Very skinny Fat-Tailed Gecko

Question
Hi, a friend of a friend passed down an African Fat-Tailed Gecko, and I finally ended up with him.  I'm not sure of his age or even when the last time he ate...  But I've noticed the same amount of crickets in his tank since I got him two days ago.  I haven't seen him drink either.

He's in a ten-gallon aquarium with bark bedding and a sculptured "bark" log to hide in.  

He moves around quickly enough.  His eyes are bright.  But the front of his mouth is a little misshapen.  Well, it looks like it is to me.  He just came out of a molt with a little left on his hands and the tip of his tail.  I'm pretty sure I can pull it off with a good soaking, but I don't want to stress him out any more than he is.

I don't know much about geckos in the winter.  Do they go a little dormant?  Do they get skinny after a molt?  What can I do right now to get him eating?  I can take him to a vet next week, but I'd like to do what I can now.

Thank you for any help,
Michelle

Answer
Hello Michelle,

You will probably need to remove the bark bedding because the crickets are hard to catch as they hide in the bark.  They can hide in there & come out at night & bother him or bite him.  

Try either paper towels, or non adhesive shelf liner.  I would not leave crickets in with him overnight though.  If you want to leave something in for him overnight, try getting a small food dish & leave some mealworms or waxworms in for him.

Are you using an undertank heater in combination with a low wattage basking bulb for one side of the tank?  The cave/hide needs to be right on top of a small portion of the undertank heater to help with humidity so he can shed better.  You definitely need to get the shed off or it will constrict the areas & cause tissue to die off.

No they normally do not get thin after molting.  They should maintain their weight well.  How does his stool look?  You should monitor that as if the stool is runny or smelly he may have worms or parasites which are affecting his health.  I would try to get a fecal done at the vets.  If he is not eating, you can get some chicken or turkey babyfood & feed him with a plastic syringe or a plastic dropper by dropping it onto the end of his nose & he will probably lick some of it off.  

They can slow down some in the winter yes, but, they should maintain a healthy weight.  Right now, I would assume he is not brumating because of the weight loss.  

Don't forget to provide a small dish of calcium in the tank, & a water dish.  Or you can just dust the feeders several times per week for his calcium.

Tracie