leopard geckos issues...

Question
QUESTION: Hello! Alright, here's the deal! i got leo about 1 mo ago and he didnt eat for about the first week then ate a few days and hasn't eaten since then. he is really bony, he has tried to shed apparently but could cause he is dehydrated and calcium deficient. i keep a calcium dish at all times along with fresh water daily. I feed them (i have two geckos) crickets and mealworms. i recently took him to the vet and was prescribed some nutritional mix along with some electrolites. i then mix with calcium and force feed orally per vet. he is getting a little quicker but not tremendous results. he tends to stay on cool side 95 percent of the time. he is weak and not very aware. i did notice a dark spot on his liver? i keep a heating pad on the warm side with a 40 watt bulb on top with a temp range of 90- sometimes 94 degrees with a cool side of 76-80 degrees. i am currently using newspaper for bedding in a 20 gal terrarium where i house a total of two leos. any recommendations?

ANSWER: Hello Kegan,

Well, you can usually see through their body a little bit.  Where was the dark spot that you saw?  
The undertank heater should be on the end where the basking light is.  There should be a hide/cave on top of the undertank heater with moss in it to help retain humidity.  It should be kept moist too in order to help with shedding.  
The recommended temps on the hot side should be 88-90.  The cooler end needs to be around 80 or so.  
He could have parasites.  What does his stool look like, is it runny or smelly?  Does he excrete urates (white portion) regularly?
Continue with the assisted feeding right now to get him some nutrition daily.
Did the vet do a fecal on him while you were there?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the quick response! The dark spot was on his liver but I found out that is normal. I do have a 40 watt light with a rock underneath of it with a heating pad underneath the terrarium. My shed box with peat moss is slighty off-set to the warm side but I mist the box daily. He has not had a fecal test completed for we are really waiting for improvement, which, thankfully he is coming around slowly but surely. For right now it's hard to judge his stool because I'm feeding him a liquid-based nutritional mix with calcium so his stool is runny for now. It was recommended that I do this until he is on his own eating again before giving him solids. Another question is though are crickets a good source of food? I have been feeding both my geckos crickets and I have tried mealworms. Right now they are really not eating either. The "heathier" one was eating crickets the second I put them in there and not eating them at all? Any ideas?

ANSWER: Hello Kegan,

Yeah you normally can see their liver like that as their skin is basically translucent on their bellies.
Yes, crickets are fine for a feeder as well as mealies too.  
Ok, good the hide/cave is placed strategically on top of the undertank heater with a basking lamp.  As long as you mist the moss it should stay humid enough to help with shedding.  
Yes it is hard to know exactly what the stools look like when it is runny from the babyfood.  Yes, do not stop assist feeding him until he is feeling better as he will lose too much weight.  You could try some jumpstart appetite stimulant which may work well with him.  Here is a link to get some:

http://www.freshmarine.com/zilla-jump-start-4oz.html

How is the gekco that is sick doing today?  Has he eaten?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you again for the quick response. Actually this sick one is doing much better with the nutritional mix. His tale is getting thicker and he is becoming more alert and quicker. It's coming along slowly but surely. He isn't not eating on his own yet though...now the other started getting sick but I just watching him fully eat a cricket dusted with calcium for the first time in awhile. That's good. I will try that mix on that link you sent me. Also, where is a good place online to order wax worms? Thank you much!

Answer
Hello Kegan,

That is great your sick one is starting to do better now.  Very good news!  I am happy to hear his tail is filling out too.  The nutritional slurry is really helping him out.  
You may need to separate them if they both are sick, otherwise it will go back & forth between them & they will continue getting ill.  
At least the other one ate a dusted cricket though.
You can order waxworms from:

www.premiumcrickets.com
www.armstrongcrickets.com
www.mulberryfarms.com


Tracie