# Underweight Leopard Gecko Advice Please!



## geckoface (Mar 12, 2007)

Hello there, I have just this morning bought four adult leos from a classifieds listing.I had not seen pictures in advance which is was a mistake i know! They were dropped off a few hours ago and although beautiful geckos they are very underweight and had a fair amount of hardened unshed skin on them.The enclosures were also full of crickets and some of the geckos have obvious cricket bite wounds.

I have bathed the geckos and removed the excess skin and have rearranged their enclosures and added moist hides and a calci dish with a bowl containing some waxworms.

When i saw them i decided to buy them because i am sure i can get them back on track and give them the life these beautiful lizards deserve. My other four geckos have lovely fat tails and never have any problems shedding.

I have kept leos for a good few years but I would appreciate any advice or comments regarding ways to get them back to a respectable weight and how to get those tails plumped up.

Thankyou very much to anyone who would like to help me with this topic,lee.: victory:


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## marcgroovyge (Apr 3, 2008)

Try giving them pinkies if they are big enough. If they dont got for it put the juice of a waxworm on the head of the pinkie and when they lick it they are more likely to take it


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## forgottenEntity (Sep 7, 2008)

Have you any idea at all as to how old the Leos are?

Next question... have you weighed them?

They've been delivered this morning? I am not sure I would have gone for feeding waxworms straight after a move, which can be somewhat stressful to quite a lot of Leos.

Personally, I would have let them settle for a few days, giving just some calcium, like you have done, mealworms and maybe a few hoppers of a suitable size and see if they are willing to hunt and eat them.

Keep a careful eye on their poos for the next couple of weeks. You might see a couple of runny ones during the first day or two which can be due to stress from moving. There after, they should be nice and well formed. If you continue to see anything other than that - time to get a sample taken to the vets for a test.

If things settle and they are looking ok, are eating, etc... then, depending on how thin they are, you might want to think about "treat" or "booster" foods very infrequently. But, the level of these is very much dependent on the state of the Leos, their weight, etc.


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## sazzle (Jun 3, 2008)

could also be underweight if they have been breeding... is there a male in there? reason i say this is because i have had to take out my male and also a female from my breeding group as they were losing weight but now they are housed individually they are putting the weight back on (rapidly) are you housing them seperately from your other 4 leos? as above just pop some mealies in and a few appropriately sized locust... do you have any pics?

also may be an idea to get a few faunariums to house them seperately so you know there is no bullying and will hopefully get their weight up if there are no underlying problems x


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## vickylolage (Oct 5, 2008)

Being underweight may also have underlying factors. I would have them all seperated and collect fecal samples from each one and have them tested just to ensure theres no parasites or anything and it is just genuinely a case if being underweight rather than anything sinister.


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## SleepyD (Feb 13, 2008)

vickylolage said:


> Being underweight may also have underlying factors. I would have them all seperated and collect fecal samples from each one and have them tested just to ensure theres no parasites or anything and it is just genuinely a case if being underweight rather than anything sinister.


ditto ~ would rather get them checked and fecals tested first to rule out other causes ........ plus would also practise stringent quarentine especially with having other leo's


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## geckoface (Mar 12, 2007)

*geckos*

thanks for your advice.I will remove the waxies for now and just leave calci-dish and water bowl.ive put vitamin supplement in the water.also put little bowl of trex leopard gecko dust in there.Im going to seperate the geckos and monitor their weights.They are in a seperate room from my other leos and i will operate quarantine regarding them and my other reps.

I work at a vets so should be able to sort out fecal samples no problem,good idea. I know that most people wouldnt have bought them but i didnt want them going back with those owners who clearly thought they were all in good health which they evidentelly are not.

I will try and sort out pictures. thanks again for all your assistance,its very much appreciated my reptile loving friends.:2thumb:


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## geckoface (Mar 12, 2007)

*Pictures of underweight geckos*

Here are three of the four geckos......the normal male,the patternless female and the blizzard female.all underweight as ive already said.
They have actually eaten some mealworms but then i have found them vomited up undigested.....does anyone know what the cause of this is please? Any more advice regarding these geckos would be great. Ive bought some hydra-life which is on its way in the mail,some people have highly reccomended this.


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## forgottenEntity (Sep 7, 2008)

geckoface said:


> Here are three of the four geckos......the normal male,the patternless female and the blizzard female.all underweight as ive already said.
> They have actually eaten some mealworms but then i have found them vomited up undigested.....does anyone know what the cause of this is please? Any more advice regarding these geckos would be great. Ive bought some hydra-life which is on its way in the mail,some people have highly reccomended this.


If they are throwing up mealworms like that, that's a fairly big indicator of parasites and / or worms. I suggest you get a fecal test done asap. Chances are if you find one has parasites and/or worms, they all do. Then you can probably just ask the vet for treatments. They are noteably underweight but not as dangerously so as quite a few I've seen in the past. I am guessing if it's mostly parasitic, your vet will probably prescribe a Flagyl course for them all and then a wormer course if they prove to be carrying worms.


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## suez (Jul 8, 2007)

they need to seea vet for feacal tests for parasites.make sure you keep them away from your other geckos and practice stringent quarantine.
good luck with them


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