Baby leopard gecko, help

[Seb]

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I just got a baby leopard gecko a few days ago. I have provided 2 hides(1 humid and one on the warm side of the tank), a shallow water dish, a dish with calcium(with D3), *note* I removed it after being told calcium with D3 is toxic? and a dish for the mealworms which I gut-load and powder with calcium(can that be D3 or no?) before each feeding. The substrate is paper towels because he is very small and I don't want him getting impacted. The temperature on the hot side ranges 85-90 during the day and goes down to lower-mid 70s during the night. I have a red heating bulb to help keep the heat up(also viewing purposes) during the day because the UTH heater doesn't get that hot and then let the heater on during the night so the temp drops. I also powder the crickets in calcium and I'm feeding him around 6/7 insects a day(he' still a bit too slow to catch them). If I'm doing anything incorrectly or know something I should add, please let me know. Thank you.

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Seb ~

Greetings to you from this international gecko forum. Geckophiles of many genuses hang here. Hope that you're looking forward to meeting some of us.

Thanks for relocating your questions from your blog to a thread in the leo forum. I'm hoping you'll notice how much better that is.

Good job on removing the calcium with D3 from the enclosure. What you want for the enclosure is a small bottlecap of pure calcium carbonate. You will find recommended vitamin scenarios right in the caresheet.

Lightly dust the prey with phosphorus-free calcium with D3 only 2x weekly, NOT at every feeding. Good idea to lightly dust with Zoo Med's Reptivite with vitamin D3 & vitamin A acetate for one or both of those dustings.

The humid hide goes on the warm end of the tank.

For a 6 minute introduction click the YouTube title, not the arrow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmWmvT1d_TQ

First off please take a read of the Leo Caresheet linked below in my signature. Much of the info you need to raise a healthy leo is right there.

[guiltyXconscience]

Yes and please see Elizabeth Freer's Leopard Gecko Care Sheet in her signature! It is amazingly done! I go to it very frequently

[Elizabeth Freer]

Yes and please see Elizabeth Freer's Leopard Gecko Care Sheet in her signature! It is amazingly done! I go to it very frequently

Much appreciate your compliments......

[Seb]

I've had him since Friday and he hasn't pooped yet. However, he hasn't eaten much either(maybe 4 crickets and 7 mealworms). But his belly looks larger than when I got him. Is this normal? (Also, his tail is thin, but I'm unsure whether any of this is normal for a baby leo). Today, I put my hand in to change his water and he crawled on my hand and seems happy, but he still seems to be getting used to his cage. He sleeps during the day(obviously) and from what I can tell, during the night too. Is this just a process of him getting used to the environment or should I be worried?

[Elizabeth Freer]

I've had him since Friday and he hasn't pooped yet. However, he hasn't eaten much either(maybe 4 crickets and 7 mealworms). But his belly looks larger than when I got him. Is this normal? (Also, his tail is thin, but I'm unsure whether any of this is normal for a baby leo). Today, I put my hand in to change his water and he crawled on my hand and seems happy, but he still seems to be getting used to his cage. He sleeps during the day(obviously) and from what I can tell, during the night too. Is this just a process of him getting used to the environment or should I be worried?

Please post pictures of your leo and of his habitat right on this thread. Thanks.

[Seb]

(the top is off so I could take a picture and I'm currently making him a new cool hide

[Embrace Calamity]

Holy crap. Your gecko is way too skinny. If you get any fecal matter from it, take it to a vet for parasite tests immediately. It's not a surprise that it's stomach looks like that now that there's food in there, though, since it's so skinny. Also, fill this out:

Gender:
Age:
Weight:
How big was the reptile when you first acquired it?
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner):
Captive bred or wild caught?
Do you handle him? If so how often?

Enclosure:

Cage: type, size:
Substrate provided?
What types of hiding places are provided?
Is there a humidity hide? location?
Please describe any other furnishings:

Lighting:

Artificial lighting?
incandescent (“screw-in” bulbs): wattage(s) ?
fluorescent (tube bulbs)?

Temperature:

Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? what type?
What is the temperature in the warm part of the cage? under the warm hide? In the coolest part?
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature? hot rock, UTH, heat light, ceramic heater, other:
Are you using a thermostat?
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time?

Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much?

Humidity:

Is the humidity measured? Range:


List other animals that are kept in the same cage:
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months)
Are any of your other pets ill?
List recent changes in the environment, if any:

Diet:

Insects, list type?
Are they “gut loaded”? If so with?
How often do you feed your reptile?
Please list any supplements used. How are they given and how often?
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both?
Is the calcium in the tank with D3 or without?
Multivitamins?

Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet:

If your reptile is sick, please describe the signs and how long your reptile has been showing these signs:
Is your reptile’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased?
Is your reptile’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased?
Have you noticed any of the following?
Weight loss, Weight gain
Discharge from the eyes or nose
Increased breathing rate or effort
Change in the droppings
urates white or yellowish
Abnormal skin color or shedding
Parasites on the skin or in the feces
Weakness

~Maggot

[Seb]

Holy crap. Your gecko is way too skinny. If you get any fecal matter from it, take it to a vet for parasite tests immediately. It's not a surprise that it's stomach looks like that now that there's food in there, though, since it's so skinny. Also, fill this out:

Gender: too young too tell
Age: was told a couple months
Weight:
How big was the reptile when you first acquired it?- a little skinnier than now
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner): That Pet Place, That Fish Place
Captive bred or wild caught? -Captive Bred
Do you handle him? If so how often? -Yes, every day

Enclosure:

Cage: type, size: 10gal, repzilla
Substrate provided? -paper towels
What types of hiding places are provided? -warm hide, warm moist hide, and cool hide
Is there a humidity hide? location? -warm side of tank
Please describe any other furnishings: -Just the water bowl and cap of calcium

Lighting:

Artificial lighting?
incandescent (“screw-in” bulbs): wattage(s) ? -red, heating bulb, 100w
fluorescent (tube bulbs)?

Temperature:

Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? what type? -yes,
What is the temperature in the warm part of the cage? under the warm hide? -89F
In the coolest part? - 76F
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature? hot rock, UTH, heat light, ceramic heater, other: heat light, UTH
Are you using a thermostat?
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time? -warm moist hide

Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? -on warm side: 77F cold: -73

Humidity: about 44%

Is the humidity measured? Range:


List other animals that are kept in the same cage: none
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months)
Are any of your other pets ill?
List recent changes in the environment, if any:

Diet: crickets and mealworms

Insects, list type?
Are they “gut loaded”? If so with? yes, fluker's high calcium gut load
How often do you feed your reptile? -every day
Please list any supplements used. How are they given and how often?
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both? - NOW, pure
Is the calcium in the tank with D3 or without? -without
Multivitamins? -Reptivite

Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet:

If your reptile is sick, please describe the signs and how long your reptile has been showing these signs:
Is your reptile’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased?
Is your reptile’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased?
Have you noticed any of the following?
Weight loss, Weight gain
Discharge from the eyes or nose
Increased breathing rate or effort
Change in the droppings
urates white or yellowish
Abnormal skin color or shedding
Parasites on the skin or in the feces
Weakness


~Maggot

I find it hard to answer the sickness questions due to the fact that I have only had him since friday. Is there any way I could help him poop, or eat? Should I call my vet now or just wait until he poops? I really don't want to lose the little guy. and if he is sick, he is guaranteed for 7 days after purchase, but I really would prefer to help him get healthy

[Elizabeth Freer]

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I find it hard to answer the sickness questions due to the fact that I have only had him since friday. Is there any way I could help him poop, or eat? Should I call my vet now or just wait until he poops? I really don't want to lose the little guy. and if he is sick, he is guaranteed for 7 days after purchase, but I really would prefer to help him get healthy

Seb ~

Your leo is extremely thin. Not good that the pet store would sell a leo in this condition.

Analog (dial-type circle) thermometers can be very inaccurate. Can you check it against a trusted source?

Recommend you get a reliable thermometer asap. Proper temps are as important as good food. If your temps check out as posted, we need to look at other things.

Did you get Reptivite with or without D3?

A 20 gallon LONG tank is best for achieving the recommended thermal gradient. Please check out the leo caresheet below.