It can be scary when you notice your leopard gecko isn’t acting like its usual self. If your leo has stopped eating and is sleeping more than normal, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Excessive sleeping and loss of appetite in leopard geckos is often caused by improper temperatures, stress, disease, or impaction. Check your temperatures, minimize stressors, bring your gecko to the vet, and make sure their habitat is optimal.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore all the possible reasons for lethargy and appetite loss in leopard geckos and how to get your pet back to full health.
Checking Basic Husbandry
Maintaining Proper Temperatures
Leopard geckos are cold-blooded reptiles that require specific temperature gradients to properly thermoregulate. The cool side of the tank should be around 75-80°F while the warm side should reach 88-92°F. This allows your leo to move between warmer and cooler areas to regulate its body temperature.
Using an under tank heating mat on one side of the enclosure along with an overhead ceramic heat emitter is a great way to establish this gradient. Improper temperatures can lead to appetite loss, lethargy, trouble shedding, and other issues. Be sure to use a thermometer to monitor temperatures!
Ensuring Adequate Humidity
Leopard geckos come from arid regions and do best when humidity is kept low. Ideal levels are around 30-40%. High humidity can lead to respiratory infections and skin issues. Make sure the substrate does not retain moisture and avoid misting the tank. A hygrometer is useful for monitoring humidity.
You can lower humidity by ensuring proper ventilation in the tank.
Providing Appropriate Substrates
Substrate choice is important for maintaining proper humidity levels and allowing for natural behaviors like digging. Good options include non-adhesive shelf liner, paper towels, or reptile carpets. Loose particulate substrates like sand are not recommended as they can cause impaction if ingested.
Always avoid using cedar chips, as the oils can be toxic to reptiles. The substrate should be easy to clean and replace between full tank cleanings.
Cleaning the Habitat Regularly
Regular cleaning is vital for your leo’s health. Uneaten food and waste should be removed daily. Water bowls need scrubbing and refilling with dechlorinated water several times a week. Every 4-8 weeks, the tank itself should be fully cleaned – dispose of the substrate, sanitize décor/hides, wipe down surfaces with reptile-safe disinfectant.
Fill the tank with fresh substrate. A clean habitat prevents bacterial/fungal buildup and provides a stress-free environment.
Ruling Out Stress
Stress is one of the most common reasons for a leopard gecko to stop eating. If the gecko feels threatened or unsafe in its environment, it may go into a semi-hibernative state and sleep more while refusing food. There are a few key ways to reduce potential stressors:
Limiting External Stimuli
Too much noise, light, or vibration near a leopard gecko’s enclosure can induce stress. Keep the tank in a quiet, low-traffic area of the home. Dim ambient light and mute any electronics near the habitat. Avoid tapping on the glass or frequently moving decor items inside the tank.
Consistency and peacefulness promote a feeling of safety.
Avoiding Tank Mates
Despite their solitary nature, some owners try housing leopard geckos together to save space. However, cohabitation often causes major stress and should be avoided. Even a large tank with ample hides and resources does not eliminate territorial aggression and conflict.
Bullying from another gecko can prevent a more timid animal from emerging to eat and drink. Each leopard gecko is best housed alone in an adequately sized tank with proper heating/lighting for healthy appetite and activity levels.
Providing Hiding Spots
In the wild, leopard geckos rely on rocks, bushes, burrows, and crevices to retreat and feel secure. An enclosed hide with just one entrance helps recreate this experience. Having at least one snug, opaque shelter at both the cool and warm end of the tank is vital.
Studies show access to proper hides significantly lowers a gecko’s stress hormone output. With trusted shelter available, the gecko can relax enough to eat normally and exhibit usual behavior.
Check hides to ensure they are appropriately sized, with just enough room for the gecko to turn around. If excess open space exists, obstruct the opening slightly with a decorative item to improve the sense of security.
Diagnosing Health Conditions
Metabolic Bone Disease
Metabolic bone disease (MBD) is one of the most common health issues seen in leopard geckos. MBD is caused by an imbalance of calcium, vitamin D3, and phosphorus in the body. Symptoms include weakness, tremors, bending of the legs and back, swelling around the limbs and jaw, and difficulty shedding.
MBD can be prevented by providing proper UVB lighting, gutloading feeder insects, and dusting feeders with calcium and vitamin supplements. Left untreated, MBD can be fatal. Reptile veterinarians can provide injections and dietary changes to help reverse early stages of MBD.
Parasites
Intestinal parasites like coccidia, pinworms, and tapeworms are reasonably common in leopard geckos. Symptoms may include lethargy, weight loss, lack of appetite, and abnormal stools. Pinworms can often be seen near the vent.
Fecal tests by a reptile vet can check for parasite eggs and indicate proper medication. Keeping the vivarium very clean and quarantining new geckos are vital prevention steps. Over-the-counter dewormers specific for reptiles can eliminate some parasites when directions are precisely followed.
Respiratory Infections
Respiratory infections are a serious health threat seen in leopard geckos. Caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses, symptoms include wheezing, nasal discharge, excessive mucus in the mouth, and lethargy. The infection can quickly advance to pneumonia if untreated.
Prevention involves maintaining proper temperatures and humidity in the vivarium, cleanliness, avoiding stress, and quarantining new geckos. Antibiotics from a reptile vet are needed to treat bacterial infections. Seek immediate veterinary care if your gecko has respiratory distress.
Mouth Rot
Mouth rot is a common bacterial infection of the gums and mouth tissues in leopard geckos. It causes cheesy-looking deposits in the mouth, redness, swelling, and pus. A gecko with mouth rot will have difficulty eating and lose weight.
Providing appropriate heating and humidity, a balanced diet, and clean water can prevent mouth rot. But once present, a course of antibiotic injections or oral medication from a reptile vet is necessary. Left untreated, mouth rot can spread systemically and be fatal.
So early veterinary treatment is crucial.
Treating Impaction
Adjusting Diet
One of the best ways to treat and prevent impaction in leopard geckos is by adjusting their diet. Feed them insects with exoskeletons that are easier to digest, like mealworms, waxworms and silkworms. Avoid insects with hard shells like crickets and grasshoppers.
You can try softening crickets by gut loading them with fruits and vegetables first. Also, use calcium and vitamin supplements sparingly, as excess can cause constipation.
Raising Temperatures Slightly
Raising the tank temperature slightly to 85-90°F can help stimulate digestion and get things moving through the gut. Be sure not to raise it too high though, as leopard geckos are sensitive to heat. Monitor closely and adjust the heating pad or lamp as needed.
The warmer environment helps energize their metabolism.
Giving Warm Baths
Giving your leopard gecko a warm bath can provide relief from constipation. Prepare a shallow bath with just enough warm water to cover their underside, around 85°F. Let them soak 10-15 minutes once daily until they pass stool normally.
The hydration and gentle massaging effect can help relax muscles and lubricate compacted waste. Be sure to supervise baths carefully.
Using Laxatives Sparingly
As a last resort, a reptile veterinarian may recommend a gentle laxative like lactulose to relieve impaction. Use laxatives sparingly though, as they can cause diarrhea if overused. Mineral oil should be avoided, as it can cause lipid pneumonia if accidentally inhaled.
Always consult an exotic vet before using laxatives. With proper husbandry, diet and hydration, impaction can often be resolved without medications.
When to See a Veterinarian
If your leopard gecko is not eating or is sleeping all the time, it’s important to have them examined by a veterinarian. Here are some signs that indicate it’s time to schedule an appointment:
Significant Weight Loss
Leopard geckos should maintain a healthy weight as adults. If your gecko is rapidly losing weight or becoming emaciated, it likely means they are not eating enough. Weight loss is one of the first signs of an underlying health issue.
Lack of Interest in Food
Healthy leopard geckos are excited to eat when offered food. If your gecko repeatedly ignores its favorite feeder insects, it could signal a loss of appetite due to illness or stress. Persistent disinterest in food is not normal and requires veterinary attention.
Minimal Activity
Leopard geckos are naturally active reptiles when healthy. If your gecko is sleeping all day and night, or is lethargic and slow moving, it often indicates sickness or weakness. Lethargy and decreased activity levels frequently accompany appetite loss.
Visible Physical Changes
Look for any abnormal physical changes in your leopard gecko, like sunken eyes, muscle wasting, swelling, or discharge. Skin color changes, eye cloudiness, and difficulty shedding can also warrant medical evaluation. Any obvious changes in appearance could reflect underlying disease.
No Bowel Movements
Constipation is a serious health issue for leopard geckos. If your gecko is not defecating regularly, with urates that are white and feces that are brown and well-formed, there could be impaction or other Digestive issues preventing proper bowel function and nutrient absorption.
In addition to the above signs, schedule a veterinarian visit right away if you notice labored breathing, vomiting, seizures, or other acute symptoms. Reptile veterinarians have specialized training to diagnose and treat leopard geckos.
Through exams, diagnostics, and treatment, they can help determine why your gecko is not eating or sleeping normally and get them back to full health.
Conclusion
Loss of appetite and lethargy can seem worrying in leopard geckos, but the cause is often easily addressed. Start by double checking your husbandry, minimizing stressors, and bringing the gecko for an exam and fecal test if symptoms persist.
With proper care and patience, you can get your leo back to full health and activity levels.