Month old baby struggling!

[staceyleigh]

I have a baby hatched her this season who is just about 1 month old. Was eating fine, had 1 -2 sheds. Now is struggling with another shed and not eating. I have tried everything I know to help get the shed off, soaks, a little mineral oil. The hatchling tub is always damp so I son't really know what the issue was/is? Meal worms are always dusted with vitamins, same as all my geckos. I need to get it eating again and wan wondering about using the Rapashy grub pie I keep hearing people talk about? Would this work? Other suggestions? I really don't want to lose this one!!

 

[stager]

I had the same issue years back and the hatchlimg developed mbd so now if it happens I will give liquid calcium or put calcium with d3 on there nose. My hatchling started eating and shedding normally. After a few months but unfortunately because he was not eating the mbd was the real problem.

 

[acpart]

Have you tried holding the gecko and gently pushing a mealworm into the mouth? That sometimes works. There is also a recipe for a "slurry" made of blended up bugs and other stuff that someone should be able to point you to. When I have a gecko not eating and I'm worried about calcium, periodically (not too often so they don't overdose) I dip my finger in water, dip it in the calcium, and rub some on the gecko's mouth which it licks off. Some babies have defects that we can't see and don't thrive. Some take a really long time to eat. I had one that seemed to barely eat for months. I never found any poop in the container either. Eventually it just figured it out, started eating and gained weight.

Aliza

 

[staceyleigh]

I did try squishing the mealworm and he licked the guts, wouldn't bite the meal worm. I have been also making up Pangea gecko food and he has been licking a little off a dropper. He also had a tiny poo in the tub today so at least a tiny bit is going in. Still has some stuck shed on him, that I can't get off? Soaked him a few times, really hasn't helped.

 

[acpart]

Keep soaking and picking. Use your fingernails (if you have them). It will come off eventually.

Aliza

 

[staceyleigh]

I got him to eat 1 whole mealworm! I have the Rapashy grub pie coming in the mail so hopefully that helps too. Still working on the shed-it's like it is glued on! Never had one like this. I had ones with a bit left on toes or tail, and 1 that had trouble with head shed occasionally, never the entire body.

 

[acpart]

The failure to thrive and the poor shed are, to me, indications that the gecko may have some problems that aren't immediately apparent. It may turn around and pull through, but there may be other issues that you can't see. Keep trying and see how it turns out.

Aliza