Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

Two of my baby leopard geckos have recently been having problems picking up their mealworms. They weren't always this way...they try and try to pick up the worm, but they just can't seem to get a good hold of it. I have to help them by holding the worm still for them. It seems like their tounges are really big inside their mouths when they open them....maybe this is normal. I dont' see the jaws being especially "rubbery"...their faces look normal. They are with other siblings that are doing just fine, and they always have a calcium supplement available.
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks,
~Katie
Katie's Leopard Geckos

It really sounds like the early stages of MBD. What calcium supplement are you using and does it contain phospherus? And, are you dusting their food with it in addition to putting it in a dish? If it contains phospherus it is still possible for your leos to develope MBD and not all babies will readily eat their calcium out of a dish initially.

I was using an off brand of calcium several years ago and had some babies develop symptoms similar to yours. I switched to rep cal with vitamin d3 and they made a complete recovery.

It takes a long time fro deformities to show up, and diminished jaw strength is one of the first symptoms. So if it is MBD they can still make a full recovery with no lasting effects at this stage.

Good luck!
Alice

I am using the T-Rex Leopard Gecko calcium supplement. I have it in their dish, and I put their mealworms in that same dish, so that they get some calcium on them right before they are eaten. It seems that they are ingesting enough of the supplement. The babies are in a sort of "shoebox" setup, where they don't get much light. Do you think that they are not able to process the D3? Should I put them under a UV light for a little bit? Maybe I will take them outside for a few minutes when it gets nice out.
Thanks for any help
~Katie