# New Leopard Geckos not eating



## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

So this is day 8 of having my new leopard geckos. They are around 3-4months old and I am struggling to get them to eat. On day two I got one of them to eat a cricket, day three they other one caught a cricket but it jumped out and ran away. After a few more days of trying with the crickets I got some mealworms and have been leaving them in a dish overnight and they never touched them either...

Its looking like im going to have to start hand/assist feeding them soon but I don't want to overstress them as they may just not be eating since they are stressed so when should I start hand feeding them if they haven't started eating? Also what would be the best time to feed my geckos?

I also noticed bits of what look like shed skin outside one of the hides. This is somewhat reassuring as I know they can go off food when they are in shed.

I have a hotside floor temperature of 32-34C and cool side 20-22C. no lighting or heat bulbs. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Starting to get really worried about these wee guys. If they are sick I'd definitely be willing to pay for their treatment but don't have money until the 7th.

I've also heard about giving them a lukewarm bath or putting baby food on their nose for them to lick off (however I don't have any babyfood.) So would I be right to give them the lukewarm water bath for 20 minutes and then try feeding, if that doesn't work assist feed them? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Really don't want these guys starving to death but have no idea whats causing them not to eat or how long they have left. Thanks .

Edit: Just got off the phone with the guy I got them off. He says they really should be eating and asked ow many crickets I was putting in at a time and I told him 4. He recommends putting in like 10. I'll probably shove 10 in before I go to work and count them later when I get back. i know your not supposed to have them i for too long but best time to feed them is like 8-9 but I have work 5-11. Would it be ok to leave 8-10 crickets in there for 7 hours...? :S


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## Big Red One (Oct 17, 2007)

First couple of things.

Don't bathe them and don't force or assist feed them.

3/4 month old leos should have sufficient reserves to go weeks without eating so don't panic. Stress is the biggest issue, avoid any further stress.

Continue feeding, but do it only once a day (pre in the late evening) then leave them alone. Water and feed and leave alone until they start eating.....

Make sure they have plenty of hides and I bet they'll start eating in a week or two. They've got to 3 months so must have been eating beforehand, they know what to do!


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Theres a couple of pictures of them. They don't seem to have particularly fat tails (these were taken when I got them). So when would you say I should start to worry about them not eating? Seriously wont be able to forgive myself if I let them starve to death... Wanted to get a reptile of some sort ever since I was like 6 but parents would never allow it until I asked about it like last month before my 19th birthday and I get them only to find they wont eat. Typical... 
Just so concerned for them and everywhere I look im getting conflicting answers. E.g. Talked to a chef at work who claims to be experienced with reptiles and he said they aren't eating because I don't have a UV light. Even though I read they didn't necessarily need one. Read on websites that they will starve to death after two weeks and I should do the bath and hand feed them until I can get them to a vet because they probably have parasites or are ill. Seen you replying on many threads here though so I take it you know what your talking about.


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## Big Red One (Oct 17, 2007)

Best thing with leopard geckos is , don't panic.........

:2thumb:

They are really tough little things, it's harder to kill one than keep it alive.

Your temps sound fine, the animals themselves look a little smaller than I'd expect for 3/4 months but hey. They look OK, as youngsters they don't get massive fat tails as they put food into growing not fattening up.

The 'advice' from a lot of sources can be well meaning but is often misleading, as you are finding.

I'm not saying I'm an 'expert' but I've kept Leo's for 7 years, hatched and raised plenty and haven't lost any yet (apart from physically losing my first ever, but that's a long story,).

Feed and water, leave them alone and I bet they will feed soon enough......:whistling2::mf_dribble:

Keep an eye out for poop. :lol2:


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Ok great. Feeling abit better already . Would you recommend mealworms or crickets? Surely me going in trying to pick out all the uneaten crickets is going to add to their stress levels. Should I just use a dish of mealies until they are eating them consistently so I don't disturb them?


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## Badgerslayer (Jul 26, 2014)

Hiya, Sounds like my problem I had a few weeks ago. I Mine wouldn't eat brown crickets or hoppers after a few weeks. Stopped eating and lost all its weight. I tried small Dubia roaches and small black crickets and shes gradually eating again (still very small for her age though) I also tried silkworms but she stopped eating them after a week. She never was interested in mealworms at all.

I still think mines stressed out and taking along time to settle in. 

I think I was changing the tank decor around a bit too often and then I removed the sand and put lino down. So all these changes over the weeks probably didn't help.

These guys on here have been a big help with good advise 

Good luck


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Ok I shall try to Give them as little attention as possible. Also il get some different food in for them to try. Although still feel as though with anything I can't put in a dish I'm being kind of invasive and stressing them out because I have to move things to get the crickets out or croc Mets are hiding under the carpet...


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## Big Red One (Oct 17, 2007)

Phasmatix said:


> Ok great. Feeling abit better already . Would you recommend mealworms or crickets? Surely me going in trying to pick out all the uneaten crickets is going to add to their stress levels. Should I just use a dish of mealies until they are eating them consistently so I don't disturb them?


I'd put just mini mealies in for now....
Make sure the bowl is accessible, I normally use glass ones or the clear small coasters from b&q for little ones.
If you do use crickets, don't worry too much about removing uneaten ones or now. Add a small piece of carrot or something in a corner of the UV and the crickets will nibble that.


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Ok great thanks a lot for your advice man, Just got home from work to witness the mack snow shedding (gave me quite the fright before I realised what was happening), that means the skin I found the other day must have been from the albino shedding. I read they sometimes dont eat 3 days before and 3 days after shedding, this on top of just moving here and needing time to settle probably explains why they havent ate.

Looks like the Mack snow still has some shed on his toes though should I just leave it for now? I take it one bad shed isnt going to make her lose any toes and I can work on removing that skin in a week or two when they've settled? (I have a moist hide they just didnt bother using it.)


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

Phasmatix said:


> Looks like the Mack snow still has some shed on his toes though should I just leave it for now? I take it one bad shed isnt going to make her lose any toes and I can work on removing that skin in a week or two when they've settled? (I have a moist hide they just didnt bother using it.)


I would leave it a day or two and see if it manages to get the shed off on it's own, if not I would intervene. Don't leave it for a week.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

8 days is not a long time to allow them to settle in, just keep feeding (in the eves as recommended above)

definitely do not assist feed or bathe! and give them space, I'm sure you'r worrying is causing you to disturb them a few times a day, which just adds to their stress

don't take them out of the enclosure until they are happily eating and exploring and comfortable in their new home, might take a few days, might take a few weeks, patience is key.


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Havent handled either yet except I must admit the second day I did have to shift one out from under the carpet and rearrange some things as she kind of got stuck.

Wont I have to take the one with bad shed around its toes out in order to remove it? :/


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## GavinMc (Jan 9, 2013)

Phasmatix said:


> Havent handled either yet except I must admit the second day I did have to shift one out from under the carpet and rearrange some things as she kind of got stuck.
> 
> Wont I have to take the one with bad shed around its toes out in order to remove it? :/


They like tight spaces hence the reason it was under the carpet, it will aslo be warmer under there.


If the shed is still there Monday night I would advise removing the gecko from the vivarium and gently soak the problem areas and try to remove the unshed skin. Do this with a cotton bud and just gently rub the skin off of the toes. This can also encourage the gecko to pull at the skin and you may not need to do much.


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Ok got it. Thanks for the help everyone. Will probably keep you updated, no doubt I'll have more questions in future.


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Still not eating however managed to get the stuck shed off one without too much trouble. No screaming at me or anything. Got the crickets in there out aswell since I was already disturbing them to get the shed off and just have a wee dish of mealworms in there now. The dish is deep to stop them getting out but im worried the geckos cant see inside, will they still know the mealworms are there anyway? Also got some small locusts to try. It'll be two weeks of not eating this Thursday. I don't think theres anything wrong with the geckos because they both look healthy and are energetic so im thinking you guys are right and they just haven't settled yet. But can they starve theirselves to death just from stress of moving? Surely these guys cant have too much longer if they don't start eating soon? Would it be worth my time if come Thursday they still haven't ate, I don't even enter the room they are kept in for a few days. Leave the light off with blinds open so that they get a natural day/night cycle. And hopefully that will allow them to settle and start eating? :S


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## Marcia (Aug 23, 2009)

What are the temperatures in your tank?

Geckos have really good hearing so if they can't see the mealworms, chances are they can't certainly hear them


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Temperatures are 32.5C hot side and 20.1C cool side. Great wasn't to sure about how good their senses were and keep getting the urge to plop one down infront of her incase she just couldn't see them there. I'll stick some lettuce or something in the dish to keep the mealworms active and moving


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## Phasmatix (Jul 29, 2014)

Good news! Two nights ago I put six locusts in. Then yesterday my friend brought me some waxworms over to try but neither of them at it although we mushed up one with feeding tongs and dropped it near the albino then put the feeding tong s in front of her she licked the feeding tongs a few times and when I removed them she ate the dead mealworn we dropped.We also looked for locusts and could only find one. Friend pointed out I didn't have tape over the holes at the topcorners of the viv for the wires running in. However the holes do have wires through them making the gap a squeeze even for the smallest locusts in my packet and the one that was left was one of the smallest ones so I doubt they did escape. We taped up the holes and put 10 more locusts in. Think five or six were eaten unless there is some under the carpet (wanted to get the locusts out andforgot to check under the carpet because I was I a rush for work.) I also tried them with a waxworm again and both of them ate  

Hit the two week mark was getting kid of worried again  but it seems it's on track, not quite settled yet but at least they have some food in them now .. I know not to overdo it on the waxworms I'll leave it abit before I give them more. Need to know they are both eating the locusts first. How many small locusts (I'd guess like 0.5-1cm) should 3-4month leopard gecko be eating a day/week? Because I think one of them isn't eating them yet as I ly 5 are being eaten a night.


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