The leopard gecko is a small lizard that can be taken care of or handled easily and that is the reason it has been a perfect choice for beginners. The leopard gecko is an amazing reptile and will not cause any issue for its owners.
But you need to take care of the leopard gecko so that there are no health issues like they are not eating, etc. In this article, we will discuss the fact that why is the leopard gecko not eating, and by knowing the reasons you can help them and also give them the treatment if needed. You need to take care of the leopard gecko so that they can live a happy, healthy, and satisfying life inside the captivity.
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Why is the leopard gecko not eating?
There can be much reason as to why the leopard gecko is not eating and you need to understand them and give them proper care and attention and these various reasons have been listed below and by knowing these reasons you can accordingly give attention to your leopard gecko:
1. Vision Issues
The leopard gecko can go through vision problems that are caused due to the retained skin on the eyes of the leopard gecko. This retained skin blocks the ability of the leopard gecko to see food and because of this, you will notice that the leopard gecko has stopped eating or they are eating less. This impacts their eating habits and this occurs due to the incomplete shedding and the skin retains on their eyes.
2. Shedding of skin
When a leopard gecko is about to shed its skin then also stop eating food. You need to notice this period in the life of a leopard gecko. The leopard gecko will shed more skin when they are young and lesser as they grow older. This leads to a decrease in their appetite and in some cases they will also stop eating. So do not worry much as this is a natural phenomenon and they will start eating food once this shedding skin period will get over. In this case, you have to be observant and check the shedding of the skin is taking place or not, otherwise, some other reason is there.
3. Age
Age plays a major factor in the food habits of the leopard gecko. As we know that the young or baby leopard geckos are very choosy about their food so they tend to stop eating food as it takes time to get used to the new temperature, space, food, etc. and that is one of the reasons that new owners are not advised to pet baby leopard geckos because of their unstable mood. So you should be used to their unstable mood and find ways to feed them and understand their mood fluctuations. When the leopard geckos are young they tend to eat more, but as they grow old they tend to lose their appetite and sometimes they stop eating.
4. Stress
The stress is caused to the leopard gecko-like it is caused to humans and this also leads to the loss of appetite and they suddenly stop eating. This stress can be due to the change in space, location, or scenery. Even the terrarium is small then also the leopard gecko feels suffocated and which triggers stress in them. Also, they do not want to share their terrarium so they are territorial in nature, and because of these reasons they feel stressed out and that is why they stop eating. As an owner you have to understand the reason behind their stress and try to eliminate it, they will naturally start eating food.
5. Same food
When you will feed the leopard gecko with the same food regularly or on the regular basis, then also they tend to lose interest in food and stops eating food as they do not enjoy eating food anymore. So do feed them with a variety of food as this will excite them up and treat them with various variety of insects, then only they will not lose the interest in food and will start eating food again. So do provide the leopard gecko with a variety of food as the same old food served daily to them is quite boring and no one wants to eat the same food daily. They need variety in food as we humans need it.
6. Gender
The female leopard geckos will eat less when they have to lay eggs and once the female leopard geckos reach sexual maturity they lose their appetite. So do not worry about this just be careful with their diet and try to give them a high nutritional diet as they need to have energy at this time and there should be no weakness at this time in the female leopard geckos. Even the male leopard gecko stops eating at the time of mating period and this normal side effect of the mating period and this is also seen in the case of the female leopard geckos also at the time mating period.
7. Poor digestion
The poor digestive system also causes loss in appetite and that is why they tend to stop eating the food. The reason is that their digestive system gets blocked due to undigested food or some outside stuff and they are not able to defecate properly. In this case, you need to visit a vet and take the appropriate measures so that they get normal and eat properly and become healthy again. Do observe your leopard gecko properly and check for the digestive blockage symptoms and visit the vet as soon as possible.
8. Parasites or infection
There are chances that in the gut of the leopard gecko there are parasites and this leads to the loss of appetite and the leopard gecko will lose interest in eating food. Many infections are also caused which leads to the diseases and that also leads to lost appetite in the leopard gecko and they stop eating the food. The infections and parasites enter the body of the leopard gecko through food, air, or unclean space. So do sanitize the terrarium and the food of the leopard gecko and if the infection is severe to contact a vet.
9. Pain
When the leopard gecko is feeling any kind of pain in their body they do not feel like eating as they might have some internal injury, fracture, or some kind of muscle rupture. So do check for all this and if you are not able to figure it out visiting the vet is the best option and after the treatment of pain is done right, they might start eating properly.
10. Cold Environment or temperature
When the temperature is cold or the environment is too low inside the tank of the leopard gecko then also they stop eating and also they will not feel like eating. The reason is that at the cold temperatures they will have a slow metabolism rate and also poor digestion is there which will make the leopard gecko lose interest in food and they will not eat any food. So you should take care of the temperature so that the cold environment is not created inside the tank and they will be healthy at standard temperatures only.
These are some of the common reasons due to which your leopard gecko will not eat or will stop eating. You should be aware of the fact that what are reasons behind and then only you can give them proper care and attention.
How to make your leopard gecko eat when they are not eating?
You should first of all know, what would be the reason behind the fact that the leopard gecko is not eating the food because only then you will be able to treat them properly according to their problem.
In most cases the leopard gecko will not eat because of natural reasons and they will start eating after few days like in the case of shedding and with age, they usually stop eating or they eat less. But when the issues are serious like sickness, pain, stress, etc. you might need some medical help for your leopard gecko so that they can recover from their problems and start eating properly without any issue.
You can give proper care and attention to the leopard gecko by providing them a proper and comfortable environment in which they can live happily and also can maintain a healthy environment. Your leopard gecko basically needs your love and care so that they can eat their food properly and also so that they do not have any issues. If medical treatment is needed or you do not need what to do, so it is better to take them to the vet so that proper treatment can be given.
Final thoughts:
The leopard gecko is one of the most popular reptiles that is kept as a pet by many reptile enthusiasts because they are easy to handle and they are comfortable with humans. The leopard gecko needs an understanding of the humans so that they can live happily and also in a healthy environment without any issue.
More:
Can Leopard Geckos See In The Dark?
