Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So my girlfriend got a leo about 2 years ago, he's in GREAT condition, always been happy, and never really had any problems.... For the past 5 years, he has eaten NOTHING but pinkies. he eats 2-3 every 10 days or so. he's never experienced any health problems and seeme happy. Should I stick with it? or should I try to change this old guy to a different diet? I really don't want to change anyhitng as long as this is working and he's eating and he's healthy.... But should I?
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Kev
1.1.0 Tang Leopard Geckos: Marley, Mary
1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko: Toad
0.1.0 Colombian Rainbow Boa: Rambo
1 Beta: Malificent
0.1.0 Tri Australian Shepard: Nelly

...pinkies are too high in fat to be healthy as a standard diet. This gecko's heaklth and longevity may be served better if it is switched to mealworms, at least for part of the time.

I have a few guys who just love pinkies and tend to stick their noses up at most other foods. But I make sure they have eaten at least a few cirx/mealies before offering them another pinkie. It may be very hard to change your guy over to another staple, because that all he’s eaten for so many years. You didn’t mention his weight, does he much ‘fatter’ than your other geckos? If there are no weight concerns, I’d say your ok. If he’s over weight, I’d try superworms or large crix. He might need to be very hungry to take a new food item, but it should happen with time. I’m sure it takes a gecko quite some time to digests a pinkie (or 3) even with optimum heating, so you may have to wait a bit longer to see if he is interested in other food items. Let us know how it goes, and I agree with you about the petco leo, hehe.

DaveCable

Naw, he's not fat. He's a lean mean pinky eating machine. And his name's Toad....

Kev
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Kev
1.1.0 Tang Leopard Geckos: Marley, Mary
1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko: Toad
0.1.0 Colombian Rainbow Boa: Rambo
1 Beta: Malificent
0.1.0 Tri Australian Shepard: Nelly

ya know i was thinking about toad last night and considering his age, he might be eating exactly what he deems as appepeiate food to survive, instinctively, i dont know. if he has been eating this for fice years now, pinks may be exactly what he needs. i would just make sure he has plenty of calcium (in a dish of course) on his enclosure and every once in a while, like every other feeding roll his pinks or at least one of the three in some herptivite, to make sure he is getting the essential nutrients. old toad reminded me of older mamals, what happens to them? they get thin lose fat and muscle. what would help to reverse this, a high protien (meat) and some fat. maybe nutritionally at his age this is exactly what he needs. i dont know i was just thinking outside my brain. what do yall think??? plus calcium and vitamin suppliments every other feeding or so would prolly be a good idea.. plus a calcium dish in with him at all times. shoot with the bone material he is eating in the pinkies he may not even need a calcium dusted pink, ya might just want to leave a dish in his cage and let him go to it as he needs it. i think something animals know whats better for them than we ourselves do, then again maybe he just likes pinkies over mealies and crickets... i dont know jusr some ideas
personally if it aint broke... dont fix it and you say toad isnt over weight just a lean mean lovin machine
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-robin day
Geckoheads And Geeks