[avicarmi]

Hi all,

First post, please forgive any mistakes.

I have a female leopard gecko, about three or four years old.

A few weeks ago she stopped eating.

She is striking/pouncing on the meal worm as soon as I put one in front of her. but immediately drops the worm from her mouth, as if it is hurting her to bite. she will strike again and again let it drop from her mouth. She will usually give up after two or three tries.

I tried some smaller and "softer" meal worms with limited success.

Today I got some wax worms, which are much softer, and she did eat some, still dropping each a few times from her mouth...

Any ideas what's going on?

Thanks,

-avi

[Saskia]

Try offering her different feeders, for how long have you had her?? Mine usually do that when they taste something they don´t like, have you always fed her mealworms?? Perhaps there is something in the environment (air freshner, insecticide) that makes the insects taste bad... I would try a cricket or roach

[avicarmi]

Originally Posted by Saskia

Try offering her different feeders, for how long have you had her?? Mine usually do that when they taste something they don´t like, have you always fed her mealworms?? Perhaps there is something in the environment (air freshner, insecticide) that makes the insects taste bad... I would try a cricket or roach

Thank you for such a quick reply.

I had her for about a year, maybe a bit more, bought her as an adult, which is why I am not sure of her age.

I also have a male, a bit younger, about two to three years old, and he chomps on the meal worms without any problems. in addition she also had difficulties with the wax worms. so I don't believe it is the worms that's the issue here.


I also buy wax worms about once a month, and feed a few a day, till they are all gone.

No change in the environment, we do not use any chemicals in our house. and the male is doing just fine.

I know she does not like when I dust the meal worms with calcium. btw, the male also hates the dusting. there is a small bowl with calcium dust, but the do not seem to touch it.

I tried crickets in the past, but she has hard time striking them, aiming at the wrong place, as if she is crossed eyes??? the male ends up eating most of the crickets... and I have no luck keeping the crickets alive more than a day or so.

so now I feed crickets every few months, and usually just give them meal worms every day or two, feeding one meal worm at a time (otherwise the meal worms crawl out of the bowl and under the carpet and disappear) until they refuse any more.

I did notice something like an incomplete shed around the top of the mouth/snout. the skin looks like it has a white dust on it.

Could it be fungus in/around the mouth?

I did not attempt to pick her up and take a more careful look.

Thanks again,

-avi

[Yoshi'smom]

My first thought is mouth rot. That would affect her mouth and make it tender. I would pick her up and gently pull open her mouth. Look inside for anything that's not pink.

[avicarmi]

how do I "gently pull open her mouth"?

thanks,

-avi

[Yoshi'smom]

Take her whole body in one hand and with your other hand gently pull on her lower jaw. She should respond by opening her mouth for you.