Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Help! My leopard gecko Eli is about 4 months old, and about one month ago the trouble began. I had him on a bed of wood-chips, and his crickets kept hiding from him, and he wasn’t eating enough. I soon started to notice that his front limbs were bent strange, and his back looked a bit deformed as well. An employee at a local feed store told me that this was probably being caused from a calcium deficiency. I took out the woodchips, so he is now just on paper-towels. Because his front limbs are warped, he is still having trouble catching the crickets, even though he tries and tries. I have been feeding him a little bit of baby food (the feed store employee recommended this - since he's not eating crickets), and giving him calcium drops (BONE AID, Liquid Calcuim) – 2 drops every-other day. He does drink enough, but lately he just lies outside of his house (he used to spend pretty much all day in there) and doesn’t move around much. I’m so worried!!! Does anyone have any other ideas, or know much about when to give these calcium drops? Please help, I love my little gecko!!!

Thanks!

First, if your gecko will still eat - you can feed him dusted crickets - just pull the back hopper legs off. You could also hand feed him mealworms and waxies - dusted in calcium powder.

I'm not so sure about the efficacy of using calcium drops nor feeding it baby food. I'm not a big one with sending them to the vet for every little thing - but this sounds like you might need one.

I think I would NOT count on advice from the feed-store guy - I'm sure he's nice, but well - he's a FEED STORE GUY. LOL

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos

If this doesn't stop moving, I think I might hack up a cricket!!!

Thanks for your advice. It took a while, but my boyfriend and I got Eli to eat 4 small crickets last night - we pulled off their back legs like you suggested.

For a while he still had trouble swollowing the crickets - they kept sliding out of his mouth. I'm not sure if this is because he has lost some of his teeth (I read that this happens regularly with leapord geckos).

Nevertheless, I'm glad that we have found one good way to get him eating.

Thanks again!

I just put a dish of powder calcium in with my gecko and he seems to self regulate what he needs. Look at my post up above and you can see my gecko and the dish a calcium right next to him. I also feed him nothing but king meal worms with a pinky mouse every now and then.
Jim B

Thanks for your advice! Do you know what a good brand of this powder calcuim would be? Can you find it at most pet stores?

I tried feeding my gecko a meal worm a while back, but he just looked at it like it was wierd, and didn't think of it as food.

Thanks again!

I use Osteo-Form SA (calcium-phosphorus with vitamins) by vetamix

I get it at a local vet supply for $7.95 350g a life time supply not sure if it comes in a smaller jar?
Jim B

Well it aint deficient just cause. It is more malnurished than anything. I would go to a vet because the Leo probably ate one of those chip's and that is why it is so skinny and frail. And I realy dont know what a vet can do for yah if that is the case but keep this in mind, THE ONLY THING THAT DONT HAVE A LAST CHANCE IS ONE WHO'S LAST CHANCE HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY. Good luck you will need it.