My leopard gecko hasn't pooped in 5 days. Should I still feed him?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My juvenile leopard gecko hasn't pooped for about 5 days. He still acts hungry. He will eat and mainly likes crickets. He acts normal and active. Should I continue to feed him or what do you recommend.
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 21st, 2020
I would make sure his cage is warm enough and the temperatures are appropriate. You may try giving him a warm water soak for about 10 minutes to encourage him to pass a bowl movement. Try to avoid feeding insects with dense exoskeletons like mealworms as they are harder to digest.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 31st, 2019
Thanks for reaching out about Rowen. Warm water soaks for 10-15 minutes daily can assist with defecation. If constipation persists, a veterinary visit is needed for an enema and diagnostics. Good luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 20th, 2020
Keep soaking him in a warm bath daily for 20-30 minutes. Massage the abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. A dab or two of applesauce may also help get things moving again. Confirm proper environmental parameters, especially temperature. Low temps can affect digestion in reptiles. If he doesn't defecate in the next 2-3 days or if he stops eating or becomes lethargic, then have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
my gecko hasn’t pooped in about five days and i’m starting to get really worried. i just got him about two months ago. he’s been eating regularly but just not pooping. i put him in some warm water and rubbed his belly and i gave him a drop of olive o
Keep soaking him in a warm bath daily for 20-30 minutes. Massage the abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. A dab or two of applesauce may also help get things moving again. Confirm proper environmental parameters, especially temperature. Low temps can affect digestion in reptiles. If he doesn't defecate in the next 2-3 days or if he stops eating or becomes lethargic, then have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My daughter has leopard gecko. Two weeks ago he ate his shedded skin. Since then it would take him linger to poop, now he hasn't poop in 6 days. But is eating just fine.
Thanks for reaching out about Rowen. Warm water soaks for 10-15 minutes daily can assist with defecation. If constipation persists, a veterinary visit is needed for an enema and diagnostics. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My leopard gecko is impacted
You can try soaking Mushu in warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20-30 minutes. Gently massage his abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. Do this once or twice daily until he defecates. Make sure he has adequate heat and humidity to properly digest prey and to maintain hydration. If the soaks do not help, you may need to have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. You can review leopard gecko care here: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
How can I get Ash to start eating again? He just suddenly stopped eating but he’s acting fine and pooping
Check the temperature in the enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. Make sure he is well hydrated. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes. This will provide both hydration and warmth. Make sure prey are appropriately sized, no bigger than the space between his eyes. If he doesn't begin to eat then have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat any underlying cause.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We are having problems with our male leopard gecko every time we try nd feed him he starts after the big nd then all the sudden he stops nd looks at his tail like somethings wrong. Do you have any idea what could be causing this? Could it be a stuck
Make sure any prey you feed is appropriately sized, no bigger than the space between his eyes. If he has any stuck shed, a good soak in a warm water bath for 15-20 minutes daily may help. If he is constipated, a gentle abdominal massage, from front to back, during the soak may stimulate defecation.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I just adopted a leopard gecko three days ago. She has been fine until today. Lethargic, hasn't defecated since I brought her home, but eats regularly. Right now she is laying on the floor of her tank, not moving. Typically she hides in her cave unle
These signs could be caused by a fecal impaction, which is a fairly common problem in leopard geckos. There are different ways to resolve it. You can try to increase the temperature inside the cage (up to 97F°) to increase metabolism or you can try to give her a luke warm water bath twice daily or give her 1-2 drops of mineral/olive oil once daily for 3 days to provide laxative effect and lubrication. If the signs do not resolve a check up would be then necessary. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, I have a 3/4 year old leopard gecko. He hasn’t been eating too much recently and looks like he is getting underweight. He hasn’t opened his one eye in two days despite me gently rubbing it with a damp Q-tip. I have tried to give him a couple d
He may have a retained eye cap which could be the cause of those symptoms. Check temps in the cage. Low temps may affect appetite and activity in reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 15-20 minutes. This will provide warmth and may treat or prevent minor dehydration. It may also help is he has any residual shed. You can also massage his abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. I see you use sand as a substrate, so an impaction is always a concern. Pick up some Fluker's Repta Boost or Oxbow Carnivore Care from the local pet store. This is a better option than baby food. If he doesn't start eating in the next few days or if the eye does not improve, have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My leopard gecko has a black belly, hasn’t been eating much, or pooping a lot either. Don’t have money to take to vet though
This could be his organs or an impaction/constipation. Without an exam, it is difficult to determine which it is. Soak Macko in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20-30 minutes. Massage his abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. Do this every other day. In between, confirm proper environmental parameters in the enclosure. Low temps will affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Offer appropriately sized prey, no bigger than the space between the eyes. You can feed a mic of crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches and phoenix worms. Gut load all prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. This can be done by feeding them high protein baby cereal, tropical fish flaked and fresh greens. Dust with a multivitamin and a calcium/D3 supplement. Pick up some Fluker's Repta Boost from the local Petco. Look in the reptiles section. You can use this to get some nutrition and calories into Macko. If he doesn't begin putting on w
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I rescued a 3year old leopard gecko I brought him home about 2weeks ago he is very tame after about 4days I started to offer him food the people I rescued him from feed him super worms I slowly try to change him to crickets since I know super worms d
Give him a good soak (20-30 minutes) in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will provide hydration and warm him up which may stimulate his appetite. An exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet is always recommended for "new" pets or pets that may be ill or injured.
Offer food about an hour or 2 after the heat lamp comes on in the morning. This will allow him to warm up and he will be more likely to eat what is offered. Use a variety of prey if possible. This can include crickets, dubia roaches, phoenix worms and the occasional superworm. Superworms are good to feed if you have a skinny gecko that needs to put on weight.
Review additional care info here: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
hello, my leopard gecko has had some stuck poo for a couple of days and today i gave her a bath to try to remove it, the poo was visible the poo didn't move so i used a cotton bud and it came out but there was some blood is this normal/is she going t
Soak her a couple times daily for the next few days. Use a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Gently massage her abdomen to stimulate defecation during the soaks. This will warm her up and keep her GI tract moving. Check the temps in the enclosure. If it is too cold, it can affect digestion causing constipation. This can also be caused by dehydration or getting substrate stuck around her vent. Once her vent is clean and she is hydrated, she should have no problems with defecation. The blood was likely due to some irritation. To be sure, you can always have Luna examined by your veterinarian to diagnose illness or injury. A stool sample can diagnose intestinal parasites.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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