Refusing to eat

anniiier

New Member
Messages
5
Hey so my leopard gecko (probably around 4yrs old) is refusing to eat. It’s been two weeks since he’s eaten what I’ve fed him but that beginning week he did eat his shed. Ever since then he just turns his head away when I try to feed him. I got him a new heat mat and heat bulb that are working great so I’m starting to think it’s something serious going on and it’s freaking me out. Any advice?

I will say my roommates tend to be like penguins and want our apartment set at about 70. Could this be of affect? We live in charleston so the humidity is high too.
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
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15,118
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Somerville, MA
It's getting to be winter and some leopard geckos stop or cut way down on eating at this time. I don't think it's the temperature, I think it's the light. When the days get shorter, so does the appetite. It usually happens in my house around now, though most of them still happen to be going strong. These geckos can go a long time without eating (one of mine, that I had for 12 years, occasionally went from November to May without eating --not the usual behavior, but it did work out for him). Keep offering and try not to worry, unless it begins to visibly lose weight quickly.

Aliza
 

Josh

Administrator
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It might be a good idea to get a food scale so you can keep track of your gecko's weight more accurately. They do slow down this time of year in the northern hemisphere so keep that in mind.
 

anniiier

New Member
Messages
5
It might be a good idea to get a food scale so you can keep track of your gecko's weight more accurately. They do slow down this time of year in the northern hemisphere so keep that in mind.
Over the weekend I realized he threw up his shed that he ate… he is now like looking at his meal worm container from the glass and then he looks at me and try’s eating the glass it seems like. I try to give him worms tho and he still refuses.
 

BLUSH50

Member
Messages
65
Do your roommates have the blubber or trying to keep the utility cost low? 70f is good to me

So let's get to what's important... What is the temp in the enclosure and what are you using to read it?
 

anniiier

New Member
Messages
5
Do your roommates have the blubber or trying to keep the utility cost low? 70f is good to me

So let's get to what's important... What is the temp in the enclosure and what are you using to read it?
It is about 85F and 48hydro and it’s a thermo-hygrometer
 

BLUSH50

Member
Messages
65
It is about 85F and 48hydro and it’s a thermo-hygrometer
Does it have a probe? If so where is the probe located? Where is the themo-hygrometer located? The surface temp (what the probe is in contact with) should be around 90-94f. The air temp is usually low 70's cool side to 85f warm side.
 

anniiier

New Member
Messages
5
Does it have a probe? If so where is the probe located? Where is the themo-hygrometer located? The surface temp (what the probe is in contact with) should be around 90-94f. The air temp is usually low 70's cool side to 85f warm side.
It is inside the tank and the tank itself like when I put my hand in feels warm so I personally think that the temp is good. I’m mainly just not understanding if he is in brumation or not. I sent to the guy a couple posts above that he threw up his shed this past weekend and I was hoping after that maybe he would be better and I tried to feed him but he still refuses. He is drinking water today tho. I also just was looking closely tonight and I think there are baby mealworms in his cage. I read that they hide at the bottom of the cage to breed and I’m starting to be concerned if he ate a beetle. But there was a beetle before in his cage and he ignored it and I got rid of it and changed the cage so I’m just so lost now.
 

anniiier

New Member
Messages
5
He also has a little bit of shed stuck on his front of his mouth but it is almost off now and he is still able to open his mouth and yawn so I’m not sure it’s that. He lost a little bit of weight in his tail but only looks very very slightly skinnier.
 

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acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
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15,118
Location
Somerville, MA
It's likely that the thermostat/hygrometer you're using is not accurate given what it looks like and where it is. I recommend you get a digital thermometer with a probe and check the temperature on the floor near or under the hide. It may actually be too hot. Even if your gecko ate a beetle it shouldn't be a problem. If there's a way to take your gecko to a reptile vet it may not be a bad idea. Usually I say keep offering and try not to worry and that may be the case here as well. It's not too unusual for a gecko to regurgitate every now and then, but if you see it often it would be an even stronger indication to check out a reptile vet.

Aliza
 

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