How Long Can Leopard Geckos Go without Food?

Hi Makyla — Make sure to check your leopard gecko’s setup against our care sheet (https://reptilesupply.com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-leopard-gecko) to make sure that she hasn’t stopped eating because something’s wrong with her husbandry. If things look alright there, we recommend taking your gecko to an experienced reptile veterinarian for a quick exam to make sure she’s not sick.

Hi I’ve had my gecko for about a year now, and about 2 months ago she stopped eating she eats a meal worm once in a while and there are droppings but also only every now and then. She is not losing much weight but I am concerned I really thought she would eat by now.
Thanks.

Hi Cher — 21 years is impressive! Taking a 2 week break from eating is perfectly normal for an adult leopard gecko, even when they’re older. Just double-check your setup to make sure nothing has changed (too warm, too cold, too dry, too humid, etc.), and if the problem persists, bring it up with an experienced reptile veterinarian.

I have a 21 year old leopard gecko. He stopped eating about 2 weeks ago. Still drinking water. He did shed his skin about 5 weeks ago which he ingested. Should I be worried? I heard this is normal but given his age.

Hi Melanie — It is normal for leopard geckos to go off food for a little while after they move to a new home, since change is stressful to them. However, it does sound like the previous owner may not have been taking very good care of the gecko. We recommend updating the gecko’s setup according to the instructions in our leopard gecko care sheet (https://reptilesupply.com/blogs/care-sheets/how-to-care-for-your-leopard-gecko). If you don’t see improvement after that, take your gecko to an experienced reptile veterinarian (http://reptifiles.com/reptile-vet-directory) for examination.