Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone I just need some help about some very very unhealthy leopard geckos. Just yesterday my friend gave me his 3 leopard geckos that are no more than 2 years old because he had lost interest in them and had not fed them for 3 weeks. He just didnt have time to get crickets and supplies for his geckos so he decided to give them to me as I already have 2 very healthy ones and I know how to care for them. I was just wondering however what I should do to bring these little guys back up to health. They are all very thin and very unhealthy as u can almsot see there bones through their skin. One gecko in particular is the most unhealthy and its tail is no more than 2 milimeters wide!!! I droppped a bunch of crix in their tank last night and the 2 healthier ones mowed down on them but the very very skinny one did not eat any I dont think. Basically I am just wondering what foods I should be feeding these guys to get them big again as they are disgustingly skinny and I really need to know fast as every second they are not fed can kill them.

Thanks a lot for any help,
Keith

Well, it seems like 2 of the 3 are eating. I would seperate the not eating one because it is possible the others are bullying him. If the other 2 ate alot, then just feed them daily, and provide calcium to them. I'm not an expert or anything, but thats what I would do.

Michael

ok,

you definetely need to seperate the two sick ones from the healthy ones.....also keep mealworms in the cage at all time and feed them gutloaded crickets at night....make sure they have clean water avaiable and keep calcium available to them....also i would use paper towel for their substrate for the time being so if they get hungry or feel they need more calcium they dont eat the substrate because that will just give you loads of problems...also make sure in the morning when you turn their lights on that you remove any poo and any uneaten crickets but leave mealworms in there at all times....make sure the mealworms are kept in some kind of container......i hope i could help and please give me an update in a few days...

-thor

Hi

The little one of the three that didn't really go after the cricket you through in, you should seperate that one as mentioned above by someone else. Also, you should start to hand feed it with a syringe/dropper and start at first by dropping you feeding mixture on its nose to see if it will lick it up.

You could mix - baby chicken food, calcium and pydialight all together and start feeding that little one this mixture. It maybe so used to not eating for so long that you just need to get it used to eating again.

Take Care, TLB

by all means seperate them all! The more space/food per individual the better. If these guys are as sick as you say they are, that is the best thing you can do. They are going to need plenty of peace and security to begin the healing process, and having another gecko in with them can be really stressful.

And if you possibly can, id take them to the vet ASAP. If not, continue nursing them yourself, and I wish you the best.

~Crystal
-----
Crystal Light (Yes..that's my real name)
&
Dusty Windom (Yeap..that's my real name, too)

*Whenever you lose a gecko, just think of it as God building on his own Leopard Gecko collection

The Gecko Barn

When they get that weak, they wont eat on their own. It sounds like the other two aren't far behind that one.

By the way, it takes much longer than 3 weeks to get to the point you've described...it sounds to me like they haven't eaten in 4 months! You need to give your friend a tongue lashing for that one!

Here's part of a post she made about a leo that had similar problems:

In the meantime, make sure he is warmer than normal temps... around 92-94 degrees (belly heat) on his enclosure warm side, make sure he's on paper towel, and dropper feed him (do not force-feed!) with the following slurry:

In a blender, combine:
1 small can Hill's A/D pet food (available at most vets)
1/4 cup Ensure (not chocolate)
1/4 cup pedialite
1 jar baby food squash or 1/4 cup plain canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. each calcium powder and herp vitamins
2 crushed tablets or 2 opened capsules of milk thistle (found at most places that have vitamin and herb supplements - it is a liver purifier)
* a handfull of mealworms puree'd with this mixture if you can deal with that!
- Pour slurry in ice cube trays and freeze, thawing out only what you will use in a few days.