# Leopard Gecko starving itself?



## PapaRoacher (Jun 7, 2006)

I'm just going to list the symtops, and hope for a helpful response.

size: 3.5 inches

-eyes always half open, as if he's tired or fammished/dehydrated
-refuses food of any size of type
-skinny, tail is storing no fat
-whobbles when he walks
-only drinks, never really eats
-never comes out of his hide, even at night


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## bugmankeith (Jun 7, 2006)

It could be something wrong with his enclosure, what do you have him in? Did you try feeding him waxworms?


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## PapaRoacher (Jun 7, 2006)

I have him in a 10 gal.

-heatpad
-waterdish
-dish with pre-killed food, and cali-powder
-basking spot
-hide
-moist hide
-floor tile instead of substrate


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## The Juice (Jun 7, 2006)

It might be something internal like impaction or a parasite. If you can get a stool fom it you could get a fecal but I know this is almost impossible since it's not eating. It could be Crypto or coccidia but you would have to get a fecal to know for sure.

 Where did you get it? Is it to late to take it back? How long have you had it?


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## PapaRoacher (Jun 7, 2006)

Had him for 4 months...  Far too long to take him back...


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## The Juice (Jun 8, 2006)

In those 4 months did he ever eat? I bought 2 baby leo's from a local petstore around 2yrs ago & they never once ate & I never saw them drink, I can't rememeber how long it took but they eventually died. I took them to a vet & I think they gave me panacure(Not sure) but that didn't do any good & since they didn't eat I couldn't geta fecal done. My friend also bought one from the same store & when it died he took it to the reptile research center at Kansas State University & it tested positive for crypto. I last heard that there was no cure for crypto but If it has coccidia there are treatments for that..... Good Luck


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## bugmankeith (Jun 8, 2006)

I know the problem, the pre-killed food! They Need live food. Try it I gurantee it will help. Start with waxworms, they are slow moving, and are fattening, perfect for your skinny gecko to start with for a day or two.


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## Hedorah99 (Jun 10, 2006)

It most likely has Cryptosporidium. its an intestinal parasite. teh drug of choice is a sulfa drug called SMZ. You need a vet to prescribe it. It will be on the drug for close to a month. It needs to be treated IMMEDIATLY and any others in the tank need ot be seperated as well and most likely treated too.


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## bugmankeith (Jun 10, 2006)

But he also never fed live food, that is a major problem!


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## Mushroom Spore (Jun 10, 2006)

bugmankeith said:
			
		

> But he also never fed live food, that is a major problem!


Yeah, I'm voting this is likely. Not as many animals will eat pre-killed as you'd think. Heck, many snakes have to be TRICKED into it!


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## wickedsweetheart (Jun 11, 2006)

bugmankeith said:
			
		

> But he also never fed live food, that is a major problem!


 this is absolutly right, try some butterworms, mealies and wax worms, don't over due on the wax worms though, they have too much fat in em', would be like eating big macs exclusivly


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## Mushroom Spore (Jun 11, 2006)

wickedsweetheart said:
			
		

> this is absolutly right, try some butterworms, mealies and wax worms, don't over due on the wax worms though, they have too much fat in em', would be like eating big macs exclusivly


For an animal that's badly starving and in need of weight, though, you can probably afford to go kind of heavy on the waxworms as part of the diet until it improves.


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## bugmankeith (Jun 11, 2006)

If he wont eat waxworms after 1 or 2 days, then i'd say it could be parasites or a bad illness, but so far Paparoacher hasnt let us know if the leopeard gecko ate anything, it's been a few days since this was posted... fingers crossed that we replied in time!


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## bugmankeith (Jun 11, 2006)

What is the floor temperature in the enclosure? You must dust the live prey with vitamin and calcium powder, your leo could be suffering from Metabolic Bone Disease. The best thing to do is get your gecko to a vet, because it could be seriously ill already. If I get any more helpful information I will post it here. Also please post a clear picture of your gecko.


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## PapaRoacher (Jun 12, 2006)

I have offered live food, of all kinds, and sizes...  He accepts nothing.

He doesn't even look like he can see, he sniffs his way around, his eyes are always closed.


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## Beardo (Jun 12, 2006)

I would suggest seeking veterinary assistance at this point, since nobody here is going to be able to diagnose the problem(s) your gecko is having. That being said, has the gecko had access to calcium/vitamin supplementation at all while you've had it? Has the animal defecated in your care? If so, did the stool seem normal (brown/black with some yellow/white urates)? It probably would not hurt to try and hydrate the gecko a bit by placing him in a container with a small amount of lukewarm water with some Pedialyte mixed in for 10-15 minutes. Also...what are the temperatures in the enclosure and how are you measuring them? I saw in your previous post that you were providing a basking spot....Leopard Geckos are nocturnal/crepuscular and do not bask in the wild. Perhaps it is too warm in the enclosure?


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## Mushroom Spore (Jun 12, 2006)

DavidBeard said:
			
		

> Leopard Geckos are nocturnal/crepuscular and do not bask in the wild. Perhaps it is too warm in the enclosure?


While it *could* be too warm in the enclosure, and leos *are* nocturnal, they do still have heating needs. What is it, mid-eighties? 

Whatever the reason, the OP needs to stop asking the internet and get to a reptile vet, pronto.


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## PapaRoacher (Jun 12, 2006)

I have a heating pad under his hide, that's all.  the basking spot with just to gussy up the look of the enclosure.

Yes, he has defecated in my care, and it looked perfectly normal.  Maybe it's his placement in the house, his enclosure was right on top of my entertainment center, so the TV, or music is usually playing, maybe he's having trouble sleeping during the day, and doesn't have the energy to hunt at night?

But I cannot put him where he was, because the light is on all night sometimes...  Can geckos really be disturbed by a difference in lighting on the outside of their enclosure?


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## Beardo (Jun 12, 2006)

> While it *could* be too warm in the enclosure, and leos *are* nocturnal, they do still have heating needs. What is it, mid-eighties?


Yes, I'm aware that they have heating needs...I'm also aware that often a combination of a basking light and heating pad=roasted gecko. 



> Can geckos really be disturbed by a difference in lighting on the outside of their enclosure?


Yes, they can if they do not have adequate hiding areas.


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## ScorpDude (Jun 12, 2006)

Get your gecko into a quieter room. What are the temperatures? Aim for a hotspot of 90f and a cool end of room temperature. The best way to achieve this would be with a heatmat under one end of the vivarium controlled by a thermostat.

To try and encourage a feeding response get a waxworm, rip its head off, juices will come out, dab the end with juices on on the geckos nose. It should lick it and like the taste. You should be able to get it to take a few of these. Warning, try not to feed exclusively waxworms as the gecko will get addicted to them and refuse anything else.

Also, this gecko needs a trip to the vets ASAP, if it really has gone 4months without food its amazing to believe its still alive, it really needs help.

Worst comes to worse, you might end up having to assist or even force feed to get some food into the gecko. I can't advise on what to use as I honestly don't know, but please don't anybody don't offer advice on what to use unless they know exactly what they are saying (not people saying things like well you should just mush some livefood up when they don't know if thats the case).

I'll post a link to this thread on another forum to get help from some real experts who should be able to offer some proper advice.

To the guy who said its crypto, please don't give advice like that out. If the guy actually believed you without questioning what you said and medicated his gecko it may have died (presuming its not crypto, which I doubt it is).


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## Tleilaxu (Jun 12, 2006)

Yes a quieter room would be nice but try the LIVE food.


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## ScorpDude (Jun 12, 2006)

http://www.livefoodshop.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=49791

There you go, I posted it on another forum, you should get a few helpful replies


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## Just A Beginner (Jun 12, 2006)

*Sickly Leopard Geckos*

Hello!

First off, I can't reccomend 'Hydro Life' highly enough for your leo. Its an excellent 'life sustaining reptile electrolyte formula', which rehydrates leos faster then plain water can, and being rehydrated is very imortant because a dehydrated reptile's gut cant absorb nutrients very well.

Get yourself an eyedropper or a small needle-less syringe from a chemists.

Find a babyfood which contains a high percentage of meat without any rice, or mash up a load of feeder insects (waxies are fatty but their guts are tasty enough to tempt most reluctant feeders). Use the dropper or syringe to drip little drops onto the leo's nose so that it licks it off. This should give it a fighting chance.

MOST IMPORTANTLY; you need to find out what is causing your leos condition. 

1) Get some thermometers to *properly and accurately* measure the temperatures in the leos viv, at both the cool and warm ends. If your temperatures are too low, provide more heat. If theyre too high, downsize the bulb wattage and buy a thermostat.

2) Move your leo to a quiet, peaceful place so that the poor thing can rest and recuperate properly. They enjoy peace and quiet, leos are not fond of excessive noise. Light during the day helps them know when to sleep, but it must be dark at night so that he/she feels comfortable with coming out of the hides to hunt.

3) It may be that its gut flora is depleted (not enough 'friendly bacteria' to digest it's food), so try to feed it a tiny bit of bio-live yoghurt (only a tiny bit though, reptiles arent adapted to digest dairy products). 

4) This condition might be the result of a high parasite load, in which case a fecal exam would be very very helpful to the gecko's survival. If you get a small pot type thing like a specemin jar or film tub, put a fresh, still-wet poop into it and close it (maybe add a couple of drops of water to keep the poop moist), take it to the vets and ask for a fecal exam. They arent expensive to have done. If the test comes back positive for a parasite your vet will be able to help you. 

Best of luck. I cared for four leopard geckos who were suffering something similar, but unfortunately I didnt manage to turn them round. Just try as hard as you can for the little leo, its never too late untill its over. 
The Four Leos I Cared For

* REMEMBER; Your pets rely on you for absolutely everything. If you want to care for an animal, you need to know what it needs. THE LEOPARD GECKO MANUAL, if you don't have it, I  strongly  reccomend you buy it. I'm not having a go, I'm sorry if it seems that way, but I work in a reptile pet shop. When someone comes in and says 'It just died/got ill' it usually translates as 'I didn't take the resposibility of being accountable for the health and welfare of an animal seriously'. *


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## bugmankeith (Jun 12, 2006)

Basically it needs a vet if you cant get it to eat at this point. Moving it to a quiet location will be good also.


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## mertinnie (Jun 11, 2011)

*emaciated gecko*

Hello I just recently rescued a lizard from a girl who surrendered her and I have been using Hills wet cat food from my veterinarian through a syringe w/ no needle--0.1 mg every 4 hours. Never force feed, the gecko should lick it up. How often does the lizard defecate and what color is it? I forgot the website but I found this recipe online and was highly recommended by breeders to get weight/electrolytes in balance. In 24hrs I have gotten this little girl up from completely bones to having a little substance on her tail. 

1small can hills A/D food (from vet)
1/4 c ensure
1 jar baby food (squash or pumpkin)
1/4 pedialite
2 caps acidophilus (probiotic)
1 tsp calcium powder w/ vitamin  D3
1/2 tsp. herp vitamen powder
2-4 x-large handfulls of mealworms

Blend all of this up. and put into ice tray. Thaw out one icecube at a time into baby food jar and replace every three days. 

I keep a log of when I feed, feeding times 12:30, 4:30, and 8:30 am/pm including how active, when she poops, where she is hanging out most, how quickly laps up food. 

She is on newspaper for easily collecting fecal samples without contamination with my equipment, overhead heat emitting bulb with no light output. She get light from the window across the room during the day. A log hide, a pickle jar lid as water bowl and two rocks holding the hide/basking rocks. 

I will be taking this gal to the vet in 2 days to see if she has parasites since this is very likely. The girl who had her for a few months said she would just not eat. 

When I go in I will bring my notes etc so the vet has more to work off of. 

**Differences in these two cases, this little girl was very lethargic when I first got her but as soon as on this diet has been active and checking out cage during the night** She is active so I think that her ability to hunt is not the problem unless her tiny size makes it difficult but rather her ability to absorb nutrients**

Good luck it is lots of hard work

<Sorry I just noticed that this thread is from a few years ago but I will post this anyway for others seeking info online>


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## imatroll (Jun 11, 2011)

Before I can try to get into detail with this, is your leo drinking? If not, that will make this a lot easier to figure out. At this point, I'd seek veterinary assistance.


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## Meecht (Jun 12, 2011)

This thread is 4 years old.  Unless the gecko got better, it'd be dead by now...


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