HELP! Very skinny crested gecko

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liwia1177

New member
Hi this is my second post about my crested gecko not eating. I noticed it looks a lot skinnier than when i first got it over a month ago. It’s 5 months old and kept in a 35x35x35 eco terra vivarium. Kept at 23 degrees celcius. Drinks water but never seen it eatin the CGD. I tried hand feeding but it would only take a tiny lick or two. I leave 2 shallow bottle caps in the enclosure but never noticed any gone. I tried repashy and Pangea. I never found any poop during this month .

Few days ago I tried feeding Calci Worms for the first time and he ate two ! I thought it was so good and I will try feeding crickets today (gut loaded and dusted).
I started feeding live insects out of desperation it will starve. I know it’s not recommended to feed insects until it’s eating regularly but after a month of him barely eating I got worried.

Anyone know what I should do to get him/her to eat the CGD? Please and thank you First picture my gecko today and the second picture is him three weeks ago . FFACA895-6D6A-49B6-A13D-0837A5CAE194.jpgFEA2A103-0AEE-4E91-9DED-208FD462B2E4.jpg
 
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liwia1177

New member
Sorry, the first picture is him three weeks ago (the one in the hand) and the second one is him today (on the leaf)
 
Aimless

Aimless

Super Moderator
how much are you handling him? until he's eating well for you, I wouldn't handle him at all.

also, how much noise/activity/etc is in the room where he's kept? is he near a tv or radio, perhaps a source of vibration? it's possible he's not adjusting.
 
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ReptiFiles

New member
Do you have a kitchen scale? Knowing the crestie's weight is a much better way to gauge health than just eyeballing it.
 
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liwia1177

New member
Aimless said:
how much are you handling him? until he's eating well for you, I wouldn't handle him at all.

also, how much noise/activity/etc is in the room where he's kept? is he near a tv or radio, perhaps a source of vibration? it's possible he's not adjusting.
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I handled him once since my last post as you recommended not to do it. I would take him out once per two weeks while he’s asleep on his plant to clean his Vivariumand I took him out today but only to feed it crickets, he was hunting them and ate 3 so I think that’s a good sign.

I keep him in my room thers no tv, radio or any sort of noise really as I’m in school for most of the day and everyone else is downstairs so I don’t think thers anything that could stress him .

I’m happy about the crickets but I know he needs to start eating his CGD.

I do see him exploring whenever he’s awake and it seems to be settled, he ate the Calci Worms and crickets and knows where the food is he just wont eat it himself
 
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Kilimodo

Kilimodo

New member
Hello,
I currently have the same issue with my little crested gecko ( avout 9 month old), so i will follow this thread.
I noticed he only appreciates insects, do i give him differnt types (crickets, roaches and wax worms)
Im a bit worried that he doesnt eat his repashy mix ( tried different flavours and textures)
I was wondering if in New Caledonia they would have fruits on the floor all year round and couldnt find an answer.
Is it that bad if he doesnt eat CGD ? Would it be due to the temps getting lower ? Even though the one in the tank do not drop that much ?
Sorry for posting this here, i did not see fit to create a new thread, and hope you do not see this as a "post theft" ^^
Good day to all !
 
L

liwia1177

New member
UPDATE: So my weighting scales finally came and I’m just after weighting my gecko.

2.21grams
3 inches long from head to tail
5 and a half months old.

What do you think ? He\she look a bit fatter than before also.
 
L

liwia1177

New member
ReptiFiles said:
Awesome! Please update with the gecko's weight when it arrives.
Click to expand...

UPDATE: So my weighting scales finally came and I’m just after weighting my gecko.

2.21grams
3 inches long from head to tail
5 and a half months old.

What do you think ? He\she look a bit fatter than before also.
 
L

liwia1177

New member
I seen it she’d for the first time last night it went on really smoothly and she / he at the skin straight away. Does it mean it is growing then? 2 grams is so little considering it’s 5 months old
 
R

ReptiFiles

New member
Geckos this small at 5 months are not common, but not unheard of, either. And according to my research, that weight is appropriate for the gecko's length. So s/he may simply be a slow grower.

Some things you can do to help it grow faster:
- If you're not doing so already, switch to an omnivore CGD like Repashy Grubs n Fruit or Pangea with Insects. This is a higher protein formula especially beneficial for young geckos.
- Raise temps in the terrarium. Many people keep their cresties at room temperature for convenience, but temps of 23.5-25 degrees Celsius are perfectly safe and can boost metabolism, which then boosts appetite.
- Transfer your gecko to a smaller enclosure. 35x35x35cm is pretty small, but that can be a little large for a crestie so small. I would recommend trying a faunarium until s/he is eating regularly and grows a bit more - to about 5 grams at least.
 
R

ReptiFiles

New member
Kilimodo said:
Hello,
I currently have the same issue with my little crested gecko ( avout 9 month old), so i will follow this thread.
I noticed he only appreciates insects, do i give him differnt types (crickets, roaches and wax worms)
Im a bit worried that he doesnt eat his repashy mix ( tried different flavours and textures)
I was wondering if in New Caledonia they would have fruits on the floor all year round and couldnt find an answer.
Is it that bad if he doesnt eat CGD ? Would it be due to the temps getting lower ? Even though the one in the tank do not drop that much ?
Sorry for posting this here, i did not see fit to create a new thread, and hope you do not see this as a "post theft" ^^
Good day to all !
Click to expand...

Crested geckos are omnivores, which means they need both fruit and insects for a balanced diet. Because your crestie is still young and growing, it is natural for him/her to prefer insects, as they need the extra protein at this stage of life. That being said, insects are not a complete diet, no matter how much variety you offer. If your gecko appears to be ignoring CGD in favor of insects, I would withhold insects for about a week, then offer CGD in an accessible location in the terrarium. The gecko should eat. Once s/he is eating CGD regularly, you can offer CGD daily and insects 2-3x weekly.
 
Kilimodo

Kilimodo

New member
ReptiFiles said:
Crested geckos are omnivores, which means they need both fruit and insects for a balanced diet. Because your crestie is still young and growing, it is natural for him/her to prefer insects, as they need the extra protein at this stage of life. That being said, insects are not a complete diet, no matter how much variety you offer. If your gecko appears to be ignoring CGD in favor of insects, I would withhold insects for about a week, then offer CGD in an accessible location in the terrarium. The gecko should eat. Once s/he is eating CGD regularly, you can offer CGD daily and insects 2-3x weekly.
Click to expand...

Good evening! And thanks a lot for the reply to my worries,
I do have the MRP + 2 other repashy mix. I will try and restrain myself from giving him any insects for a week, (and explain this to the wife) as for here "no food will lead to death^^) I know its extreme but yes i ll explain it to her. Jokes aside, i do feed him a few licks (0n a skewer stick) of CGD and after three licks he just turns his head.
I also wanted to talk avout tank size, beeing a "big tank lover" and thus giving max space as possible to my little regugees :45x45x60 for Tiamat, the little crestie im talking about, i hope this does not affect his eating, even though im a bit sceptic about "too big tanks" knowing that in Nature there are no walls..
I am aware that an only insect diet may lead to MBD .. But i couldnt imagine a baby crestie going down on the floor of a forest to hunt gor rotten fruit, thats why I imagined a scenatio of them eating insects untill they were big enough, (I do supplement them with calcium and vitamine) he eats avout 2 per day, for now.
I ´ll be sure to give a restraint untill he eats his CGD though!! I xill try and post a pic of him if i manage to find how ^^ and do not hesitate to comment on his state ( beinng only 8-9 month old
Thank you for the advice, I appreciate the concern and help givén to us :)
PS: excuse my french .. I try to write proper english even image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg it beeing my second language
Good night to you and all readers !
 
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