Stubborn Garg..

[CrestedGarg]

Hi All,

I received my juvie gargoyle gecko from Pangea back on 5/4ish, having read how it takes between 2-4 weeks for a gecko to settle in and start feeding/drinking on their own. Well Brooklyn still isn't drinking off the walls/plants/water bowl nor will he eat out of the bowls either BUT he will eat the food off my finger. His food and water dishes are both sitting in one of Pangea's magnetic holders (in their bio-degradeable cups) and he has a clear path to get to them but there isn't any evidence of him feeding from the bowl. Currently I'm using Pangea G&B mixed with the Fig w/insects, I'll add a pinch of Repti-calcium w/D3 and even a drop of local honey, again he'll lick it off my finger but won't touch it in the bowl. I also tried switching it out for a plastic bottle cap but no luck there either. I've also tried giving him crickets, meal worms, and small dubias but he has shown 0 interest in insects. According to the folks at Pangea, they were feeding him the Fig w/insects and crickets 1 a week. To keep him hydrated I'll soak him in a shallow tub for about an hour a day, needless to say he isn't a fan of bathtime, as I've noticed his tail starting to become wavy.

This past weekend I picked up two crested geckos at the local reptile show that comes through every other month and they are already eating and drinking normally, so I don't know what else I can do to get him to eat on his own. Any tips, tricks, hints, or cheats would be greatly appreciated!

 

[acpart]

Your garg has you well trained! I've had gargs and cresties for a number of years (my oldest crestie is 16 and I've had him since he was a month old) and even a leachie. There are a number of them where I have never seen them eating, but they are doing well. Sometimes your garg may be eating but there's no appreciable change in the amount in the bowl. You may want to consider offering the food and drink and seeing how it does without the extra feeding. Many people have gotten their gargs and cresties to eat crickets or dubias by holding the gecko and poking a feeder at its mouth. It will likely bite down on it and "discover" that they taste good.

Aliza

 

[CrestedGarg]

Your garg has you well trained! I've had gargs and cresties for a number of years (my oldest crestie is 16 and I've had him since he was a month old) and even a leachie. There are a number of them where I have never seen them eating, but they are doing well. Sometimes your garg may be eating but there's no appreciable change in the amount in the bowl. You may want to consider offering the food and drink and seeing how it does without the extra feeding. Many people have gotten their gargs and cresties to eat crickets or dubias by holding the gecko and poking a feeder at its mouth. It will likely bite down on it and "discover" that they taste good.

Aliza

I appreciate the insight, my concern is that his tail is becoming wavy so I've included a pinch of ZooMeds' Electrolyte Soak when I put him in his bath (which he really isn't a fan of). I make sure the water is around 73-78F before i put him in and include a papertowel at the bottom so he has something to grip. I've watched a number of YT videos saying that it is pretty common for growing gargs to have a wavy tail as they are pulling calcium from their tail bones to grow. Just trying to get the guy situated.