Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello all,
every year my gecko loses his appetite over the winter (which I understand is normal) but for the past two years he hasn't picked back up after I increase his light hours to 14. last year I ended up taking him to the vet and they told me he had a minor overinfestation of hookworms, so I plan on taking him to the vet again to see if that is what is going on again. I was wodnering if while I'm waiting to get him in to the vet if there is a way to attempt to get him eating again on his own. he hasn't lost much weight if any at all so I'm really doubting it is a parasitic issue but I will still get him checked, but while i'm waiting I'd like to get a little food into him. his usual diet is mealworms and an occasional cricket (which I normally have to remove from the cage because he has never really seemed interested in crickets). I've also tried wax worms with great success but those are obviously unhealthy as a staple and last time I gave him a few wax worms he boycotted eating anything else for a month. anyways I would appreciate any suggestions as to what others do to get their leo's eating again once spring rolls around.
thanks!

About the hookworms, did you get him treated for the parasites? If not, they are still in him. That will affect a gecko's appetite. Another thing, how is he being heated and what are his temperatures. To see maximum growth in geckos, the ideal way to heat them in with an Under Tank Heater. This will help him digest his food quicker and better. Personally I keep my hot spot between 90 and 93 year round to prevent the winter slowing.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Kyle Johnson
-----
MK Geckos
Your Source for Leopard Geckos!

yeah I treated him for the parasites, and he was fine up until last month which is the same time that this all happened last year. I already know the basic care and the temp ranges he should be kept at, I have a UTH and a basking light, all of that is fine its just his appetite. he hasn't lost weight or coloration, he isn't lethargic or acting weird, he just seems to sleep a lot more and he won't eat. I understand that is normal for the winter months and I change his light hours to similate seasonal changes but now that i've increased him back up to 14 hours of daylight he should show at least some interest in the mealworms in his food dish. so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to get him to eat something while I wait until my next check to get him into the vet again to check for a re-infestation of parasites.

Yes a vet visit is in order. Although 93 is a bit high for a leos belly temp i would go with more like 85-90 degrees. I have read nowhere that 93 is good at all.

Also you said you fed waxworms for a month. Well they are addicting and if you get a leo started on eating them all the time that is what he will want all the time. He is probably only hungry for them, which is not good at all, their staple is to be crix, mealies, or silkies. Waxies and pinkies only as treats. So you may want to mush some waxies up and rub them on crix and mealies and see what happens.

the wax worms issue was over a year ago. he hasn't had any since last june and then he went on a hunger strike for a month before I was able to get him back to his mealie diet. his belly temp on the hot side is 85 and its about 76 on the cool side, it gets lower on the cool side at night. I highly highly doubt temp is an issue here since I've had the same set-up for three years and he has only had an eating problem once and that was due to the parasites I took care of a year ago.

I am having the same problem with my female gecko this month of March, and had the same problem last March. My male gecko in a cage beside hers does not go on a hunger strike in this way. I too am bringing my gecko to the vet to check-- but last year I tried every type of food and ended up force feeding her following the vet's directions. Finally she started eating on her own when the weather warmed up.

I am thinking her cage gets 5 degrees colder at night than the male's, being closer to the window. She likes her cage warmer than the male, who is happy with a warm spot of 85, while the female prefers 90. So it could be just a slight difference in lower nighttime temps causing this reaction in both your and my gecko. I am told that if it is warm enough, a gecko will eat.

One thought-- I keep a house gecko in a tank in the bathroom for various reasons, and I have noticed that the bathroom, being small, becomes nice and toasty warm and the house gecko's tank stays nice and warm also. (My house gecko has a 24-hourheating pad on a thermostat, flourescent daylight lamp on a timer, and a ceramic heat lamp on a rheostat and a dimmer.) If I could fit my female gecko's cage in there, I would do so, as I think it is the temperature affecting her.
If you have a small room or a bathroom in which you can put the cage, you might try that. Just the heat from the heating pad and any other heat sources you use wil warm up the room and keep the cage more evenly and consistently warm, which may in turn encourage your gecko to begin munching again. Best of luck

It could be temps since they do fluctuate. I would take to vet and see what's up personally.