My leopard gecko hasn't pooped in 5 days. Should I still feed him?

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.

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.

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.

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 weight though, you will need to have him examined by your veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. You can review leopard gecko care at this link: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

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

Thanks for reaching out about Rem. Continue to provide 5-10 minute warm water soaks, a few times daily to stimulate defecation. Intestinal infections, parasites, ingested foreign bodies (substrate, bark, etc) or metabolic disorders can all lead to bloat and anorexia. If this continues a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and assist with a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Make sure enclosure temps are appropriate. Juveniles need warmer temps than adults and temperature affects digestion in reptiles. You can also soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. Gently massage her abdomen to stimulate defecation.