My older brother has a leopard gecko named Spike, at least 8-10 years old, and was in good health for the last few years I've known her. She was getting about 20 crickets every 2 weeks, and water every few days (or weeks, depending on if brother paid attention). Even with this extremely poor diet regimen somehow she managed to keep up good fat reserves in her tail and had fairly good activity levels despite being a little small and skinny through her limbs. Her weight has dropped in the last month, though, and she's gotten extremely lethargic; she has no more fat reserves left and is basically skin and bones. Poor thing!
(PS, I don't live there and am not able to see to her myself day to day.)
My family needs to know what they should do for her. I've never had to care for an emaciated lizard before, so I'm not sure how much/often to feed her. Even with the heightened weakness and lack of energy, Spike will eat a lot of crickets if a lot are placed in her cage, as she is used to. But if offered 3-4 she will maybe eat one or two and the rest will remain until we take them out. Why this odd feeding behavior, and what are the proper steps to take to get her back up to speed?
It sounds like she is getting enough food. Some geckos just get skinnier as they age. I don't think it is anything to be too concerned about as long as she is still eating frequently. Is the temperature okay in the tank? My geckos passed away a few years ago because it was too cold in the house and the heat lamp wasn't on as much as it should have been. I could tell a few days before he passed away because he kept digging in the sand. It was like he was trying to dig a hole that he wanted to burry himself in. It was very sad.
The thing is that she waits 2-2.5 weeks for feedings, and geckos should be fed at least bi-daily. So, not eating frequently. I'm thinking that somehow or other the bad schedule finally caught up with her. The temperature in the tank is fine, and hasn't changed from the time when she was healthy to now.
So, the question isn't so much what's wrong with her as it is how to treat her now that there is in fact something wrong.
Hi there. Basically, I would just try to fatten her up, lol. Slowly and easily at first. Try waxworms and butterworms, especially butters if she'll eat them. Just buy a few at first, leopard geckos can be finicky little things.
Are you saying she was only being feed every two weeks on average? Poor thing. I'd try to feed her a small amount daily, and make sure she has fresh clean water daily. It wouldn't be a bad idea to soak her in lukewarm water once or twice either, as from your original post, she may be dehydrated. Once your sure she's used to eating on a regular schedule, and is defecating regularly, for a week or so, I'd say feed her as much as she'll eat for awhile. Just make sure her digestion is working properly and regularly first.
And, double check her overall setup. Temperatures on the warm side (86-88°) on the cool side ( not much below 78°.) A hide on both sides, and preferably a moist hide.
And lastly, a fecal exam to check for parasites and oocysts wouldn't be a horrible idea, crickets can carry allot of parasites, and the load might have built up, especially if she's been feed so irregularly.
Also, at 10.years old, she may just be wearing down. Do the best you can for her (or your family), and hope she perks up out of it. She's probably going to need a little extra tlc.
Thanks Fishbone! I will see what I can do, or rather, what I can convince my family to do. A fecal is probably not gonna happen, though. Not for a semi-old lizard the kids have kind of forgotten about.
And yeah, that really is all the more often she was being fed. But, here's to hoping she gets better
