Leopard Gecko Stopped Eating - What Shall I Do?

"My Leopard gecko stopped eating, what shall I do" is a really common question found in any online forum about reptiles and that's because it's quite a common occurrence in Leopard geckos, if you're not very careful.

If your Leopard gecko won't eat, an impaction (like constipation in humans).  You can check this by gently feeling your gecko's abdomen which will feel lumpy if there is an impaction and you may even be able to see the lumps.

If you can feel an impaction, take the following steps:

If you are using a loose substrate to line your gecko's aquarium, replace it with scrunched up paper towels or specialised carpet.  Whatever you do, do not use bark, cat litter or any other substance of a similar nature.

These creatures often eat loose substrate as a substitute for calcium so make sure that a dish of calcium is always available in their enclosure.  They will eat it as and when they feel the need.

Dehydration is another reason why a Leopard gecko won't eat so make sure that there is always plenty of fresh water available.  It should be changed on a daily basis.

Give your pet a warm soak for ten minutes a couple of times a day.  Make sure that the water temperature is no higher than a gecko's normal blood temperature.

Take care to feed your gecko the right food.  In the wild, they will eat grubs, worms, spiders and insects but in captivity, crickets are the most readily available food.  However, owners do try to feed their pets with crickets which are too big; never feed a cricket which is longer than the width of the gecko's head.  Give your gecko a treat and try to procure some wax worms or meal worms which may tempt his appetite.  Alternatively, you can breed your own crickets so that you have control over the size at which they are fed to your gecko.

Give you pet specialist vitamin supplements, which your vet will be able to provide.

If your Leopard gecko won't eat after a couple of days following the above suggestions then take him to a vet and if you can't feel or see anything out of the ordinary at the outset but still your Leopard gecko won't eat then take him to a vet straight away and remember to tell the vet when your Leopard gecko stopped eating and any other detail such as what he last ate, which may help the vet to diagnose what's wrong with your pet.