dying Leopard Gecko

Question
QUESTION: I got a L Gecko the week before Xmas. He was healthy with a fat tail. He
never ate mealworms and I never tracked the # of baby crickets as I put a
dozen in the cage for about a week. He is now very frail and thin, lethargic
too. I have tried to force feed him Jump Start food from the pet store as well
as water. I was excited that he pooped on me twice in 10 minutes
tonight..hoping that means he is benefiting from my tlc. He doesn't hide
anymore, just hangs out in the open. he ignores crickets as they climb over
and around him. He seems excited as he licks his lips and perks up a bit when
they come by, but does not eat them. His tank is about 85 day and about 70
at night. I am leaving lights on all night to raise the temp hoping that will
help. I read I should soak him in warm water to rehydrate him..your
thoughts? When I force feed him I have to pry open his mouth. I am able to
get some Jump Start paste, but how much is adequate? Any other
suggestions?  Please help save Spike, I am doing all I can. I thought I new
about taking care of him, but guess not. Thanks for your help! Laurie

ANSWER: Hi Laurie,
A few things I see that may be the problem are your temperatures and leaving lights on all the time and also possibly the size of the crickets or other insects you are feeding.
Leos need to have a warm area in their cage that is 88-92 degrees to be able to properly warm up and digest their foods.
Leaving lights on all the  time can stress them out horribly because they aren't having the needed day/night cycle.
If crickets or other insects are too large for them, they cannot eat them.  Crickets cannot be any larger than the space between their eyes and worms no wider than the space between their eyes nor longer than their head.  I'm not a big fan of the jump start stuff as I've never had luck using it.  Its best to get your little friend to a vet(links in the care sheet below) so that he can be tested for parasites, which can be part of why he isn't eating.
Do read the care sheet below, make the changes needed in your care and then try a very small dab of the Jump Start again.  If, in a day with all the correct care, he doesn't eat, then a vet visit is needed ASAP.  On the hydration, yes, you can give him a soak in water that is 88-92 degrees...and no deeper than his elbows when he is laying flat.  You can also offer water one drop at a time...from an eye dropper.

BASIC CARE FOR A LEOPARD GECKO
Leopards are pretty easy to care for but they do need
special care.  Here are some of the basic needs of your gecko.
HOUSING: The need to have at least a 20 gallon long tank for one Leo. This needs to have a secure fitting screen top...they can be quite the escape artists!!! They need to have a humid hide box.You can make this with something as simple as a small plastic dish with a hole cut in one side and a small mesh bag filled with some Sphagnum moss coconut bark or Peat moss that you mist.  
I made mine out of the small plastic folgers coffee containers...I cut an opening in the lid..and put the moss in..they LOVE it. I use the terrarium moss in mine.
I use that on the warm side of the tank. Be sure to provide a cool hidebox on the other end. I also provide a mid temperature hide...which is in the middle of the tank.I use the critter caves which you can purchase.  NOT the ones that have heat in them!!!!
Provide secure climbing areas for your gecko.  Fake plants, rocks and branches are all fine to use. be sure there are no wires or sharp ends to any fake plants you use.
*****SUBSTRATE:(that's the stuff on the floor of your tank) Newspaper, lizard carpet or paper towels work great and are easy to clean and are much safer than any loose substrate.  Sand or other loose substrate is not recommended as that they can be deadly to the leo when it is ingested(eaten, even by accident while eating their insects)...A very graphic site of an impacted leo surg can be seen at http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html   it is very graphic!!! ******What I have found that works great for safety and heat distribution is using about 1/4 inch of childrens play sand(since the tiles fit tight together, there is no sand danger) on the bottom of the tank and on top that you place ceramic or slate floor tile.  What is nice is that the 12 x 12 squares fit perfect in a 20 gallon tank with no spaces between the tiles.  The sand and the tile distribute the heat wonderfully.  Using the under tank heater as described is what distributes the heat.  Also, overhead heat will help in heating the tiles...I've been using this set up for several years and the leos love it.  Using a tile that isn't smooth is recommended.  **********
TEMPERATURES:  They need a warm area of 88-92 degrees and a
cooler area  in the upper 70s,  low 80s.   At night their temperature can drop to the low to mid 70's.  
Never use a hot rock for a leopard gecko...or any reptile.
They can severely burn any reptile.  You can use a heating
pad under the tank,under tank heater, or you can use a regular household lightbulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket in it to keep the warm area at the 88-90 degree area.At night, no white light. If room temperatures stay above 70 degrees, no extra night heat is needed. The undertank heater or heating pad should cover about 1/3 of the tank....be sure to raise the tank up about 1/4-1/2 inch off the stand when using an undertank heat source to prevent heat build up which can cause the glass to break and hot spots in the glass. Be sure to have a good layer of newspaper, carpeting or, even a thin flat rock(such as tile) on top the area that the undertank heat source is placed...if you use a thin rock or tile, it helps to distribute the heat very well.
You can  use the special nighttime lights that are designed for reptiles. I like using a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat for  nighttime heat.  
DO NOT use black lights or party lights as they can cause eye damage!!!!
The wattage you use will vary based on room temperature and size of tank.  
LIGHTING:  Leopard geckos do not need UVB lighting but it does not hurt them to give them uvb.  They should have some type of light during the day, be it a uvb tube, regular florescent light, reptile day light or regular household lightbulb. NO white lights at night!!!
FEEDING: Geckos should not be fed  crickets or other insects that are bigger than the space between their eyes.  Generally, hatchlings can be fed more than once a day,juvys can be fed twice a day, adults are fed once daily or every other day, in the early evening. Crickets and other food items such as silk worms, super, and an occasional treat of a wax worm, need to be dusted with a calcium supplement two times a week and also they should have a small dish of calcium in their tank.  I use the lid of a milk jug for the little dish of calcium in their tank.  For dusting the insects, Use a calcium with no added phosphorus.  Insects must be gut loaded(fed) for at least 48 hours prior to feeding your gecko. Remove any uneaten crix or superworms after 15-20 minutes.....  Place a piece of cut potato in the tank so that if you have missed any uneaten insects, they will eat the potato instead of nibbling on your gecko!!!
*************You have to be sure to feed your crickets and insects the right foods before feeding them to your gecko.  If your crickets/insects are not healthy and well fed, your gecko will not get the nutrition he needs. You can gut load your crickets and insects greens, veggies, cereals or specially designed commercial foods for crickets or the insects you are feeding. ************
Be sure to have a small dish of clean water for your gecko at all times!!
You can offer them some baby food or fruits on occasion ...
Mine will even eat a small piece of watermelon now and then.WATER:  always provide a dish of drinking water.  If you choose to mist your gecko to drink, its best to not get the tank too wet as that they do not do well with higher humidity.  Sometimes its better to take your leo out of their tank to mist them to get them to drink!!!
HANDLING:  Some geckos enjoy being held...others prefer not to be handled at all.  Be sure to be very gentle when holding your leo and NEVER grab them by the tail!  Their tails are extremely fragile and will break.  
I do suggest finding a vet that can treat reptiles BEFORE you actually need one!!!  To find a vet that is able to care for reptiles:
http://www.anapsid.org/vets
http://www.arav.org/Directory.htm

For more information on leopard geckos:
http://www.thegeckospot.com/leocareindex2.html

http://www.drgecko.com

If you have any questions or don't understand something, please let me know.





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

QUESTION: Thanks so much! I will increase the temp to 90ish. I do not leave the lights
on all day, just last night to get his temp up. I do think the size of crickets
and meal worms were the problem. The store ran out of small and said
medium were fine, but he was not eating them. Do you think there is hope?
He looks more hydrated today..I think. It is a matter of getting him to eat
now. Any big signs I should look for that show he is getting better or worse
except how active he is?

Answer
Hi Laurie,
Keep in mind that the leos are nocturnal, so she will be active in the evening/night.  Evening is the best time to offer the insects...be sure to place a piece of cut potato in the tank so any uneaten crickets will eat that instead of nibbling on your leo. This may sound a bit yucky, but...for right now, until your leo gets some strength back, try breaking the hind legs on the crickets.  This way, they cannot hop and your leo will be able to catch them.  The crickets are a better choice for food right now also.
Good on looking more hydrated!!  Its hard to tell with pet store leos many times. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed that she starts to eat on her own soon!!!  Do be sure to keep her well hydrated, but not over hydrated.
If she does not start to eat in a day or two, then you really need to get in touch with a vet.  Baby geckos don't have much fat reserves.  If you see her tail getting skinnier, that's a bad sign.  That is where they store their fat and when that is depleted, there are problems.
Of course activity and eating are going to be good signs.
You might want to check into an under tank heater or a human heating pad that does not shut off.  You can leave that on all the time so your leo will have access to a warm area all the time.  My under tank heaters are on 24 hours a day for my two leos. Daytime, I also have overhead heat.