Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey my lepord gecko has stoped eating completly and it never hides any more and just sleeps outside in the open it was fine but now its tail is getting thin and it is not active unless it gets scared. does anyone now how i can help my gecko

If it has been more than a week, you should take him to the vet. Try to take a fecal sample (as fresh as possible) with you because they will test it for infection and parasites. If it has only been a few days, then wait a couple more. Sometimes they just don't eat.

I would get a fecal done and check your temps. How long has it been since it last ate?
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Just Another Herp Crazy Person
Allan
E-mail: Flip4Life_03@hotmail.com
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos - Lea, Cleo (Mite end up 1.2...expo coming up! [2 eggs cooking so could be 1.4])
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon - Loki
0.0.1 Fire Skink - Blaze

There have been lots of posts regarding worries about pets' health. There are some basic things you can do for them to right a problem before you need to ask for the assistence of a vet.

1) CHECK OVER THE TANK!!!! The main cause of sickness in reptiles is often due to poor husbandry. Make sure your setup has the right temps (room temp on cool side, 86-90 degrees on warm side). Leos need good hiding spots to make them feel secure....you should have a minimum of one dry hide and one humid hide (humid hide is on the warm side), more hides is better...but dont clutter the tank. The leo should have access to fresh water 24/7. Now, look around the tank and see if there is anything that could cause harm to your leo. If you have sand or other small particled bedding, remove the leo from it (it could be eating it which would cause the animal to become ill). If all of these things check out, move on to the next area that might be the problem.

2. PROPER NUTRITION IS REQUIRED!!! Leos may become ill or weak if they are not getting a good diet. Mealies and crickets need to be gutloaded prior to feeding to make them more nutritious for the geckos. A small dish of supplements should be left in the tank for the leo to use (Miner-all is great). Don't forget to dust the mealies or crickets once or twice a week. Leos also like variety...mealies and crickets are good staple foods, but waxworms, butterworms, silkworms, and pinkie mice are great treats because they provide higher levels of protein, calcium and fat.

3. TAKE THE LEO TO A VET!!! If everything here checks out for you, and your leo is still not looking good, it is time to visit a qualified reptile specialist vet. Reptiles rarely show their real symptoms of their sickness until a few days before it takes hold of them for good. Nature has taught them to do this, and we must see through this guise and get them the help they need asap.

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)