Feeding/Gutloading/Supplement Questions

[AniCatGirl]

Hi Guys!!!

Hey so I have questions. My male Leo, about 7-8 inches long, eats about 2 crickets and 4 mealworms per feeding. I am currently feeding him every other day, and sprinkling with calcium+D3 every other feeding. I feed my crickets this green jello feeder stuff and carrots, and my mealworms eat carrot. I don't currently have any other vitamins for him. Do I need to change any of this up? Do I need to feed every day? Or add vitamins? Feed my feeders other stuff? He doesn't always seem interested in eating, like tonight he didn't eat. Thoughts?

 

[indyana]

Diet variety is good, so I would encourage you to change up your gutload every now and then. It helps round out the diet, especially if you are only feeding one or two staple insects.

There's some interesting gutloading ideas on this page:
Much Ado About Chameleons: The Anatomy of Gut-Loading | Ingredients & Nutritional Info

Most folks also dust with a general reptile multivitamin once or twice a week for adults, just to fill in any nutritional gaps that aren't covered by the gutloaded feeders. You may also want to leave pure calcium (no D3) in the cage if you notice any signs of calcium deficiency (bendy jaw or legs are the most obvious symptoms), but this often isn't necessary for adults.

As for the schedule, you're probably fine. Adults can be fed every other day or even just once or twice a week, depending what their weight is like. If he's a good weight and has a fat tail, he may not feel like eating all the time, especially in the winter.

 

[AniCatGirl]

I'm so glad! I was concerned that he didn't seem to be going through as many insects as I thought he would. I don't know what his weight should be, nor do I have his age. But

He's got a decently chubby tail, and he himself is decently chubby.

 

[indyana]

Yep, you can usually tell based on their body condition. Looking at the tail and hind legs gives you the best idea of whether the gecko is dropping too much weight. The legs on your guy look chubby, so he's probably fine.

If the gecko starts looking like an overstuffed sausage or has fat rolls or bulges behind the front legs, it's getting overweight.

 

[AniCatGirl]

Has more questions if you don't mind... Do you put off handling the day of feeding? Umm. Sometimes when I stroke my Leo\s back he arches up like a kitty. I can;t find much on whether this is pleasure "give me scratches" or if it's "stop touching me there" Same with the top of the base of the tail. Scratch and the tail goes up. Any thoughts?