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For those who don't know. I got 2 leopard gecko girls, Kate and Claire, at the end of March to pair with my 2 boys, Jack and Charlie. Kate had been burned on her tail before I got her but it had healed up before I got her. So my main goal since I got her has been to fatten her up. So far she hasn't seemed to get the message. She's shed once since I've had her and I've noticed she has grown a little long ways but she still has no fat on her body. So I think it's time to have a vet look at her. I feel like I should have seen some progress by now. She's just as active as all my other leos she just doesn't eat much. I'm worried but not too worried since she is still very active and has grown she just wont put any fat on.
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Maybe you would be better to get her looked at by a reptile person. People who have reptiles are more experienced with the day to day growth that should occur. Is Kate healthy in every other way?
Can you get her things like wax worms and butter worms. They might help her gain weight.
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Catherine
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08-03-2014, 08:56 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-03-2014, 09:12 AM by Tobi.)
I hope Kate will be okay. Maybe this skinniness is natural for her?? I don't know, as I know almost nothing about Leopard Geckos. I do hope it will turn out to be nothing worrying.
Maybe Kate is like me...born skinny. Lean an' mean I call it LOL! Skinny genes, no doubt -from someone, probably my Nana.
I eat plenty but cannot gain weight and never could. I am fit and well.
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Some of us are naturally skinny. Kate may be a thinner lizard by nature. Is she thin all over or just her tail. Maybe after a burn she cannot store fat is her tail.
Is she living with Jack and getting fed with him. Maybe you could take him out when she eats. That way you would have a better sense of what she actually eats.
Catherine
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I hope Kate is OK. It is true that some creatures are naturally slim. Our piggy, Cappuccino, would eat more than her fair share and was always svelte. The only bad effect it had was that when she was poorly she had very little reserve to draw on and her decline was quicker than it would have been if she had been a fatty.
Hopefully Kate will soon become the sleek creature we all hope she can be.
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I do hope Kate is okay. I will ask some of the leopard gecko people here is they have any ideas about her lack of weight gain.
Catherine
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I wasn't worried until recently when I noticed she lost what little fat she did have. She's still alone in her own tank. I was wanting her to grow more before I put her with Jack. Her bones are sticking out more than usual and her tail is even thinner. Also her poop is watery and has undigested millworms. I was reading a leopard gecko book and it said those are all signs of bacteria or intestinal problems. I've tried giving her wax worms cause I knew they were fatty but she wont touch them. I don't know where to get butter worms. She does drink and she does continue to eat some millworms but I just don't want this to get any worst if I can help it.
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Try giving her crickets. Sometimes they are easier to digest. I think they are more nutritious than meal worms.
You could try to give her newly shed meal worms. They are the white ones. They are easier to digest because their outer shell is still soft.
If she is losing weight and has soft poop, you should be concerned. You can still do something at this stage because she is still eating.
Catherine
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I've tried small crickets with her a few times before and they just sit in there until they are too big. One group started chirping and had to release them out my window at 3am. I wasn't happy. It's hard because she's just so picky. She will eat millworms and small superworms. I think she's eaten one of the waxworms I've ever given her. Right now I'm keeping track of how many worms I give her and she eats about 1 or 2 a day. Where my other guys will eat about 5-10 a day. Even Clarie who doesn't eat much usually will down 10 in a day occasionally. I'm calling to see if I can get her in to the vet today or Thursday.
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We have an appointment for Thursday at 3pm. They know her symptoms so lets hope they can help Kate.
