I'm so scared my leo is too skinny! I don't know what's wrong with him. Grif (his name) eats crickets and mealworms and waxworms daily. He has fresh water, changed daily. My boyfriend had me put him on calcium sand yesterday, which we are changing promptly seeing how everyone says it'll compact his innards. I was thinking crushed walnut shells, my vet said that was best. I have no idea how old he is. Sadly I got him at petco and everyone says petco is evil and not to buy from them. I got him about a month ago and he's gotten a lot skinnier. His home is about 83' on ave, 40% humidity. I mist him every other day. Just a lamp for his light, was told uv was unnecessary. He has a heating pad attached to the bottom under his bed. Um, he's really really active/hyper at all hours. Please help!!! He's my first reptile ever and I really really don't want him to die

When I first got Grif:
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...l/DSCF3305.jpg

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...l/DSCF3343.jpg

Now:

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...l/DSCF3504.jpg

Find another vet! That stuff is awful!
We need to know specifically what the temps are on the warm end as well as the cool end.
If you are positive that the gecko is eating and it is still dropping weight,....
its time to see a good herp vet.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I second Merlin, your vet sounds less than reputable. I was looking at your pictures, if he is in a little critter keeper and he has too much heat, maybe he is over stressed you may want to move him to a larger enclosure and create more of a heat gradient. Those carriers while convenient are rarely good for the animals people keep in them.

Priority at this point though is a good vet.

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“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ (I found it!) but ‘That’s funny…'"
- Isaac Asimov



TKE:TT:118

That little guy has a parasite load of some sort if he has been eating and losing weight. A vet visit is 100% required if you want to save him. His tail is where he stores his fat reserves. When it gets as thin as his tail is, it means he has used all of his reserves. When he needs to draw on nutrients and they aren't there any longer, he will begin starving.

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Here are links to help you find herp vets. Be sure to take in samples of his poop.

Also, tell us more about its set up. Size? Hides? etc...

Herp Vet Connection
ARAV

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

You really need to get him a larger tank and a digital thermometer. Those tape ones only read what the surface temp of the glass is and aren't the most accurate. It also looks like is is in a tiny aquarium, which means it will be almost impossible to get a heat gradient, and the leo will be unable to regulate his body temp.

A new vet (one that actually deals with reptiles) is also in order.

I would also check out the Leo caresheet so that you know what other changes you should be making.
Leopard Gecko Caresheet (Eublepharis macularius) - Reptile Information - Caresheets Database

Hope everything works out!

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I would agree with what everyone else has said! Especially Rich, with all the geckos I have taken in over the years that have looked like that it was either starvation or horrible parasites! you say that he has been eating, so I lean towards the parasites. It is amazing what a little Panacur will do to rid him of that!

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I have sucker tattood on my forehead

I too say he needs to go to a vet. And a different vet from the first one you went to definitely, Crushed walnut shell is terrible terrible stuff! Good luck!

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Yes my name is D... Yes as in the letter... No i wont tell you what it stands for!!!

I agree you need a new vet and larger tank. Parasites can be the problem.
I went back and looked at the pictures and Grif was a bit skinny from the beginning. Didn't look that healthy.
He is probably over heated there need to be some more hiding places. Get rid of the calci-sand and the coconut stuff is really bad. For now you may want to just put him on paper towels, red light only at night. Dusted crickets and wax worms.
Take him to vet to check for parasites ASAP.

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OH man...skinny boy. As stated many times, take the little guy to a vet!! He wasn't huge to begin with, but that is some MAJOR weight loss in just a months time!! And my leo's are FAR from hyperactive at all hours of the day...If your temp. tape stuff says 84, it is probably MUCH warmer than that on the surface. And the cage is so small that he can't get away from the heat! Just an example, one of my leo's cages has that temp tape stuff on it from a long time ago, and it reads 78-80 when the temp. of the floor above the heater is actually about 100!! So, your little guy is probably pretty hot and uncomfortable on top of maybe having parasites :/ Well, good luck! They are awesome pets when they are healthy

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~Tamara~

The creatures I love to spoil!
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko (Matilda & Bob Marley)
2.1.0 Desert Tortoises (Thor, Scar, & Sundance)
0.1.0 Appendix Quarter Horse (Baylee)
0.1.0 Pitbull (Miss Riley Skyy)