Really skinny gecko keeping eyes closed and basking

[Wren]

Hi there, I am new to this forum. I just bought two baby leopard geckos from the pet store on Monday. One was bigger but calmer and the other was smaller but more active. The smaller one looked fine on the first day and I saw it eat several crickets by itself. However, the next day and today I noticed that the smaller one has been sitting with it's eyes closed almost all the time and today it was just letting crickets crawl past him and not eating. He also crawls out by the water and basks in the infrared heating lamp with his eyes closed. On the first day the little one preferred to stay on the cool side of the tank which was about 70 to 75 degrees on the ground based on my digital thermometer. The hot part of the tank is 95ish. The bigger gecko looks healthy and has its eyes open and is hunting crickets just fine. I have only fed them crickets. The first day I might have dumped in a little calcium + d3 powder and left it while I was at work. Could that have made the little guy sick? Should I take him to the vet?

I thought his skin was looking a bit dry and duller so I took him out and put him in a mini steam room by putting some hot water and a paper towel cushion in the plastic container I brought him home in and he opened his eyes for part of it. Could shedding cause it to keep its eyes closed most of the time? I'm just worried because it's so little and skinny. I didn't even realize that it could possibly be malnourished when I got it, just thought it was because it was so young.

Attached is a picture of the little guy's weird behavior.

 

[Wren]

I actually have a picture of him doing similar on the first day without the infrared light too but it was after he ate a bunch of crickets and I didn't think it was odd at the time.

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GU. I highly recommend you bring the smaller one back to the pet store. You could get a replacement, but I think it would be better to start with one. I say that because these geckos are too young to sex and the only combination that will work in general for you is 2 females. They are not social and don't need company. If you really want to have 2, choose a second one (replacement for the one you bring back) that is also big and healthy looking and house it separately from the one you already have.

You didn't do anything to make it sick. The geckos that come to the large pet stores are from situations similar to puppy mills. They are often shipped when they're too young and are housed in crowded conditions. This results in stress, bullying, and often the normal parasite load they carry gets out of control because of the other factors. I'm not saying your gecko definitely has parasites (I'm not a vet and even a vet wouldn't diagnose from a picture) but based on the second picture it doesn't look healthy.

Aliza

 

[Wren]

Thank you for the advice! I originally was only going to get one but I loved the little one's colors, and the larger one seemed more sociable so I couldn't help getting both. I guess I thought they were like cats that are fine together if they live together when they're young. I didn't realize that they're like beta fish instead. When I asked the girl helping me she said it would be fine because they are communal creatures. I think I'll go in to the pet store tomorrow to see if they can help him get better. I have two tanks (a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon) so I could separate them if it comes down to it. I just feel bad for the little one. I want to fatten it up and see it grow to be a beautiful healthy adult lol.

 

[LEOPARD1]

Two routes, varied diet and supplementation, or a couple wax worms a week as long as it does not ignore regular prey items for the small one.

As for I believe Alizas comment. Why not start with one less stress on you and the animal(s).

I am un-orthodox but have had great luck with these trials.

 

[ToffeeNut]

It's probably best to return the little gecko. My first gecko I got from Petsmart hardly ate and I should have returned her when I noticed she was having problems within the 2 week period. To keep a long story short, she passed away a few months later because she wouldn't eat at all. That situation made me decide to buy from a reputable breeder instead. I know not all animals are sick from big pet stores, but that experience soured how I feel about them. :/

 

[LEOPARD1]

You dont have to spend 100+ dollars for a decent LG. These are LG's were talking about; dime a dozen. Their are reputable breeders with incredible animals in a totally justifiable price range and you can avoid a chain store all together.The breeder isn't going to haggle with you for a month like buying a brood of eyelash vipers.

 

[hmarie186]

If you wanted to keep the little one, you would need to set up the second tank (10 gallon for now) and use paper towels as substrate with a warm dry hide, warm moist and cool dry. The little one could be being bullied out of the warm hide by the older one.

Try to feed it by itself and when you see poo, take it and the little gecko into the vet to check for parasites. It is awfully skinny. You can order Oxbows Carnivore Care on Amazon and try to syringe (read: not force feed) feed it to help while it recovers. And it may not make it. Do you have an under tank heater for you cage or just a heat lamp? Leopard geckos need belly heat. It could be refusing food because especially in its weakened state it won't be able to digest properly.

 

[Wren]

If you wanted to keep the little one, you would need to set up the second tank (10 gallon for now) and use paper towels as substrate with a warm dry hide, warm moist and cool dry. The little one could be being bullied out of the warm hide by the older one.

Try to feed it by itself and when you see poo, take it and the little gecko into the vet to check for parasites. It is awfully skinny. You can order Oxbows Carnivore Care on Amazon and try to syringe (read: not force feed) feed it to help while it recovers. And it may not make it. Do you have an under tank heater for you cage or just a heat lamp? Leopard geckos need belly heat. It could be refusing food because especially in its weakened state it won't be able to digest properly.

I have a undertank heater as well. It is the zoo med 10 gallon size uth. Whenever I'm watching the big one does not seem to be bullying but maybe he's doing it covertly. I'm still not sure why he's keeping his eyes closed all the time but will try separating them today and see if theres a difference.

 

[Aimless]

I've seen geckos that were sick or otherwise in poor shape with their eyes closed for more than normal periods of time. I think it's an indication that they're low on energy and just don't "feel good".

and I agree with hhmarie completely; he's very underweight. look at the prominence of his hip bones in that second picture.

if you do choose to keep him, I agree with the above statements that he needs his own cage and some extra TLC until he's better, if he gets better, and that a trip to the vet's would be very wise once you get a poop that you know is from him.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I have a undertank heater as well. It is the zoo med 10 gallon size uth. Whenever I'm watching the big one does not seem to be bullying but maybe he's doing it covertly. I'm still not sure why he's keeping his eyes closed all the time but will try separating them today and see if theres a difference.

Monitoring covert bullying is difficult. Reluctance to eat and failure to thrive are symptoms.

How did it go today when you separated this little guy?

I would keep the warm end from 88-92 F, no warmer, as measured by a digital thermometer with a probe.

 

[Wren]

I actually felt really bad for him and worried that I might not be able to give him the proper care so I returned him to the pet store where they reassured me that they can administer appetite stimulants... I hope he gets better. I just didn't want him to die in my care. I'm keeping the other one which turned out to be female with a big healthy appetite.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I actually felt really bad for him and worried that I might not be able to give him the proper care so I returned him to the pet store where they reassured me that they can administer appetite stimulants... I hope he gets better. I just didn't want him to die in my care. I'm keeping the other one which turned out to be female with a big healthy appetite.

Thanks for your update.

Best of wishes for your female with the great appetite!

 

[ToffeeNut]

Hopefully the store can get him eating. I'm glad your female seems to be doing well, hopefully she lives long and healthy!

 

[LEOPARD1]

Any updates? I have a gut feeling it parasites if its still going down hill.

 

[Aimless]

she already posted that she gave her back to the store.

 

[LEOPARD1]

I was wondering if she checked up with the store. Should have been specific. I still feel a responsibilty if it leaves my care for the next couple weeks. Just so I know if I was doing anything that helped or hurt.

 

[Aimless]

personally, I wouldn't trust anything the store said one way or the other. they sold her a very sick/underweight gecko, and then when she took it back reassured her that they could get it to eat.

I doubt that gecko will survive, frankly

 

[LEOPARD1]

We can always hope!