force feeding a gecko

[smartie]

Im getting a VERY anorexic sub-adult leopard gecko tomorrow. The guy at the petshop said that it hadn't eaten since they got it. I don't think it will hang on much longer, but its worth a try trying to save it. Any advice on how to force feed it and what to feed it with will be much appreciated

thank you all

 

[ballpython2]

Im getting a VERY anorexic sub-adult leopard gecko tomorrow. The guy at the petshop said that it hadn't eaten since they got it. I don't think it will hang on much longer, but its worth a try trying to save it. Any advice on how to force feed it and what to feed it with will be much appreciated

thank you all

you shouldnt buy anorexic reptiles from petshops because they will keep selling these low grade animals because people will buy them.

you cant save every animal.

in my opinion you are just wasting your money. buy a healthy one.

 

[smartie]

Oh no sorry i should have said that im not buying it, the guy said i could take it for free if i feel i could save it. I wont buy sick animals, i have learnt that the hard way

 

[ballpython2]

Oh no sorry i should have said that im not buying it, the guy said i could take it for free if i feel i could save it. I wont buy sick animals, i have learnt that the hard way

Oh ok in that case yes. I just hate when people waste their money when they think with their heart when it comes to animals and it dies a week later. then they go do it again.

 

[clam1991]

well how big is it if its full grown it may be on its way out naturally

and force feeding should be easy just pop a cricket in its mouth:}

 

[smartie]

No its still small, its about 15cm including the tail. Will post photos after i got her.
I will try to put crickets in her mouth, hopefully she swallows it then, thanks clam

 

[tjmi2000]

Wax worms work well for putting weight on but don't get your hopes up. Once a reptile is that skinny there is often damage to organs that often isn't reversible. My son purchased a leopard gecko from an unscrupulous dealer a few years ago and inspite of our efforts she lingered on for months with no improvement until she finally just died.

 

[clam1991]

Wax worms work well for putting weight on but don't get your hopes up. Once a reptile is that skinny there is often damage to organs that often isn't reversible. My son purchased a leopard gecko from an unscrupulous dealer a few years ago and inspite of our efforts she lingered on for months with no improvement until she finally just died.

wax worms will put weight on but its mostly fat

like trying to plump someone up on only nuts
try some wax worms but make sure it gets some crixs for the major protein

 

[smartie]

I will make a mash of silkworms, crickets and waxworms (if i can find some here in SA). I will give her two months. If she hadn't improved at all in that time, i will assume she has unreversable damage, and will then euthanaze her so that she don't suffer any longer.

@tjmi - i hope mine isn't as bad as your son's leo was, hopefully she can make a recover. But i don't have much hope

 

[GailC]

get some reptile aid, its a power you mix with water and feed with a eye dropper or needless syringe. This will be easies to feed and help the most at this point. Feeding small crickets will also be good if you can do it without stressing the animal too much.

 

[mouse]

when i bought bearded dragons a few years back, one wasn't eating. i held it and inserted my fingernail into its jaw to GENTLY open it enough to pop a waxworm in, then later on mealworms or crix. he did start eating again.
i miss my beardies. maby in a few years i'll get me another...

 

[kupo969]

Wax worms, Calcium worms, and mealworms are the BEST for fattening up herps when they are in the same condition as yours. Just mash them and pop them in.

One trick I learned with frogs is to use a plastic spoon to open its mouth, you might have to do it if it does not want to open up.

 

[dtknow]

gotta wonder if he has something wrong with him like impaction.

 

[ShellsandScales]

Make sure you quarantine the animal. Especially sick animals from pet stores. You never know what the underlying cause of its condition may be. Could be parasites, virus, bacteria, genetic, etc. VERY IMPORTANT TO QUARANTINE. Whole collections have been wiped out from skipping this important step. I would go to a vet and try to get a flex tip syringe and use that to "force feed". Usually an animal in that condition is very reluctant to open its mouth and you can cause more damage trying to pry the mouth open then its worth. I would also panacure the gecko. This is often the most likely cause of a sickly underweight animal.

 

[smartie]

@ shellsandscales - a guy at a local herp forum also told me to deworm using panacur, but he didn't know the correct dosages.Can you maybe help?

I think there may be something metabolically wrong with the girl, because the guy at the petshop said the previous owner kept them on newspaper, so that overrules impaction as the culprit. But its not impossible

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I will try to post pics after i collected her today

 

[ShellsandScales]

Not sure on the dosage either. Depends a lot on the size of the gecko. If its small start with a couple of drops and if its big a little more. You can panacure the gecko once a week for two to three weeks and it won't hurt it. If you're wanting more exact dosage I would call a vet. They should be able to tell you over the phone without cost if you tell them the weight and species.

 

[Bedlam]

Reinforcing points, make sure you quarantine and if you dont get your hands on the formula then try mashing up mealworms and doing the same thing with whatever mush you get from there.

Also, HYDRATE! WATER! Try giving it a couple soaks in warm water so it can ingest some water. A dehydrated animal is a dying animal. Best of luck!!!

 

[JohnEDove]

Im getting a VERY anorexic sub-adult leopard gecko tomorrow. The guy at the petshop said that it hadn't eaten since they got it. I don't think it will hang on much longer, but its worth a try trying to save it. Any advice on how to force feed it and what to feed it with will be much appreciated

thank you all

Does anyone get the feeling some folks don't read the original post before commenting.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that misses vital info when I post.

 

[Bedlam]

Apologies on missing that.
Apologies on trying to help out.
Mistakes happen.

 

[smartie]

Not to worry, Bedlam Mistakes happen. I did put her in a dish with shallow water as you suggested and although she wasn't impressed at first, she did drink a bit at the end. Thanks.
Thanks for everyone's inputs. Its still an uphill struggle with the baby as i couldnt yet get her to eat anything