Two Steps Back...

[Haligren]

Okay. So now Fafnir isn't eating....I even tried giving him a waxworm today and he completely turned his nose up at it.

I'm probably freaking out a bit early, I suppose. I've had him for about two weeks and got off on the wrong foot as I was handling him a bit too much right away. Now I don't touch him at all. He was eating for a while and now has stopped altogether. But he IS getting ready to shed and I've heard they can get quite tempremental around that time. This will be his first shed! I have a humid hide in there right now but he's not using it. :\ He likes his big warm hide. D:

 

[LizMarie]

Relax, lol... even though i'm just like you and find it hard to relax when it comes to my pets. It might just be that shed. Would you want to eat knowing you were too big to fit into your own skin? Lol

 

[Haligren]

Relax, lol... even though i'm just like you and find it hard to relax when it comes to my pets. It might just be that shed. Would you want to eat knowing you were too big to fit into your own skin? Lol

Very true. I'm just a worry wort! He's also still new to his enclosure. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[LizMarie]

My gecko is starting to get off food. Its either a shed coming on or the below 30degree weather we're experiencing. So i'll be freaking out soon.

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

Three Square Meals

Geckos do not eat Thjee Square Meals.

So if they skip a few then, everything will be all right.

Your indication of a healthy Gecko is it's Big Fat Tail.

 

[Libby15]

I've had mine two weeks. If he gets up when I get home from work, he's hungry.

Last weekend it didn't want anything.

He likes the powder covered crickets. He doesn't want anything else.

 

[Haligren]

Well, today, I just tried giving him some mealworms and he licked them a few times and turned away. He seems interested but just not in mealworms....I dunno. I've run out of crickets and took back the rest of the waxworms as well, so now I have nothing else to feed him. I left the bowl in the tank for him. Hopefully he'll change his mind....

He's not skinny, but he's not fat either. He doesn't have a fat tail although he definately looks better than the geckos at work. According to my supervisor we always have problems with them around this time of year. But there's also a possibility that he could have a virus from one of the other geckos which is causing him to not eat. He's not losing weight drastically, or anything, but he hasn't eaten anything in two days now.

I'm starting to worry. Well, worry even more. :\ I'm just having bad luck with this guy.

 

[LizMarie]

A lot of the stop eating because of the cold. Mine went from eating 10-20mealies to just an average of 5 even though she's interested. She'll get into the hunting stance and go down but only licks them. The past few days ive woken up to just a few missing.

 

[T&KBrouse]

So as long as a gecko has a fat tail and every other aspect is normal, a loss of appetite really isn't a big deal?
(My one guy has been off food now for almost 2 weeks, but hasn't lost any weight and is completely normal)

How long can a leo go without eating? Is it normal to go off food in winter?

 

[Haligren]

So as long as a gecko has a fat tail and every other aspect is normal, a loss of appetite really isn't a big deal?
(My one guy has been off food now for almost 2 weeks, but hasn't lost any weight and is completely normal)

How long can a leo go without eating? Is it normal to go off food in winter?

According to my supervisor at work (who is also very much into reptiles and has dealt with them for years) yes. It is normal for appetites to change around this time of year.

As a related side note, I've had two customers come in today with similar problems with their snakes. It would seem that geckos aren't the only ones sensitive to this sort of thing.

As for how long geckos can go without eating. I'm not entirely sure. If they're healthy I'd say a month or two at most.

 

[Haligren]

A lot of the stop eating because of the cold. Mine went from eating 10-20mealies to just an average of 5 even though she's interested. She'll get into the hunting stance and go down but only licks them. The past few days ive woken up to just a few missing.

Well that makes me feel better. I mean, the fact that Fafnir isn't alone. I hope your gecko starts eating more again soon.