Leopard Gecko starving itself?

[PapaRoacher]

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

 

[bugmankeith]

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

 

[PapaRoacher]

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

 

[The Juice]

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?

 

[PapaRoacher]

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

 

[The Juice]

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

 

[bugmankeith]

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.

 

[Hedorah99]

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.

 

[bugmankeith]

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

 

[Mushroom Spore]

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!

 

[wickedsweetheart]

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

 

[Mushroom Spore]

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.

 

[bugmankeith]

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!

 

[bugmankeith]

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.

 

[PapaRoacher]

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.

 

[Beardo]

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?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

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.

 

[PapaRoacher]

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?

 

[Beardo]

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.

 

[ScorpDude]

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).