Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just got a recue Leo female, she is extremely skinny no fat in the tail. you can see every bone in her body. i was able to get her to eat a superworm and a wax worm. she tryed to eat a [inky last night but i found she spit it up by morning. What should I do. She is white with brown spots. I just don't think she will make it much longer. please help. I will get pictures and post them in the morning.

Take a fecal sample to the vet. Test a few samples in the course of a week to be sure. Then you will know if there are any parasitical infestations.

I would avoid blood work right now, because that would be a bit traumatic.

Make sure she is in a quiet room with a few hides, by herself. Keep a LOG! - See how much she will eat today or tomorrow (leave a full bowl of mealworms in with her and throw a cricket in to see if she'll eat). Write that down each day. See if/when she is using her toilet corner and note the condition of the poop (runny, solid, undigested prey, etc)

She's most likely stressed out from being sick/mistreated so she might not eat right away. If she's eating at all, that's awesome! I have had several resuces from my vet office & the Humane Society that I had to syringe feed food and medication multiple times a day for 2 weeks to over a month.

Make sure she's getting vitamins. Stick a calcium dish in there with her too. Keep the warm side about 90 deg.F.

Sorry if some of this is totally rhetorical and obvious!
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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

Also, do not give her superworms or pinkies.

Is she active at all? Drinking? Closing her eyes? Lying in the open or in a hide?
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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

I told my husband not feed it nothing to big because it is so weak it is hard for her to digeast.

She does drink a little water and she moves around a little but it has seemed to slow down a little. She has been hiding out in the open right by the water dish half hanging on it.what can we no for it I feel so bad for the girl.

Can I ask what you syringe feed the gecko?

We got some repti-aid from the pet store. And she manages to eat one superworm a day. I really hope she makes it. She has gotten more active.

EEK! Sand...

Dirty sand.

Get her off that ASAP. Use paper towels.

I'm glad you're trying to help her. She's probably very happy you came her way...

And as I said before, stop feeding superworms!! Really, they are too big! She needs some meal worms that she can digest more easily rather than choke on and puke up due to a previously inactive digestive tract. Freshly shed/lighter ones are better.

Make sure she's getting vitamins/calcium.

Where did she come from again??
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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

Have you checked her out for parasites?

If NO, they will kill her.

She needs to be medicated right away if that's the case.

If yes, and she's clean...it takes months and months for a leo to get that thin. Months of obvious neglect and illness. It doesn't happen overnight -- they're like little desert camels!

If you think she's free of infections then either someone left her without food for 3-4 months or you need to re-check her fecals...
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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

Oh my! Poor thing. I hope she pulls thru for you. I have a female that I had to seperate form other females because she stopped eating, and started to get skinny, but no where near that skinny. My little girl is putting on weight but slowly, still getting used to her new home.

Good Luck!

Felicia
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My Leos Website

2.4.5 Leos
1.0 Peach Fronted Conure
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders
1.0 Pembroke Corgi
0.2 Cats
1.0 Guinea
8 fish