Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hello. I bought a femal leopard gecko about a month ago. She was about 8 inches long and looked healthy with a decent tail.

Since shes been home, she only ate on the first two days and since then has almost totally stopped eating or what she does eat gets thrown up. Yesterday I tried to feed her with tweezers and she almost nailed it, but the cricket got away.

I thought it was seasonal change thing, but now her tail is extremely thin and I can see her back bone.

I think my temps are allright. Its normally 76-82 in the house, and she has a warm spot at one end of her encolosure.

whats the deal?

First, what are her enclosure temps? She should have a hot spot of about 88 degrees. What kind of substrate do you have her on? Have you had a fecal exam done to rule out parasites?

If she is regurging that usually means one of two things...either she isn't warm enough or she has parasites. The other thing is impaction. I suggest a vet visit asap.

i had a gexo throw up cuz it ate a crixit that was a little to big. but after i gave it ones that were a little smaller and have had no problem..just something else that would be worth trying.

her hot spot is hotter than 88, cuase it burns my hand if I leave it their too long. Her substarte is paper towls. Her enclosure is a blanket tupperware thats pretty warm inside due to the heat lamp. She has a moist hide and always has food available.

jeez, im on a REALLY fixed budget(stupid college), I hope I can take care of this without consulting a vet.

is it hot to your hand from a light or a under tank heater,if its the under tank heater its too hot.

if the UTH burns your hand through the substrate, then the floor is too hot for your leo. you might want to put a couple more folded paper towels on the warm side where the UTH is. if your leo eats and retreats to the cold hide, then it's not getting enough belly heat to help in digestion which will make her throw up and eat less. you might want to feed her one wax worm once a week with the crix or mealies that you feed to help her tail slowly get bigger. if she still doesn't eat, she may have internal parasites or may have been impacted somehow - maybe the pet store's sand if you use paper towels? make sure you have a thermometer to guage the heat on the warm side - letting it be between 86F and 90F during the day and between 78F and 82F at night. i know what you mean about the poor college student thing, that's what i am too hehe~ if you cant afford a good thermometer (esp those digital ones), you could put up with the cheap sticky thermometers. i know they're not as accurate, but they still save some money - it's what i use! anyway, take care and hopefully your leo does too! please update on her condition

[aimee]
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1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Melvin)
1.0 Black Lab / Pitbull mix (Mikey)
1.0 Blue Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)
2.0 Fire-Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
http://aimee.i8.com

Your gecko needs a warm side, not a hot spot. This means 88-90°. Get a thermometer to see the temp there, you can get one at any Petco or Petsmart, about $5.99 for the ones with a dial or if you are really cheap the stick on kind will do. If it burns your hand it is probably way to hot for your gecko. If a lamp is creating that temp you may be able to solve the problem by switching to a lower wattage bulb. Better yet get rid of the lap and use a human heat pad ith temp control built in or a reptile UTH WITH a thermostat or rheostat attached to control temperature (this is essential when using a reptile UTH as they tend to get way too hot, over 110°.

THe temps could be responsible for your geckos problems. If the warm spot is too hot the gecko could be on the cold side all the time which may not provide enough heat for digestion. Fix the temps, keep the gecko hydrated (you can drop pedilyte on her nose 3x a dat for her to lick off). If the temps are causing the problem, you should see improvement within a few days.

If you don't see improvement after fixing the temps, or if you notice runny smelly stools, your gecko pobably has some kind of infection or parasite and needs to see a vet, get a fecal done. Your gecko may need to be treated for worms, protozoans, or a bacterial infection.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

Leos are very hardy and can make comebacks like you don't believe, but it takes work on your part. Let me repeat what I just said: YOU HAVE TO HELP OUT. So far, it looks like you haven't done squat and apparently haven't done squat for a long time. It takes a while for a leo to degenerate to the point where you can see its backbone. You'll only have more work ahead of you now, since her earlier health signs didn't clue you in as they were declining.

First things first. Get the temperature right. This is the most basic of leopard gecko care and shouldn't be overlooked. If it's burning your hand, how do you expect your gecko to lie her whole body down on it? At least put in more hides so she can choose which part of the heat gradient is the most comfortable for her.

Secondly, find a reptile vet. If you don't want to pay for a visit, then maybe you should reconsider being a pet owner. Coming onto this forum isn't going to solve all your problems. You have to find out why she got sick then shell out the dough to fix it. Hey, I'm a poor college student, too. In fact, I don't think any of us here are rich. (If you are, please speak up and I would like to be friends with you. ) However, I do not cut corners when it comes to my leos, especially when they need medical attention.

If she has been throwing up a lot, don't expect her to be able to handle eating crickets. Her stomach is in no condition to digest regular food right now. You're gonna have to start a regimen that includes putting bugs into a blender to make a slurry. Follow this link for more instructions.

I guess I should conclude with an apology for blowing up. But I won't, because I have little sympathy for irresponsible pet owners.
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chickabowwow

3.2.2 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)
and 1 more egg a' cookin'

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1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Melvin)
1.0 Black Lab / Pitbull mix (Mikey)
1.0 Blue Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)
2.0 Fire-Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
http://aimee.i8.com

[bleep], Its true I havnt checked on her in a few weeks, but thats becuase Im so damn busy. I just changed her water, changed her towels, threw in a few crickets daily and dusted them every othewr week.

as far as the temps: The warm "spot" is around 100 degrees, while the rest of it is around 80 - 83. The warm spot is situated along the bottom right curve of the tupperware since the spot light is aimed at the side. This still proviodes a gradient in other areas.

Her stools are sort of runny.

i dont hink you should be allowed to keep leos ior any other pet for that matter seeing how you do no research on these things. the hot side should have a belly temp of 90 and the other side should be room temp. if you let your pets go for a couple of weeks then it is completely your fault for the things tat happen to her. you shouldnt be an owner
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soad rocks

vet won't be that expensive i had a group fecal done for 15 dollars and get my meds for 10 and didn't have to pay for a visit. it wasn't an option not to go no matter the cost i had already bought (not trying to sound heartless just money wise for use poor college folk) them it would be a complete wast of money to let them die. that sounds bad but makes logical sense. now i have all 5 of my buddies still with me!!!! and they love me more for helping...lol