Irregular Behavior and Feeding Schedule? (Please help, thank you!)

PoppyDear

New member
This is a repost with minor changes, it has been almost a month and a half since I posted the last one and I have recieved no answers (Which is alright!). However, I am growing increasingly worried about my gecko and I need some advice. She is not eating regularily and her diet consists of almost entirely mealworms, which is not good. Is there any other insects you reccomend me try that would make her diet more diverse and healthy? (Please note that while I try almost every night, she has gone off her staple diet of crickets and will not eat them.) I have considered calci-worms or a hornworms, what about those? I don't want to try waxworms and get her adicted so I have pushed those aside. I appreciate any advice, I really need help! 🙂

Newbie gecko owner here, I have posted a few times, most for minor issues. So I'll start with this, my female leopard gecko hasn't seemed to show any interest in food for the past month. Since I have only had my leopard geckos for about five months now, there is a lot of things I have yet to experience. I would rather be safe and ask, then wait and have serious issues. As you read, you may notice my tank housing two Leos is small, I do intend to upgrade to at least a thirty or forty gallon, or I may separate the two, I just need to convince my parents. There is no fighting what so ever, and I take precautionary measures when feeding. Now onto the health sheet;

Basic Information
Species of lizard: Leopard Gecko
Gecko's name: Lizzie
Morph: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 1 Year
Weight: 61 Grams, now 58 grams

Enclosure dimensions (length x width x height): Roughly 30" by 13" by 13" (20 Gallon Long)
Substrate provided: Exo Terra Sand Mat

What type and brand of thermometer (digital with probe, temperature gun, LCD strip, analog (circle), combo digital thermometer/hygrometer, stainless steel aquarium type, other):
Thermostat (Doubles as a thermometer)
What is the ground temperature right on the substrate under the warm dry hide:
89-92 F
What is the air temperature on the warm end about 4 inches up from the ground:
80-85 F
What is the air temperature on the cool end about 4 inches up from the ground:
70 F
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature (Under Tank Heater, heat light, Ceramic Heat Emitter, Flexwatt heat tape, hot rock, other):
Under Tank Heater

Insects and worms, list type: Crickets and Meal worms
Regular diet fed to the insects: Fluker's Orange cubes, fruits, veggies, grains
Regular diet fed to the worms: Fruits, veggies, grains

How often do you feed your gecko?
Every 3-4 days, 10 meal worms or 5 large crickets
Please list any supplements (with brand names) used. How are they given and how often?
Repashy calcium plus for Leopard Geckos, in tank and dusted on food every feeding (Once every 3 days = 2 times a week)

If your gecko is sick, please describe the signs and how long your gecko has been showing these signs:
For about a month, my gecko has not been eating according to her normal diet. I normally remove all the hides and her tank mate, then pour in the crickets or drop in the meal-worms for her to eat. As of late, I have poured in crickets and she shows no interest. Even when I hold them directly in front of her with tongs. She has done this for multiple feedings, every day since then I offered meal worms or crickets. I have so far tried to get her to eat other things as she does not accept crickets (She did once or twice since her feeding schedule became irrelgular). So for now, I offer mealworms and occasionally crickets, she takes mealworms sometimes and ate about 5 this morning. I offer food every day or so, I sometimes wait to see if she will get hungry. But she will NOT eat crickets. I also have noticed that she walks around her tank with her head up, she sometimes wall surfs, this is only when I remove the hides and attempt to feed her.

Additional Information

General
Gecko's total length: 7.5"
Length of your reptile when you first acquired it: 7"
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner): Previous Owner
Captive bred or wild caught: Captive Bred

Vivarium
Number of hides: 5 (One doubling as a water bowl, another with three levels)
Location of hides: Two on the warm side, two on cool side, three level hide in middle
Is there a humidity hide? location?
Yes, inside one of the warm hides over the UTH
Please describe any other furnishings: A small blue clacium bowl
List recent changes in the environment, if any: N/A

Lighting
Artificial lighting: N/A
Incandescent ("screw-in type bulbs): N/A
Wattage: N/A
Fluorescent (tube bulbs): N/A
Access to ambient daylight from a distant window: Yes

Heating
Ventilation space for your UTH by elevating the tank above the shelf (some UTHs come with sticky feet for the tank corners): Yes, about 1/2"
Are you using a thermostat(s)?: Yes
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time?: Warm Hide
Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much?: Yes, about 1-3 degrees F

Humidity
Is the humidity measured?: Yes
Humidity range: 20%-40%

Diet
Are the insects and worms formally “gutloaded” 1-2 days prior to feeding off to your gecko? If so with?
Yes, fruits, veggies and grains
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both?
A combination - Repashy's Calcium Plus for Leopard Geckos
Is the calcium in the tank with D3 or without?
With D3
Multivitamins (include brand name)?
Repashy's Calcium Plus for Leopard Geckos
Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet: N/A

General Health
Is your gecko’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased?
Normal/Slightly Decreased
Is your gecko’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased?
Decreased
Have you noticed any of the following?
Weight (loss or gain): She has since lost 2-3 grams
Discharge from the eyes or nose: No
Increased breathing rate or effort: No
Change in the droppings: Possibly, occasional urate without feces
Urates
---white or yellowish: White
---size of urates as compared to size of feces: 1/3 to 1/2
Abnormal skin color or shedding: No
Parasites on the skin or in the feces: Not that I am aware of
Weakness: No
Regurgitation: No

Previous problems and/or illnesses
None that I am aware of

Other Critters in Same Cage or in Household
List other animals that are kept in the same cage: Another similar sized female leopard gecko
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months): No
Are any of your other pets ill?: Not that I am aware of



Why do you think she is not eating? I will include some pictures of her and her stomach (Soon, it is hard to get a good picture!), just in case you spot something, though I haven't. I have broke possible causes down to the following;
•Stress
•Brumation
•Ovulation


Thank you!
 

muffin_song

New member
I'm afraid I don't have a ton of advice to offer, but I do understand about picky geckos - mine has gone off of dubias for the last several months and I'm having trouble getting her to eat anything other than mealworms (grrr!)

I don't know a ton about calciworms - the above-mentioned picky eater won't touch them :/ However, both hornworms and silkworms are very nutritious and it's worth a shot to try them.

For what it's worth - my leo is also not eating a ton right now. I think it's good to be concerned about our reptilian friends and keep a watchful eye on their behavior when it changes. That being said, this does seem to be the time of year when they go off food.
 

PoppyDear

New member
I'm afraid I don't have a ton of advice to offer, but I do understand about picky geckos - mine has gone off of dubias for the last several months and I'm having trouble getting her to eat anything other than mealworms (grrr!)

I don't know a ton about calciworms - the above-mentioned picky eater won't touch them :/ However, both hornworms and silkworms are very nutritious and it's worth a shot to try them.

For what it's worth - my leo is also not eating a ton right now. I think it's good to be concerned about our reptilian friends and keep a watchful eye on their behavior when it changes. That being said, this does seem to be the time of year when they go off food.

Thanks so much for your response! This is my first winter with these girls so I am still learning! I will certaintly try to pick up some hornworms, silkworms, calci-worms, etc.
 
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