Feeding dubia roaches (what to feed them and feeding them to the gecko)

[sly]

I've recently started keeping dubia roaches and am mostly feeding them veggies (lettuce/carrots/etc) and have been feeding them my leftover fluker's high calcium cricket feed (got sick of crickets, so unpleasant).

My leopard gecko was eating about 2-3 crickets every other day or 4-5 mealworms. She's just over a year old so I've noticed that she's started to gain weight and develop the arm bubbles behind her front arms (she's at 70g and about 15 months old at this point).

My questions are basically:

1. is the cricket food ok as a food for the roaches?

2. does swapping in a roach for the 2-3 crickets or 4-5 mealworms plus delaying times between feedings sound like an ok approach for helping her lose weight?

She got scared from something so has spent the last few weeks hiding a lot more than usual so I'm guessing that was part of the weight gain, coupled with the drop in outdoor temperatures (I've put her heat lamp on for the winter, and there's a regulated UTH keeping the heating spot at 92, and the lamp keeps the cool side around 73 or so but there was a day or so lag before I did this and she responded by crawling into the humid hide and basically 'hibernating' - she's a bit more active now).

Figuring out the 'right' amount to feed her now that it's not 'whatever she'll eat because she's growing' has proven to be quite tricky.

Thanks

 

[texascherry]

What kind of gecko do you have ?

 

[sly]

Oh woops, that would be important wouldn't it? Leopard gecko. Let me fix that in the post.

 

[texascherry]

I've learned from experience I've found that dubias love oranges and are great for them. As far as your leo being over weight ... Try feeding her a couple dubias a couple times a week .... Just remember that dubias are a lot more meatier and nutritious so don't over do it. I like to feed my guys a variety of feeders. Meal worms wax worms wax moths dubias and baby food . Can u attach a pic of your leo ?

 

[sly]

I'll get some pics of her up once I get home from work. I'm thinking I may have to go to 1 adult dubia a week to actually get her to slim down (she was getting one plus 2-3 crickets or 4-5 mealworms a week and she's pudgy with small armpit bubbles). Thanks.

 

[cricket4u]

I'll get some pics of her up once I get home from work. I'm thinking I may have to go to 1 adult dubia a week to actually get her to slim down (she was getting one plus 2-3 crickets or 4-5 mealworms a week and she's pudgy with small armpit bubbles). Thanks.

This is not ideal. Instead feed smaller lower fat meals. Unfortunately crickets are the ideal insect if you want her to lose weight. You want her to move that behind and have her chase those crickets. Here's a discussion regarding the bubbles.

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...es/71101-arm-pit-bubbles-lets-talk-about.html

 

[sly]

I have never been able to get her to hunt crickets. If I drop them in front of her (even when she was younger and not overweight) she would go after them a bit but quickly lose interest if they moved too fast. I've torn off the legs even to make them slower. I've resorted to putting them in a bowl for her. Any ideas on how to teach her to hunt them? She of course will happily eat them out of my hand if I hold them! Lazy gecko that doesn't want to move her behind! Maybe she'll be more excited if I make her wait longer between meals. I feel like I need a gecko hampster ball =)

 

[cricket4u]

I feel like I need a gecko hampster ball =)

Who knows, it may work.:lol:

A hungry gecko should not hesitate to chase those crickets. If she was this way when she was at normal weight, something was not right.

Bad habits- feeding out of a dish or hand feeding = out of shape leo

Not well hydrated- very common

Poor diet= not very healthy leo

Enclosure not warm enough or too warm

Too stressed, not feeling secure enough to walk far from the hide

 

[sly]

Here are some photos of her. I think the cricket issue was that she wasn't well at the time (which was why I tried switching her to crkciets) and then she got used to being hand fed, so got lazy. We'll just have to try again. (she had taken a fall and gotten injured, vet thinks there was some internal constriction while she was healing, so she was throwing up her food a day or two after eating it so food was traumatic).

Thanks for the advice!

 

[cricket4u]

You're welcome. She's a chunky one, however, I've seen a lot worse. She should be slim down in no time if you change her feeding habits.

 

[CrestedRick]

I feed my dubias a dry chow from the roach cafe and toss in carrots every so often and before I feed them I load them for a week with repashys bug burger.