Need Help, Not sure if my Leopard Gecko is Eating

peachjubilee · #1 03-25-2010, 12:32 AM

Hey Everyone,

this is my first time posting on here so I hope you guys can help me. My leopard gecko Starburst (she's just over a year) from what I can tell she's not eating. I feel bad to say this but sometimes they have gone maybe a week I don't ever two weeks without crickets no excuses but I have extremely busy with back and forth to Toronto for school. Well anyways I'm back on track and I have given my girls three feeding so far and she has only had one cricket that I actually witness her eat. She walks back and forth and does her hunting stance but then stops and walks away or she lets crickets walk around her. The other one is really quick and doesn't seem to be having any troubles (Sunkiss, she a bit smaller than Starbrust). I also notice she doesn't walk completely the same but that could just be me. It just seems a bit slower and she moves her head around. They have a huge tank and I have two heat pads on the bottom of it. I hope I haven't done something to hurt her

. I also have to mention that I once vacuumed in the corner of their tank but I was really quick and then after I was like omg I hope I didn't hurt them doing that ( I can be such an idiot and I'm kicking myself over that). The one seems just fine. Tonight she jumped after a cricket she got his leg but that was it and she just kept walking around. Maybe she doesn't like light could that stop a gecko from hunting??? I am so worried about her, I love them and I feel like such a horrible lizard mom. I'm not going to slack any longer I promise but I need help. Also I only use paper towel for the bottom of their tank.

I have added 4 pictures, the first two were from months ago and the last two were from tonight. I don't feel she has changed at all so what can I do??

Allee Toler · #2 03-25-2010, 12:43 AM

If she's not losing weight I wouldn't worry. I would suggest taking out her tank-mate Sunkiss and keeping Sunkiss by herself in a new enclosure. Count out 10-15 crickets, put them in with Starburst. 24 hours later count how many there are. It's the only way to tell if she's eating or not.

peachjubilee · #3 03-25-2010, 12:46 AM

Should I just do that when I'm feeding them or just a couple times to see if she's eating?? I don't have another tank big enough to keep them separted for long. Thanks for the great suggestion I'm going to try that on the next feeding. When you look at her photos does she look healthy???

Allee Toler · #4 03-25-2010, 01:40 AM

She looks like decent. Could be fatter, though.

If you go to Walmart or a store you can get a 15qt tub to hold her in. Leave the crickets in the tank over night. She may just be nervous.

REPTILE ROYALE · #5 03-25-2010, 01:48 AM

A leopard gecko diet consist of crickets and meal worms. Fresh water should be available everyday. You should check there stomachs and make sure there aren't any black spots on there stomach, which would mean they have an impaction. there is a lot of info and care sheets you can find online. i am a gecko breeder and it hurts to see them treated like that. truthfully if u dont have the time to properly care for them, as much as u "love" them, u really should give them up. i think u should try offering them mealworms powdered with calcium. thats probably best with your schedule.

peachjubilee · #6 03-25-2010, 02:03 AM

I'm pretty on top of things ask anyone, I've been pretty stressed out about school, I'm not a youngster I'm 31 and I care very much for my animals. This week alone I have fed them 3 times and for the most part it's at least two to three times a week. I'm not perfect as no one is but if anything is wrong I always take them to my vet( 20+ yrs with exotics) even when I don't have the money. My guiena pig was very sick and passed away a couple months ago so I have been quite upset. I have also been helping many stray cats find homes so I am not someone that would intenionally hurt one of my animals ever. I am really trying to make sure that there is food in there every other or every two days form now on. She's actually moving around the tank trying to climb out lol like they all do. She doesn't have any black spots on her belly, and she seems pretty active atm. I only use paper towel for the ground. Maybe she eats when the lights are all off and I don't realize it. I have them in a 40-50 gallon tank so they have lots of room with lots of rocks etc.. I always make sure that they have a water dish with fresh water (big enough for them to climb into), I only remove it when I feed them as the stupid crickets drown in the water. As you can see I am trying my hardest to make them happy but I am trying even harder now because I never want to see any of my animals sick or unhappy. My animals are like my kids to me. I don't mean to have this come off rude but I really wish people wouldn't judge someone's situation when they don't know them at all. Everyone that knows me knows that I would do anything for an animal over a human anyday.

Allee Toler · #7 03-25-2010, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REPTILE ROYALE

A leopard gecko diet consist of crickets and meal worms.

Along with superworms, phoenixworms, roaches, flies, moths, and locusts.

Just give her time. When she starts to lose weight then you should be worried.

peachjubilee · #8 03-25-2010, 02:59 AM

I will keep an eye out on her, my pets are my one of my main concerns in my life (sad as it sounds) but they are much better than humans lol and as I said I would never do anything to hurt them. She lunged at a cricket tonight when I was watching but it got away is that a good sign? after that she seemed interested in a few but then she lost interest pretty quickly, not sure what that is though, She did eat a cricket about 4-5 days ago so I think she got a cricket appox 4-5 days ago, not totally she as she was in her hut but I'm pretty sure she did. Is there a reason why she loses interest so quickly?? Is it because of the light or because i'm staring at her LOL?? the last two times were in the later in the day, I put alot in the tank so hopefully it's just because she's just inactive. I hope I've just missed her eating tonight. I know she hasn't lost any, in the pictures her tail looks fatter than it did a few months ago.

lindsaydo · #9 03-25-2010, 02:58 PM

Try her with something new maybe, like mealworms or superworms like allee said. When mine start going off their food, I drop 4 mealworms in (the most active I can see in the tub) and a waxworm. My gecko's love waxworms, and eating one of them and seeing the mealworms makes them eat. I have a gecko that will only eat mealworms, but another gecko that won't eat with me watching (unless its a waxworm and the occasional pinky). I have one gecko that hasn't eaten in over a month, but that is because she is being forcefed critical care formula after a massive operation. Differen't gecko's have different eating habits, and especially if they have just shed they go off their food. Like Allee said, if she is not losing weight, there is nothing to worry about really.

J.P. · #10 03-25-2010, 08:39 PM

i've had the same experience. please try to cripple the crickets before offering them to her. it's easy to do by pinching the back legs, they will easily come off. from what i understand, she has good hunting response, but gets discouraged and loses interest when a cricket gets away. i use roaches and remove some legs if a gecko is not quick enough to catch them. if that doesnt work, i give them other food like superworms as my second option.

you can also leave a few crippled crickets in a dish, they will survive as long as there is cricket food, this way your geckos will always have food whenever they are hungry.

i hope you solve the problem. good luck