Whats wrong with my Gecko?

[Geckomaster743]

For a While now I've noticed Athena my Leopard Gecko is always so slow when it comes to eating and moving around. I highly doubt she has the Enigma gene but she always acts so tired unlike the other geckos around here who love to move around! I havent seen any Injuries but when she sits in my hand i notice her belly seems like its flat when she lies down. Its been worrying me for too long, Any one heard of any thing like this?

 

[Apocalypse910]

How are her cage temps?
I've noticed that when my geckos are cold they flatten out and pretty much look like they are melting onto my hand. Not sure if that is what you are referring to about her belly. No neurological symptoms so it doesn't sound like enigma syndrome to me.

A few quick questions -

Is her appetite normal?
How is her weight, does she have a skinny tail?
Is she sharing the cage with other geckos?
What is she eating, and what supplements are you giving her?

Unfortunately that is one of those symptoms that could have a ton of different causes so it is hard to narrow down without a bit more info. Low temps seems to be the most likely though so I'd double check that the cage temps are sufficient, and that she has a source of adequate belly heat (under tank heater).

 

[Geckomaster743]

1. She Eats when she sees it but shes not so Excited like her other cage mates who search for it when i drop it though her i have to seperate her and then put it directly in front of her so they can see it, and she dose not notice the meal worms unless they are directly in front of her.
2. I havent Checked her Weight but she is Sort of Big, Im not sure if her Tail is Skinny because it Fell off.
3. Yeah she has 3 Other Cage Mates ( She isnt agressive towards them and they are all Very Friendly towards each other )
4. She eats Mealworms and I have fed her Crickets but she dosent chase them she waits for it to get infront of her and then takes a few steps toward it and bites but shes always to slow, So i prefer to feed her mealworms - I dont normally dust my things but i have been noticed that a lot of people take it seriously so ive begun using Herpative + Reptical but I recently read on Gecko Time that Beta Carotene cant be used to Sub Vitamin A and that your Better off using Vitamin A with the Risk rather then Giving your Gecko some thing that will never work. The only thing out of the Mix that your gecko would basicly get from the Powder is the other Vitamins though in the Herpative and Reptical. Thats all i feed her with the meal worms.
5. Shes always In doors except at night where she comes out to get under the UV light and her Cage is almost always 80 - 90F though when i take her out she Flattens out on my hand in the palm and speads out all over like im a Heating pad. I think the Problem may just be that she needs an Under Heater because she stays in that Rock all day.

 

[Apocalypse910]

A complete tail loss can be pretty traumatic to a leopard gecko. It contains virtually all of their energy reserves so It isn't surprising that it slowed her down. The general recommendation is that they be separated from their cage mates while the tail regenerates to avoid stress which can slow healing. They are also extra susceptible to illness during the healing process.

I think providing extra floor heat will help. Leo's shouldn't really need the UV light at all, although it shouldn't do any harm as long as it isn't particularly powerful - if it is on at night it may mess with their day/night cycles a bit though. I think you are doing the right thing by adding more floor heat. Make sure she's getting a lot of food to get her strength back up, and keep an eye out for any other signs of illness as leo's are far less resillient without their fat reserves.

If I can ask, how long ago did she lose her tail?

 

[Geckomaster743]

Honestly Im not sure. Ive had her for almost 5 -6 Months and I had picked her up from Pet Co with out a Tail, Another Lizard that was with her didnt even have any thing Regenerated on there so i decided to pick him up 2 months later. Him and her are about the Same size but his Tail is regenerating alot faster and hes very Excited when it comes to eating. Athenas tail is still a Bigger blob rather then thinning out like the other one did. Shes VERY slow when it comes to eatting and she decided to not eat today. Im doing my best to Take care of her but i have to be watching her every second. But any way the People at my Pets Mart DO NOT know how to handle them. It explains why every time i go there one of the leos has a missing tail. And even worse the Cage they keep them in is Less then 5 Gallons and they store up to 5 geckos in there at a time.So it sort of explains why my geckos arent recovering

 

[Apocalypse910]

I would definitely separate them. If she isn't acting normally there is the possibility that parasites / illness is to blame and you don't want it to spread. Not sure how old they are exactly but even if there is no cage-mate aggression if you have males in the tank and that will lead to trouble if she is too young, or not healthy enough to breed. Producing eggs is very stressful on reptiles under any circumstances so if she hasn't fully recovered her tail and fat reserves it may be very detrimental to both her and the offspring. Again not sure what your mix is in the cage - but just something to consider.

This is one of those times where there are probably too many variables for a solid internet diagnosis of what is going on with her. If upping the floor heat doesn't help you may want to get her to a vet so she can be checked for parasites and nutritional deficits. Considering the condition they were in at the pet store a solid checkup is probably in order.

There is also the possibility that she is slowing down as part of a seasonal cycle. I've noticed that one of my females slows down for the winter regardless of temp. She sleeps most of the time and rarely eats. As soon as spring hits she's as hyperactive as ever. I wouldn't worry too much, but at the same time it is best to err on the side of caution and consult a vet sooner rather than later if you really suspect something is up.

Keep us updated- hope she feels better, I know she's in good hands

 

[Geckomaster743]

I would definitely separate them. If she isn't acting normally there is the possibility that parasites / illness is to blame and you don't want it to spread. Not sure how old they are exactly but even if there is no cage-mate aggression if you have males in the tank and that will lead to trouble if she is too young, or not healthy enough to breed. Producing eggs is very stressful on reptiles under any circumstances so if she hasn't fully recovered her tail and fat reserves it may be very detrimental to both her and the offspring. Again not sure what your mix is in the cage - but just something to consider.

This is one of those times where there are probably too many variables for a solid internet diagnosis of what is going on with her. If upping the floor heat doesn't help you may want to get her to a vet so she can be checked for parasites and nutritional deficits. Considering the condition they were in at the pet store a solid checkup is probably in order.

There is also the possibility that she is slowing down as part of a seasonal cycle. I've noticed that one of my females slows down for the winter regardless of temp. She sleeps most of the time and rarely eats. As soon as spring hits she's as hyperactive as ever. I wouldn't worry too much, but at the same time it is best to err on the side of caution and consult a vet sooner rather than later if you really suspect something is up.

Keep us updated- hope she feels better, I know she's in good hands

Alright Thanks I'll make sure to Watch out for her, She can run in defense but shes normally very sleepy, Likes to hide, Waits for food to come to her. Shes not a Independent gecko at all. It may be infection but im not sure how id be able to have some thing like that be transfered to her. So far i have never noticed any Behavior in my other Geckos that are around her similar to hers. Shes the only 1 of the 6 i have that isnt excited for any thing. I guess we will just have to see.

 

[Josh2]

I hope everything turns out ok! Be sure to keep us updated on her progress

 

[LeoLover1]

I sure hope she be okay. I know that some leos will stop eating for periods of time, but usually only for a week or two. If she is not active, she won't need as much food. And sometime they just 'fail to thrive.' I've got one little female that barely eats at all. I'll never breed her, but she was a sympathy buy 'cause she was not being taken care of. She weighs only 35g and she's 9 mo old.

I would agree you need to seperate and get your girl some belly heat. That aids digestion, too.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Yeah shes a big girl and i'm always hoping shes going to get better. I'm sure i'll never breed her though because shes already always stressed from what i'm guessing and her bad eating habit could cause her to never recover, I think ill wait for maybe a year to see how shes doing but i'm almost 100% sure that i'm never going to let her breed in this condition. Her behavior is confusing, She often likes to climb on the glass like she wants to get out, She ignores food in unfamiliar places. Though she has never bit any one before, Shes probably the Most Calm and Gentle gecko i have