Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a male gecko that was treated for parasites after he wasn't eating for a month. His weight had dropped from 85 grams down to 73. I have been force feeding him baby food twice a day and he is now up to 80 grams but shows no interest in live food. I have been force feeding for about a month and otherwise, he looks completely healthy. My vet told me that sometimes after not eating for a long period of time geckos will develop fatty liver disease, which should go away. Does anyone have any experience with force feeding? Is there still hope that he will just start eating on his own again one day?

Thanks for the help,
Zach
-----
AIM sn: z10silver

I went through exactly the same thing recently, one of my gecko was not eating due to parasites, her weight drop from 64 to 50g; and I couldn't get her eat again after the treatment. She was even passing bile due to the lack of food in her stomach.

The vet check, drug administration, force feeding...etc are quite stressful for the gecko. So, I think you should try leaving it alone for 2-3 days, don't even look at it or let it see you; then drop a mealworm or something in front of it while its half awake. I think this is the best timing, because my leo just bite at that super I dropped in front of her right away, so fast that it's almost like reflex action.

My vet also told me to bath her in Repto-boost (probiotics, electrolyte), half an hour a night, it'll keep her hydrated and stimulate her appetite. Maybe you need to ask your vet about it.
Hope this helps.