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 #1857383


Nastynas2029
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 My golden gecko wont eat

i just got this golden gecko from petco about 5 days ago and its not eating. i barely moves. i need help with this situation. by the way i’m a newbie. let me give you some info on the set up. i have a 20 gallon long tank, with zoo med repti bark bedding, a small tree and water bowl. the humidty rages from 60 to 85% and the temp at night is about 75-80 and in the day its about 85 F. any suggestions would be greatly appricated
09/11/08  11:02pm

 #1857756


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1857383


 My golden gecko wont eat

Most goldies refuse to eat from purchase, so you’re not alone in this loop. Make sure the tank is in a secluded room without much activity and tape a cut up grocery bag or cardboard to three sides of the tank to promote seclusion. There’s a good chance it’s stress right now.

If the goldie doesn’t eat past day 10, take it to the vet to rule out parasites or other illnesses (golden geckos are usually wild caught, so tend to have these things). The vet will teach you how to force feed if it should ever come to that.

Sade, my golden gecko, refused to eat on his own for his first two some months. He was very sickly and loaded with parasites when I took him to the vet. He nearly died from starvation and the dewormers. After he was dewormed, he refused to eat simply due to being stubborn - which is a common species trait in the golden gecko. Keep in mind that during these months I did force feed him. Another member who was on this forum long ago had to forcefeed theirs for a year before it ate on its own.


As for hiding, the goldie will hide for months before getting use to the enclosure. You may not see much of it for quite a while, so sit back and enjoy the wait while it lasts.
09/12/08  03:50pm

 #1857905


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1857756


 My golden gecko wont eat

thanks for that info. i grabbed him and he was comfortable in my hand and was walking up my arm. i know they don’t like to be handle but i was trying to give him some appetite stimulant but couldn’t. i don’t want to force his mouth open. he pooped on my hand , it was brown with some white in it. i covered his tank on all expose sides except the top. hopefully he’ll eat something. i’m going to wait for one or two more days if it doesn’t change i’m taking him to petco. i don’t want to exchange him but hopefully they’ll give me a free vet visit.
09/12/08  07:24pm

 #1857994


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1857905


 My golden gecko wont eat

The last thing you should do is handle him, unless it’s an emergency - such as force feeding. Like I said already, you should NOT force feed or syring feed the lizard until the vet shows you how. If you’ve never been shown how to by a professional and try to yourself, you could accidentally end up breaking the jaw of hte lizard, aspirating it, or ripping the skin.

And I mean it about the handling. It has nothing to do with being a display lizard. The gecko only recently moved in, he needs time to settle. All you’re doing by taking him out of the tank is stressing him out 10 fold. All lizard species, even those who tolerate handling like the leopard gecko, should not be handled for the first week or two because of this.

He crapped on you as a defense mechanism. The brown is the bulk of it, the white is the urate (piss). If the white is white and not yellow, then the gecko is well hydrated. The crap should be in a log format and relatively solid. If it’s goopy or slimy, then the gecko may have parasites. But that’s only one of many ways to tell, and not for all parasites. If the gecko doesn’t run away when you grab him from the tank, then he’s ill (or going into shock from stress). If the gecko doesn’t plan an escape when you handle him, the same. A healthy golden gecko would shoot from the tank and flee up the wall or run up your arm and leap off your shoulder to freedom.




09/12/08  08:24pm

 #1858123


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1857994


 My golden gecko wont eat

the poop is releatively solid but its not long and the white part is completely white. also when i try to handle him, he really doesn’t try to run away. should i exchange him or should i have them check him out??? i’m new to this. should i exchange for different type of gecko, more like a leopard???? some people say that a golden gecko is not for beginners cause they are hard to take care of. i really need help. i have pics if that would help. and thanks for your imput
09/12/08  09:59pm

 #1858223


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1858123


 My golden gecko wont eat

If the goldie isn’t trying ot escape, it’s probably either stressing out far too much or is ill.

If this if your first gecko, then the best idea would be to take the lizard back and, yes, plan for a leopard gecko Or a crested gecko - if the store has them. A golden gecko is one of the hardest geckos to care for (which is why you don’t see many owners on this website). They’re related to the Tokay and many are sick upon purchase. However a leopard gecko and crested gecko are both beginner lizards and much easier to care for.

But don’t immediately get any other geckos should you return the goldie. If you’re going to use the same tank, you’d have to remove everything and bleach it out with 1 parts bleach to 10 parts water. After all, you don’t want to transfer anything ugly from your current lizard to any new ones you may get. Study the new lizard’s care and requirements, find a vet in your area that can take on lizards, and have the tank set up a week before lizard purchase.

Now if it’s not your first gecko, if you’re ready for the challenge and expenses that normally come with owning a goldie, then nothing’s wrong with going through the vet bills and treatments. So long as you’re prepared for some commitment and money in taking care of a stubborn display lizard, then it’s all good.



09/12/08  11:15pm

 #1858260


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1858223


 My golden gecko wont eat

i don’t mind spending some money for the care of my gecko but i think if i have a warranty on my gecko they should have given me a healthy one , if it is unhealthy. i did what you said and covered three sides of the tank. i just checked on him and i notice that he started shedding , is that normal or should i be concerned????
09/12/08  11:55pm

 #1858270


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1858260


 My golden gecko wont eat

Petco can be unreasonable. I’ve heard horror stories of lizards being kept at Petco, malnourished, leos kept on calcisand and impacted/dieing, sick lizards, different species housed together, and the like.

Shedding is normal. He’ll do it every three weeks to every month. Usually the golden gecko will shed and eat it quickly, so you may not notice most sheds. Now since you fooled with him today, he may not eat his skin. This is basically because you held him when you weren’t supposed to (and that’s a lot considering you’re not supposed to handle him at all.) Sick goldies also don’t tend to eat their shed, but I have a good feeling that your goldie is simply stressing to all sides of the border right now. While you make your decision, it’s best simply to leave him alone with exception to changing the water dish and putting food in.
09/13/08  12:25am

 #1858272


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1858270


 My golden gecko wont eat

On the by, before any large misunderstandings happen in our conversation, it’s the job of the owner to always take their lizard to the vet for an initial checkup, plus annual checkups. This is regardless of where you get the lizard from. It’s just like buying a kitten, puppy, ferret, or any exotic pet. Every one you get has to go to the vet in the first week after purchase. This not only confirms that you have a healthy animal, but also that you have a record of it with your vet from now until the pet dies (which, for a goldie, would generally be ten years from now.)
09/13/08  12:30am

 #1858275


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1858270


 My golden gecko wont eat

i can’t see the rest of the shedding except whats left on the tail. he must have eaten the rest cause i saw some on his limbs and when i checked it was gone. hopefully covering the three sides of the tank will help.



09/13/08  12:34am

 #1858278


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1858275


 My golden gecko wont eat

i understand its the owners resposenbility but even if you buy a dog or kitten and it has never been checked then the seller is resposible. especially from what i hear that most golden are brought from the wild. like i said i don’t mind spending some money so thats not a problem. i just don’t want it to die on me till the vet visit.



09/13/08  12:39am

 #1858289


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1858278


 My golden gecko wont eat

Chain Petstores concerning exotics is a hectic business. They honestly don’t care about the health of the lizard in most cases. They expect the owner to treat them like fish. They live a year or two then die, then the owner gets a new one. Wild caught is even a step further, since it costs them a nickle to a dime per gecko to get them wild caught. Why should they care if their extraordinarily cheap gecko is sick? It’s just a gecko, after all. There’s no reason to pour forty to eighty dollars for vet bills in a gecko that they intend to sell for ten.

And on the other side, it’s the buyers that usually believe this. The parents that get their children a gecko and expect it to only live a year - which is normally the case if the gecko is sick or the set up isn’t correct. There are only a few who actually go through the full research and vet bills to make sure they have a healthy, long-living reptile.

Over all it’s a dirty business and a loose-loose situation for the reptile, but alas... Nothing can be done to fix this. The only time action is taken is for the more expensive lizards, only in specific areas that have some hint of reptile knowledge, and even then it’s only rarely.


I may not reply to future messages for at least twelve more hours. I need to go to work and then sleep.
09/13/08  01:01am

 #1858293


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1858289


 My golden gecko wont eat

Oh, and it more than likely wont die before your vet visit. Reptiles have a considerably slow metabolism and can go without food for weeks before showing any major sign of strain from it. The only times you would know if your gecko was going to die on you immediately after purchase is if the gecko is wire-thin emaciated, or the gecko was vomitting/crapping blood.
09/13/08  01:04am

 #1858303


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1858293


 My golden gecko wont eat

i think it was just stressed. cause i went to see if it finish shedding and the shedding was gone and then he ran towards the glass and hid behind the fake plants i have. i also noticed that there were some worms missing. i think me covering the glass really helped. thanks for all the help. if my gecko gets better , can i put a female goldie with him or would that be a problem???
09/13/08  01:23am

 #1858806


KrazyKelli
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   Message To: Nastynas2029   In reference to Message Id: 1858303


 My golden gecko wont eat

Alright, I’m back for a short while.

No, do not get a female. If this is your first gecko and you intend to keep it, leave it in a solitary life for, if anything, a few years. Golden geckos are extremely territorial and even females are known to fight once in a while. That and a male could easily harass a female for sex - which would stress both out in the long run. Female goldies are rare on the market and are usually 4 to 8 times more expensive than males (usually 80 dollars).

Right now, your best bet is to Leave the Goldie Alone and let it settle in. Outside of the future vet visit, water changes, feedings, and mistings, you should right at this moment not bother the golden gecko whatsoever.



09/13/08  07:04pm

 #1859894


Nastynas2029
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   Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 1858806


 My golden gecko wont eat

first thanks for all your help. i did everything like you said , covered the tank and left him alone, put some food (3 mealworms, 3 waxworms), and i mist the tank. i just checked on him and he tried to hide (good sign) and there is only 1 waxworm and 2 mealworms and signs of poop (good sign). and his color changed from a very dark green to a yellowish green , still not as bright as the other goldies on this sight but a big improvement. what kind of decor should i get??? i saw this waterfall and fogger , they say its good for humidity. what kind heat lamp should i get for a 20 long tank. do i need a uva lamp
09/14/08  10:50pm


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