Possible impaction HELP

[Kimmy173]

My two year old female leopard gecko may be impacted. Her heat mat stopped working a few days ago and the day I noticed it I immediately went and bought a new one. So for the last week now or so she's had the proper heat. But she's gone off her food, I gave her two hoppers that she finished off the day before I recieved Magnum which was 4th this month, exactly a week ago. Usually I feed her twice to three times a week depending on how much she eats but she hasn't eaten for the week and is just not interested in food, meal worms, wax worms or hoppers (all of which she usually loves).

What makes me think it's impaction though is that she hasn't pooped. I cleaned her and Magnum (seperate cages) out before I went and stayed at a friend's house. This was on Monday night and tonight I walked in, Magnum's pooped and I fed him but Kate hasn't eaten and there's no poop. So now I'm really fretting. She's a big girl so she has enough meat on her for it not to damage her thus far, but I don't know what to do.

I've given her a warm bath and rubbed her tummy which I hear is good for impaction, but she didn't poop in the water (which I'm also told is a near-on certainty since it does something to them) and she's still not eating, although she really enjoyed the warm bath and didn't want to get out. I've put Magnum's heat mat under her cage as well because the other one, although warm, isn't as big as her old one so until I go to bed she'll have Magnum's mat. I hope it's just something to do with the heat.

A friend of mine suggests that because her old heat mat could have been malfunctioning for up to a week (the last time I fed her and checked) that she could think it's winter and hybernate (I didn't think geckos hibernated so can someone let me know if they do or not) and that's why she stopped eating because she thought she was meant to be sleeping.

So I don't know what's wrong, I'm jumping to impaction because of the lack of poop and appetite. If it sounds like something else, or if you can help me please because I know how fatal impaction can be, please help me

[freekygeeky]

it could be that she was just cold so didnt eat much, like when they shed they dont eat then... when my room is a little colder frecks wont eat, and the same when its too hot, but wait until some profesional repiles!

[Athravan]

What substrate are you using?

Impaction means she has to have eaten some of the substrate - if she's been off her food, it could very well be because of the temperature drop. She may have gone into brumation, which would mean she would lose her appetite - and it would slow her metabolism and her digestive system right down, meaning the food she had eaten might not be processed that quickly.

I would get her onto kitchen towel so you can see if she does go to the bathroom, make sure the heat is spot on now, and monitor for a few more days.

If it is impaction, there would be other signs, how are her back legs, is she still able to walk okay, are they are signs of paralysis or wonky/weakness in the back legs? Is her stomach/abdomen distended, puffy, or different to normal at all?

Lack of poop can just be constipation, it can be to do with temperature/digestion, and of course, it can be impaction, but not necessarily.

[Kimmy173]

she's on kitchen towel already, never had her on anything else. Her tummy looks and feel fine, when I was massaging it gently it wasn't too stiff nor too sqidgy.

What is Brumation and does it do them harm? it's something I haven't heard of so please explain it to me in more detail if possible

Her legs are fine, she walks and climbs no problem, and apart from not eating and pooping she seems her normal chirpy self, although slightly slower.

If it is constipation how can I treat it?

[Athravan]

If she is on kitchen towel, and you haven't seen her taking chunks out of it - I really don't see how it could possibly be impaction. Impaction builds up over time, most commonly with a large amount of sand in the gut, but sometimes with bark chips and other objects that are ingested when they grab substrate by mistake when hunting.

I have never heard of an animal kept on kitchen towel suffering from impaction (which isn't to say it's not possible, but not highly likely).

Brumation is the reptilian equivalent of hibernation. When a mammal hibernates, they eat loads, put on loads of weight... and then sleep for the winter. Their metabolism still ticks away, and they lose all the fat storage they had over the summer months.

With reptiles, brumation slows their metabolism right down - so they don't use up their fat/energy reserves, they can occasionally eat during brumation but certainly not a lot.

It is triggered by what they may see as a natural onset of winter - ie. a significant temperature drop.

Increasing the temperature should bring her out of brumation (although I'd do it slowly, not a huge increase) and once back up to normal, her metabolism will return to regular rate, and she will need energy, so she will have an appetite, and eat again.

If it is brumation that is!

If it goes on for a week or more after the temperatures are regulated, or any other signs pop up, lots of weight loss, lethargy, paralysis, etc... then you might want to consider a vet.

If it's constipation regular warm baths should do the trick hopefully.

[freekygeeky]

Originally Posted by Kimmy173

she's on kitchen towel already, never had her on anything else. Her tummy looks and feel fine, when I was massaging it gently it wasn't too stiff nor too sqidgy.

What is Brumation and does it do them harm? it's something I haven't heard of so please explain it to me in more detail if possible

Her legs are fine, she walks and climbs no problem, and apart from not eating and pooping she seems her normal chirpy self, although slightly slower.

If it is constipation how can I treat it?

to be honest i dont htink she can be impacted, unless she has eaten loads of the paper towel, which you would notice. sooo i recon its just she has gone of her food a little cos of the temp chang.

[Kimmy173]

Ok so I agree it's not impaction. the possible hybernation sounds about right, but would she still poop, obviously not as much, but still some. And another habit she picked up, although it was when the mat wasn't working was going under the towel. Do you think this was her trying to get at the heat? The towel was all crumpled when I got back tonight, but not bites taken out of it or anything like that, just crumpled as though she'd gone under for a quick snooze.

[jamie_coxon]

if shes had no heat, its not because shes hibernating, leos need the heat to digest there food properly. no heat = no food getting digested

[freekygeeky]

also... my older leo only goes to the loo liek once a week, were as my younger ones, go alllll the time.

[DeanThorpe]

Originally Posted by jamie_coxon

if shes had no heat, its not because shes hibernating, leos need the heat to digest there food properly. no heat = no food getting digested

which would usually = pooing undigested waste or regurgitating the food.
with the heat back on, the body should speed up and continue digesting anything thats in there which should allow passing of any raw waste thats stuck in the gut before any nasty problems occur.
she wouldnt eat whilst waiting for this to happen so its defo possible i think.