fresh scarab
hey guys! I just got a gram food scale to weigh my geckos, i just weighed one geck (he's about 4 years old now?) and it said he's only 25 grams, i looked at a chart and it says he's underweight, but his tail is about the same fat as his neck and he is healthy, so maybe my scale is wrong?
and of course i will probably increase his feeding if he needs to weigh more, im just not 100% sure if hes at an okay weight, or if my scale is just wrong
placid zealot
NQA How often are you currently feeding him now? Weight isn't always a perfect indicator on if a Leo is overweight or too skinny just like how BMI is kind of iffy for human measurements but to me he does look a bit skinny and like, strangely small bodied or stunted I guess?
fresh scarab
i feed him every 2-3 days, im feeding him mealworms dusted w calcium and d3
im probably going to include dubia roaches also for some variety
i tried crickets but it didnt rlly work out lol
placid zealot
erm imma ping some qualified people on this cuz thats weird, the feeding schedule and supplement schedule definitely needs some adjusting but with that much feeding as an adult it should weight more <@&443773497429196810>
What multivitamins are you using?
fresh scarab
i currently use repticalcium (i think it is?) with D3
but if i should change that i def will
placid zealot
Is that all you use? Only the calcium with D3? no vitamins?
fresh scarab
do you mean like gutloading the mealworms?
do you think repashy superfood or something like that would be something to also use maybe?
placid zealot
fresh scarab
ahhh okay
placid zealot
reptiles need vitamin powder to get what they need heres a command to give more info on it !supplements
pseudo rainBOT
Supplements are a necessary part of a leopard gecko's (or most any captive herp's) diet. In the wild, they would be eating a wide variety of prey, and that prey would be eating a wide variety of foods itself. In captivity, there's no way to replicate this perfectly, which is why offering supplements and as varied of a diet as possible is crucial in preventing deficiencies and illness.
The exact schedule you use for supplements will depend on your individual animal, its age, and your feeding schedule. However, a good place to start is by picking up some calcium, calcium + D3, and multivitamins. If you use UVB, you will likely not need a D3 supplement since UVB allows reptiles to produce their own D3. This takes the guessing game out of how much D3 to provide (they can overdose on it) since they will regulate their exposure and D3 levels themselves. D3 is needed to use calcium in the body, so animals will become calcium deficient without D3. Additionally, make sure any calcium supplements you use are phosphorus free since they generally get enough phosphorus in their diet, and too much will cause a calcium deficiency.
Fluker's Calcium + D3 https://bit.ly/39lMQ9d
ZooMed's ReptiCalcium with D3 https://bit.ly/3f7lHdS
Fluker's Calcium (no D3) https://bit.ly/3ntLUpD
ZooMed's ReptiCalcium (no D3) https://bit.ly/2wrkeN0
RepCal Calcium (no D3) https://bit.ly/35DMY4u
Repashy Calcium Plus Multivitamin https://bit.ly/39kqVPu
RepCal Herpivite Multivitamin https://amzn.to/3lBo4rK
ZooMed Reptivite Multivitamin https://amzn.to/38NMQRL
Fluker's Repta Vitamin Multivitamin https://amzn.to/3lC8TON
If you'd like to learn more about how to assess supplement brands, here's a good article from Reptifiles: https://reptifiles.com/reptile-vitamins-reptile-calcium/
If you'd like to learn more about how reptiles use D3, here's an article from Arcadia: https://www.arcadiareptile.com/d3-cycle/
Example supplementation schedules:
http://bit.ly/3cpFcyO
placid zealot
How long have you had the gecko and not been giving it multivitamins?
fresh scarab
i've had him for about 4 years now 😭 oh my god i feel awful
i will definitely start doing that
i genuinely did alot of research and i never saw that you needed more vitamins
placid zealot
NQA thats probably why your gecko is stunted and skinnier, it hasnt had enough vitamins to fully develop correctly, its definitely like an emergency ASAP thing that needs to be gotten post haste now and you should keep monitoring overtime to watch for health issues. Its just good you came and asked at least, i know its like cold cold everywhere right now but if you can get to a store tomorrow and grab something right away that would be 100% best
placid zealot
the bot command i sent has a supplemenation schedule at the bottom, here it is again just cuz sometimes i even get confused by where its at http://bit.ly/3cpFcyO
fresh scarab
do you think its mbd? i dont think its that severe but then again im not a professional so
he doesn't seem deformed other than being skinny
placid zealot
NQA no, MBD is mostly caused by calcium and vitamin D3 deficiency and like you just said his structure looks good to me and since youve been giving him D3 and calcium at least he should be good there but his organs and such might not function as well as other Leos if they didnt develop 100% the way they should have. Once you start getting him multivitamins though he should hopefully start improving in look and recovering a bit at least
that bot command also has other multivitamins to look at besides the example i gave from amazon
fresh scarab
alright!!
yeah, maybe 3 years ago he was having some troubles i think might be separate, and i had to give him liquid food medicine stuff, but now that i think about it, maybe i caused that by not giving him the vitamins he needs 😭
thank you so much dude, i really appreciate it, i should've realized sooner, but i genuinely thought he was okay, i will get the vitamins like yesterday
placid zealot
if you havent read through the server guide as well its a great resource to look through as well !guide
pseudo rainBOT
fresh scarab
tysm! i will also see about getting UVB
placid zealot
dont beat yourself up over it or anything, what matters is that you can come and ask questions and do your best to learn and improve which isnt always easy for some people to do. When i got my first animal it was my Leopard gecko and I impulse bought it thinking itd be some easy cheap pet and then a couple weeks later i learned a lot and fixed it all and now my room is an entire zoo
fresh scarab
i was actually planning on in the future breeding him and my female geck but i dont think i should do that now.. or atleast until hes completely healthy and a good weight
im not sure if it would cause any genetic issues with him being stunted?
fresh scarab
dont beat yourself up over it or anything, what matters is that you can come and...
i guess we all have our learning curves but i really really hope he hasn't been suffering in silence this whole time 
placid zealot
i was actually planning on in the future breeding him and my female geck but i d...
!breeding
pseudo rainBOT
Breeding leopard geckos is not something that should be done for fun or for the experience. It's much more than just putting two geckos together and hoping for babies. Breeding responsibly requires funds, experience, knowledge, time, and space. The project you have in mind should be unique and high quality. Currently, the reptile market is oversaturated with leopard geckos, and you will need high-quality morphs to even have a standing. You also have to keep in mind at the end of the day you may not even turn a profit.
If you do not know the genetics or lineage of your geckos then do not breed them.
Before you start breeding, you should have:
A high-quality project goal in mind, 1-2 years of experience owning leos and doing extensive research on their behavior, health problems, care, genetics, how those genes interact, marketing, ethical business practices, common morphs in the market, ect.
The space and funds for housing, equipment, and vet care (female leos can lay up to 20 eggs in a breeding season, and you need to be ready to provide proper husbandry for each of them) with feeder insects readily available.
Breeding also comes with its own set of specific challenges. Many things can go wrong while breeding, such as incubation failure, injuries during copulation, deformities, etc. You will need to be ready to cull hatchlings who have a severely impacted quality of life.
placid zealot
more bot commands
Breeding reptiles is extremely complex and requires at least a year of learning before attempting, you also need to 100% know the genetics of the animals you have which means who the parents are and the genetic traits and morphs they possess or have hets for
and more that the bot says
north otter
It doesn’t mention it but breeding also takes a toll on the female
fresh scarab
Breeding reptiles is extremely complex and requires at least a year of learning ...
yepyep absolutely, i know all this, i wont end up breeding them, but yeah the multivitamins was just one thing i forgot i promise i know more lol /lh
fresh scarab
It doesn’t mention it but breeding also takes a toll on the female
oh yes absolutely
i plan on working w reptiles in the future (prob a side hobby,) but definitely im gonna build up experience before all of that
vapid prairie
i plan on working w reptiles in the future (prob a side hobby,) but definitely i...
So I would personally do a vet visit for your leo- it may be worth getting radiographs to check for signs of metabolic bone disease ♥️
fresh scarab
once i have money i will 1000% be doing that ❤️ i should be able to very soon once i get a job