skin, causing the poo to look different. Take some deep breaths and relax You have had this animal 6 days, that is by no means enough time to understand your specific gecko's habits. He isn't even settled well into his new home. He could have been playing catch up at first eating all he could, then realized since all the food was just his, he could pace himself. Usually gex will regulate their own appetite but some are total piggies. All babies look thin, compared to adults, even their tails. If they shed, they are growing, then the body will catch up, then they shed again and grow some more. The only way to know for sure if a baby is losing weight that quickly is to weigh it daily, unless you are an experienced leopard gecko keeper having them in all phases of their life. Let him adjust to his better life with you, but I would lose the light bulb if there's a window in your room. You might put in a couple more hides, but don't change stuff around in his tank until he is more comfortable.

The vet you contacted may run the test without bringing in your animal, worth a shot to find out in case you end up needing to have the fecal done. A regular vet may be able to do the test but I wouldn't trust them to dispense the correct mixture of medication. It can be cause damage or even be fatal if incorrect. I would hold off a bit and keep an eye on things first before getting a test done tho, to be sure it is irregular and not just an isolated incident. Good for you for finding a vet in case it's needed!!!

 

[Pinky81]

+1 Laney and Kel

I also agree about just giving it a little time! And one thing I found soooooooooo valuable is the scale..seriously the cheapest more priceless purchase you can make! Because during the growing phase like Laney said it may look like your leo is losing but with the scale you know for sure! Tall size just isn't a good measure!

Also have you tried to move your temp probe to test other spots on the warm side...i found that I do have some spots that read higher...maybe move your probe to other sections that your leo may frequent more and make sure that 93 temp is coming through on those spots as well..especially with the carpet. Also have you gotten a temp reading WITHOUT the light??

Just let the lil guy settle in a bit...keep us posted!!! and congrats on your little one..post a pic when you can!

 

[jrcb07]

thanks! i will definitely be looking for a scale like TOMORROW! um as for the temp it is 93 without the light and 100.5 with the light so thats too high. i just tried feeding him, but nothing oh well, i'll just give him some time. Here's a picture!

http://plixi.com/photos/original/79536308

 

[Psychotic4mb3r]

Cute. Does need fattening up though.. I hope nothing is wrong with him/her. If it continues to not eat, I say a vet trip would be best

 

[Dog Shrink]

what a cutie. Something that concerned me is in that first pic it looks like there is a lot of moisture in his tank. You really don't need to mist the tank at all if you have a moist humid hide in there. Something like a tupperware dish with a hole cut in the side and some damp paper towels to help with shedding is sutable or filled with sphagnum moss, but I now my leo doesn't touch his moss hide but uses the paper towel one. He was never exposed to moss growing up so I don't think he likes the feel of it. You really only need to mist the tank if your house is excessively dry. Mine is so I do end up misting Eros' tank maybe once or twice a week but it dries with in an hour. My tank is all natural stone plus vinyl tiles for substrait tho which is a lot more mister friendly. I don't know that it would be a good idea using repticarpet. It could mold and trap bacteria.

 

[jrcb07]

i know i really want to keep it and watch it grow! about the moisture..the picture was taken right after i sprayed him a bit but i dont usually do it because i do have a moist hide. I just want him to start eating and growing

 

[Pinky81]

Spraying in and of itself can be a stressor...I say just let him do his thing and relax! keep the mealies in the cage...make sure to rotate in fresh gutloaded ones daily and get that scale!

 

[jrcb07]

alright, thanks everyone. Im glad i joined this forum fast replies and nothing better than advice from an experienced owner

 

[Dog Shrink]

Happy to help

 

[jrcb07]

i will keep updating as time goes by!

 

[jrcb07]

Update on Rocco

soo my zoo med 3 in 1 cave came in yesterday and it was time to change the humid hide for the better I decided to take everything out and clean up the tank with water and vinegar while i was at it. I also decided to take the carpet out and put paper towel as a substrate. idk why but he seemed happier all of the sudden after i put him back in, SO i decided to try to feed him and he finally ate 5 crickets! i was soo happy and hoped he would keep eating like this. So today it was feeding time and i dropped in 6 crickets, he looked so ready to chase them and he certainly did, he was on predator mode and bam! ate all 6 of them with no problem, i kept dropping more in and he ended up eating 11 in total! this is awesome!!! I hope he keeps eating like this so he can get some weight.

 

[jrcb07]

i meant gain some weight **

 

[Dog Shrink]

That's great that he is eating but just be careful. I would still try to control how much he is eating esp. if he was emaciated in order to avoid the possibilities of re-feeding syndrom (please google this). A slow steady diet is what's going to put the weight on him... not gorging him all at once.