refuses to eat?

[Scooziee11]

We have a little gecko we purchased from a store a few weeks ago that just wont eat. we've tried all sorts of food but it wont touch a thing. Poor little guy is getting pretty skinny. The other leo we got with him is doing very well and eating like a little piggy. (they are housed sepratly) Should we try slurry?

I should add that there was a little poop in his cage, and it looks normal.

Any ideas?

 

[Retribution Reptiles]

I would keep offering food. Mantain a certain routine with the animals as they are a creature of habit.

Do you have weight records from the time you have gotten the animal to now?

 

[Scooziee11]

yes we have weight records...the little guy was 10grams when we got him...and is now down to 8 grams.

 

[Scooziee11]

any one have any ideas what to do? shall i try slurry?

I also would like to add that i have noticed that the little guy never goes over to the warm side of his tank and sometimes he feels really cold to the touch. is this a bad thing?

 

[clegault]

my one little guy i got on february 22 and i left him mealies on demand in a dish and offered him crickets daily which he wouldnt touch, then on monday the one crickets legs broke and he couldnt jump so i put it in the mealie dish and i left him alone, when i came home later that night he had eaten it, so i did the same thing last night and (unless i have houdini crickets) he ate it again, tonight im going to increase the amount of crickets i leave with him... perhaps try this, maybe he will eat when your not around

 

[Jayyoung]

what is your tank temp?
skinny where all over with a really thin tail?
any regurgitation?
poop WNL right?
pet store buys are rough. I would keep trying to feed but not being to aggressive about it. just kinda let it chill out maybe it is stressed from the move. keep a small dish of mealies in there offer water in a small dish and a cap full of Ca. w/o d3. I would also take a fecal to the vet to rule out parasites/disease.

 

[sammer021486]

perhaps try this, maybe he will eat when your not around

That is a good observation on not eating while your watching. I have had trouble with my male in the past not eating while I was watching and when the lights were on. I soon learned that I could watch him eat by turning the lights off and using my computer screen as the only light in my room and he would eat.

Before you try the slurry what are the temps like in your cage? I keep warm side at 88-90F and the cool side at 70-75F and have had good success with the temps around that range.

Another thing to try is offering meal worms in a dish and pinching or removing the rear legs from the cricket so that it can not hop, only run.

The gecko could still be settling in or has shed recently, if it is a high traffic area, a lot of noise, or always someone holding or reaching into the tank the gecko could be stressed. I rescued a blizzard this past Christmas and when I got it I removed the stuck shed on its eye and as much as would come off on its toes. Feed it 6 crickets, by holding them in my hand by the rear legs, provided a dish of mealworms and water. Then I basically left the gecko alone in a room with no traffic, it was in there all alone, unless some one went it to check on it. I also placed the gecko in a bare minimum setup. The setup was a shoe box sized sterilite with holes drilled along the side, a heat mat, a moist hide made out of an old zip lock container and a toilet paper tube as another hide. The gecko stayed in this setup for a month and now she is nice and healthy, here is a link to the thread of her pictures My rescued blizzard

 

[JordanAng420]

A fecal sample on ANY new pet is usually a good idea, normal or not. That being said, could you give us a rundown of your husbandry?
Tank size? Other gecko roommates?
What is your heat source? UTH, overhead, or both?
What are the temps on the bottom of the cage?
Does he have a moist hide? What material is used?
What cage substrate are you using? Paper towels, carpet, newspaper, sand?
What kind of insects have you tried? Are they dusted & gutloaded?

 

[Lovey]

I'm having the same issues right now. Brought him home 9 days ago and he looks like he's getting thinner

Have you had any luck?