# [Urgent] Friend Giving Gecko Milk



## Original (Oct 28, 2011)

So, a friend of mine has a Leopard Gecko. He told he fills their water bowl with milk, I'm not sure but isn't this bad for their health, I meant it contains a ton of calcium but well, i need your help.

Let me know what you think so i can tell my friend!


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Frosties... They're grrrreat! :whistling2:


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## Original (Oct 28, 2011)

tomcannon said:


> Frosties... They're grrrreat! :whistling2:


I'm not sure if he feeds them frosties hahahaha


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

no. reptiles should not be given milk. they cant digest it. 
that's as far as i can comment, but i would be very concerned about what other if any affects it could have? does he supplement them with calcium and vitamins?
i would tell your friend to buckle down in front of a computer and research their care every now and then.


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## Original (Oct 28, 2011)

trogdorable said:


> no. reptiles should not be given milk. they cant digest it.
> that's as far as i can comment, but i would be very concerned about what other if any affects it could have? does he supplement them with calcium and vitamins?
> i would tell your friend to buckle down in front of a computer and research their care every now and then.


He gives them calcium powder, however he tells me that he only uses it once a week, and he feeds them every day. I said to him you really should use the powder every day. But he hasn't change, I'm definitely concerned with him using milk and i've offered to take the Leopard Geckos however he refuses and say's " I know what i'm doing!"


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

Original said:


> He gives them calcium powder, however he tells me that he only uses it once a week, and he feeds them every day. I said to him you really should use the powder every day. But he hasn't change, I'm definitely concerned with him using milk and i've offered to take the Leopard Geckos however he refuses and say's " I know what i'm doing!"


clearly not if he tries to feed them milk. does he offer water as well?


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## Original (Oct 28, 2011)

trogdorable said:


> clearly not if he tries to feed them milk. does he offer water as well?


-Only milk, and that's it.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

Original said:


> -Only milk, and that's it.


how long has he had them? have you seen them drink it?
i would be quite worried about them being dehydrated . . .

i'm waiting on someone more knowledgeable coming along who might know what sort of affects milk might have on them!


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## Original (Oct 28, 2011)

trogdorable said:


> how long has he had them? have you seen them drink it?
> i would be quite worried about them being dehydrated . . .
> 
> i'm waiting on someone more knowledgeable coming along who might know what sort of affects milk might have on them!


You've been helpful if worst comes, I'll take his Leopard Geckos for myself and take care of them how they should be.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

Original said:


> You've been helpful if worst comes, I'll take his Leopard Geckos for myself and take care of them how they should be.


afraid stealing someones "property" isn't something i would recommend tbh.
pet owners should provide their animals with the 5 freedoms, which includes giving them suitable food and WATER. so at worst you could report him for cruelty i imagine =s

i know what its like trying to reason with someone who refuses to acknowledge they're wrong. its a difficult job!


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## Original (Oct 28, 2011)

trogdorable said:


> afraid stealing someones "property" isn't something i would recommend tbh.
> pet owners should provide their animals with the 5 freedoms, which includes giving them suitable food and WATER. so at worst you could report him for cruelty i imagine =s
> 
> i know what its like trying to reason with someone who refuses to acknowledge they're wrong. its a difficult job!


All i care about is the poor gecko's health, i'll possibly report him for animal abuse as they need to be provided with suitable conditions and given water. He is only providing milk, which i've never actually seen anyone do. I'm not sure if he thinks it's a kitten or what. However, he only feeds his Gecko Meal/Morio Worms, which yet again is another problem.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Yes... because you see many leopard geckos drinking milk in the wild... :hmm:


Milk contains lactose, a sugar that geckos won't be able to digest (through not having the correct enzymes to break it down into usable products). Milk is also high in fats and fair amounts of salt. This is simply going to dehydrate the gecko and cause more problems. If he supplements with calcium powder (or provides a calcium lick) then there really is no need to provide anything like milk. 

As he feeds everyday, I would hope that the leo would not need to drink a huge amount anyway.


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## Ieuan7 (Dec 19, 2012)

Can't imagine there being any immediate negative health effect using milk to be honest...I mean....It's just Milk....Not Hydrochloric acid lol

But long term, it's high in fat (depending) and obviously it's not the best hydration method.


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## Kerrabutt (Jan 20, 2013)

Unless the gecko has an allergic reaction then the proteins and sugars in the milk will just go undigested. In mammals this would cause severe gas and diarrhoea from intestinal bacteria breaking down the lactose (if consumed in large quantities) but since reptiles don't have stable internal temperatures and their body temperatures vary greatly in comparison to mammals, I'm guessing their gut flora is radically different. Cats and dogs shouldn't be given cows milk really, but it doesn't hurt in small amounts, most likely the case with the gecko. Luckily for the gecko, Leos don't drink too often. One thing it may encourage though is yeast growth within the gut, which can really mess up digestion.

I think the best thing you can do is observe the geckos health, ask questions about poops (are they well formed or runny) and generally just try to be diplomatic. No apparent harm or not it's better to be safe than sorry, just try explaining it to him. Good luck :mrgreen:


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## 7600e (Apr 10, 2013)

Ok so calcium and vitamins are fine but mould is not. Your geckos viv should be quite hot compared to the fridge yes it could go a few hours but how often does he replace it? There is going to be A build up of mould at some point which then the bacteria could potentially kill the poor gecko. Water is also cheaper and if he is worried about the levels of calcium then why is he not dusting the food properly ? A calcium dish with pure calcium should be left in 24/7 with a multivitamin twice a week and calcium with D3 twice a week aswell even then if he thinks that won't do it you get vitamin and calcium tablets which disolve in water for drinking.

Tell him off:bash::devil:


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## dramen (May 29, 2012)

I'd be concerned about the milk being left at a higher than fridge temperature and bacteria harming the gecko tbh.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

im also wondering if there are other aspects of care that are lacking. wouldn't be surprised if someone who thought feeding milk to a lizard is right was also keeping it at wrong temps ect.


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## RubyTiger (Dec 12, 2012)

:S I don't understand why someone would think that is a good idea. They wouldn't naturally drink milk particularly as milk drinking is a characteristic of mammals, a totally different class of animal. They wouldn't come across milk in the wild because their parents don't produce it is a simple enough reason not to give it that instead of water...


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## Plantyblk (Nov 19, 2012)

There was a guy that gives his bearded dragon Guinness and it lived longer than average. 

But milk is a no no as it contains too much fat but I see where they got the idea of milk Perhaps a non fat filtered milk that is basically water might be ok lol


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## charlottedavenport (Jan 10, 2012)

I have no knowledge about gecko's but i imagine like other lizards they need quite a warm ambient temp which wouldn't this cause the milk to turn? guessing he probably wont be changing it that often. So wouldn't milk once turned be actually pretty dangerous? 

Re: guy giving dragon Guinness thats cos Guinness is the good life  seriously though, why would anyone give an animal alcohol knowing how bad it is on the human body?


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## XcentricSquid (Feb 14, 2021)

What about ice cream? I've always kept lizards and I would give them a very, very tiny dollop of ice cream maybe twice a year, as a special treat. They've never had any problems with it, and I watch them as they eat it and monitor them closely after. They all lived their lifespans in the past and my current Leo is perfectly healthy and active.


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## Azastral (Jun 6, 2015)

Why necro a 8 year old post? 
Also, its fairly obvious that its not a good idea. What is ice cream made out of? Why would you feed a cold blooded animal frozen goods?

Reptiles are not evolved to be able to digest cows milk, just because youve managed to feed small amounts and it hasnt caused upset yet doesnt mean you should do it.
Can a moderator please close this topic off.

Not sure what it is with people necro'ing posts recently either.


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## snekans (Nov 16, 2020)

Probably because the 'recommended reading' at the bottom shows ancient posts. Can see how it happens if you click one and reply without checking the date 😂 Nearly done it myself a few times!


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