Still not eating

[Mr Lovey]

I don't get it!We got Fred last Friday and after reguging a couple of times he now refuse to eat!I've called the reptile shop twice now and the guy there insists it's something I'm doing!:main_angry: I bought a probe thermometer and have his warm side between 92-95F.His cold hide is pretty steady at 70F, he has fresh water, two hides, in a 10gal. w/UTH.He is starting to look thin and I am getting frustrated!There are all kinds of people who buy these little guys on a whym, ill equiped and end up with healthy happy monsters!We have tried our hardest to do what we can right and to no avail!!!Any help is appriciated!

 

[EchoPet]

Have you tried feeding him several different types of feeders? Maybe he prefers one over the other? I'd ask the reptile shop if and what he was eating when he was there, and how he was fed (feeders thrown in the tank, or fed by tongs, etc).

Also, you say you only have two hides - are they a warm hide and a cool hide, or? Fred should also have a moist hide. Is it possible that he's in the middle of a shed?

Is he pooping? Maybe try to get a sample to the vet for a fecal float to make sure he doesn't have parasites.

 

[Mr Lovey]

I bought the same crickets that they were being fed at the shop, they just threw them in the tank.He has one cold hide and one hot hide, same as at the shop. As far as shedding goes I don't think so.Do their eyes blue over like a snake? He was pooping well, but since he stopped eating I haven't noticed much more.
Here's a pic.

He looks skinnier now then in that pic.How old would you guesse he is?

 

[Lovey]

I'll also add that he has poops, only it's just unrine. The also suggested that we not feed him for 12hrs and then offer him food. I had a peek at him about 20 mins ago and I'm kinda iffy on how thin he is. I'm a bit irratated and pissed that the reptile shop isn't offering more. I know we bought him and it's now up to us, but we're doing everything we're told and still not even an once of improvement.

I might give a call myself tomorrow and tell them it's not working. I would HATE for Fred to pass in our care when we're doing all we can. I need them to see that something is wrong.

 

[EchoPet]

The eyes don't blue over like a snake exactly, it's more that you'll just see him get very dull looking until they actually are looking pretty white-ish.

Maybe try feeding him with tongs so he doesn't have to chase the food if you haven't tried that already, and I'd see about offering him some mealworms or waxworms. The waxworms shouldn't be a staple, but if it will get him to eat something and put on a bit of weight, I'd try it.

 

[Lovey]

We did try using tongs. Nothing He didn't even bat an eyelash at them (not that he has eye lashes but you know lol)

I was also thinking mealies. Which we won't be able to get until Tuesday. The local feeder shop isn't open Mondays and the shop we got him is 45 mins away and by the time my husband gets home from work we won't make it).

I really am sad and hope nothing happens to him it's so frustrating, ya know?

 

[Lovey]

Also I'd like to change the bedding to paper towel until we can get his tile cut. But because he's not eating and seems to be under stress I don't want to put him through that...which again is frustrating. I swear we never have luck with animals as I've said LOL

 

[acpart]

There is a possibility he has ingested some of the stuff he's on. He will do better with a non particle substrate. The easiest thing to do right now is to dump the bark and put down paper towels. Some people use paper towels full-time and some use repti-carpet or ceramic tile (my personal preference is ceramic tile). Do you find that he can see the crickets with that bark or do they hide in the bark? Sometimes it takes awhile for a new gecko to feel comfortable and eat, but I think often the babies find the need to eat sooner than 9 days. Some geckos that come from pet shops have been stressed and consequently their (normal, and OK when under control) parasite load gets too great. The pet stores are fond of saying it's the buyer's fault.

TO sum up, I think your best bet is to get rid of the bark, to continue to try to feed him, to take a poop sample to the vet if he provides one and to read a few leopard gecko care sheets (google online) to see where the care information intersects. Things may be fine, but a good number of people (including me) have gotten very young geckos (I can't believe from the picture that yours is more than a month old) from pet stores and not had good outcomes. That said, I have also had a few positive outcomes from pet stores as well.

Aliza

 

[Lovey]

Thanks! I did reply tho that we are getting rid of the bark that is what he was in at teh reptile shop but since posting here we have realized we want Tile. But haven't changed it yet to not stress him more. So that will be taken care of.

He definently didn't injest any of the bark. He's eaten two Crickets that we know of (one by catching, and another without legs in a dish..which is how we started to feed him so he didn't injest the bark). But both were found later regurged. He was pooping nicely until maybe 2-3 days ago we noticed it's just urine now. Which obviousl shows he hasn't eaten anything, or kept anything done. Which worries me.

I dunno if I'd call this place really a pet shop, I mean I guess it kinda works as one. But it's strictly Reptiles and they actually breed most of their reptiles there. But I guess to some that might be pet shop like. We did buy a corn from them, well two. The first one died the first 2 nights I think it was? They had allowed him to come home after just eating, so he regurged and died shortly after. They replaced him with a new one and he's doing fantastic now (a year old). They did tell my husband we could return this one and pay the difference for an older gecko, which might be our only option if this lil guy doesn't eat. I don't want to return him, or start over. But I also don't want him to die

 

[EchoPet]

Honestly, I'd remove the bark now rather than waiting. I think the benefits of a safer substrate outweigh the risk of a little more stress. We have two baby leopard geckos at my work that were on inappropriate substrate and they haven't been eating and are losing weight. I finally convinced my boss to let me change to reptile carpet and despite their condition, they took the change really well.

Maybe the crickets are too big for him? Try seeing if you can get some smaller sized ones. Some stores carry "small" crickets, or you could order some online.

At this point, I'd see if you can pick up some Jump Start. It's a high calorie supplement made by Zilla that can also work as an appetite stimulant. It's a sticky sort of paste, and if you can get a little bit on Fred's nose, he should lick it off. Whenever we have reptiles go off food/losing weight/not looking good at work, I give them some and I've had great results with it. A bearded dragon that I seriously thought we were going to lose has made a complete turn around after a few doses.

 

[sleepyjones]

At this point, I'd see if you can pick up some Jump Start.

If anyone knows of a UK supplier / On-line UK based shop where I can buy this could you please post a link, I'd quite like to try it for my Geckos, but I can't find a UK supplier.

I could just get it from the US, but I'd rather have it sooner than the time it'll take to ship from the US.

 

[Lovey]

He seemed pretty stressed just moving into our tank, so I think changing him now would make it worse. Now I'm only assuming that because it's taken him quite a bit to get use to here, and he was on the same bedding as he is now at the reptile shop. But I'm happy to say he ate a cricket last night and I didn't see any regurge this morning, so fingers crossed!!! Now if he does keep this cricket down we'll change the bedding here in a few days.


I also find that he's hanging out around his hot hide, which the temps are about 91-93F he could care less about his cold hide which is 71F I'm assuming becuase the hide is so in the open. Guess we'll have to get a flower pot for that side as well when we change his bedding


Thanks for the idea of the jump start also! I was reading last night on another site to do the same thing with it on his nose. Which would be my next step for the little guy if he didn't eat last night. Thank GOODNESS he did too. He went right for it when it was offered to him as well (must have been hungry!).

 

[Lovey]

Oh yep, and we have small crickets. Just little guys.

I wanna try him on mealies and see if those go better for him. Plus I want him to beef up a bit. I have no idea if he's lost weight (should have weighed him darn it) but he looked a little skinner from pictures I took when I first got him.

 

[sleepyjones]

How did you feed him?
Was it with tongs, or did just set it free (the cricket)?

 

[Lovey]

Just set it free (which is how he was fed @ the reptile shop). He wanted nothing to do with the tongs or in a dish.

 

[EchoPet]

Glad to hear that he ate one! I hope he continues to eat from here and puts on some weight. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Daidra]

He looks like he may have parasites and also throwing up is a sign of parasites and he's getting skinnier,if I were you I would take some fecal and have it droped off at the vet so that they can check for parasites.