Under weight hatchlings?

[justindh1]

So I had recently bought 2 hatchlings a couple months ago from a breeder at a reptile show. Couple weeks after i got her, she started to lose weight. She had to be hand feed and had a bacteria and was put on medication. I had thought that maybe the breeder that i got them from may of had something in his geckos but didn't have proof that he did. It had been bout 2 weeks after i got her that she started to show signs of problems. I had her too long to contact the breeder about getting another gecko because of a 4 day limit. I recently visited thier website and I see many geckos that are 3 months old and between 10-14 grams which i thought is under weight for 3 months old.

What do you think about the weights?
Is 10, 11, 12, and 14 grams small for a 3 month old leo?

It just makes me feel that my assumtion is right but you know what happens when you assume! Just wanted others opinions about this. I know that theres is pretty much nothing i can do about it now but care for the little girl and try anything i can to get her healthy again. Thanks for your opinion! :main_yes:

 

[acpart]

I think the weight and the bacterial infection can be different items except where a gecko is under weight because of an infection. I have hatched over 60 leos this season so I have a good sample. I'd say about 3/4 of my leos get the hang of eating pretty quickly, gain weight quickly and so are about 15 grams by the time they're 6-8 weeks old. I have others that take much longer to catch on. These guys stay small longer and there's a notable lack of poop in the cage. I often have to hand feed them and train them to eat from the bowl. Most catch on after awhile and start to grow. A few need constant coddling. So, for instance, I have a hatchling born 6/5 who is active and healthy but not a great eater and weighs only 8 grams. However, I won't sell her at 8 grams even though she is 3 months old. In 3 weeks I'll be vending at a reptile show. If she's hit 10 grams and I feel that she is eating reliably I will sell her, though probably not to someone who's buying a first gecko. At this point, she'll be over 4 months and still weighing only 10 grams. So I guess it's possible for the breeder to have healthy 3 month olds at the weight you observed. I do wonder sometimes if breeders who have large numbers of geckos end up with more geckos that are small for age because they don't have the luxury of coddling the slower ones. It would be interesting to hear from some of the bigger breeders about their experiences.

Aliza

 

[justindh1]

I understand what you mean by that some geckos just have a hard time putting on weight. I have had 26 hatch out this season and had a little less then a handfull give me problems which I have realized that it will happen. I just see 4 on the site right now that are 3 months old atleast and weight 10-14 grams. Its not a really known known breeder but that doesn't really matter. I just wanted others opinions about this that have experience. Its good to get all sides, big and small.