Gut Loading For Crested Geckos: Your Guide For 2025

Key Takeaway:

• Gut loading is a process of feeding nutritious foods to the insects that you feed to your crested gecko.
• This helps to provide important nutrients and minerals that your pet needs to thrive.
• The best gut-loading foods for crested geckos include fresh fruits and vegetables, calcium supplements, and a source of water.
• Make sure to vary your pet’s diet and feed insects within 24 hours of gut loading.
• Gut loading should be done every time you feed insects to your crested gecko.
• However, be sure to monitor your pet’s weight and adjust feeding frequency accordingly to prevent obesity and health problems

If you’re a proud owner of a crested gecko, you probably already know how important it is to provide your pet with a balanced and nutritious diet.

However, did you know that simply feeding them the right food is not enough?

To ensure that your gecko receives all the essential nutrients they need, you may want to consider gut-loading its food.

In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about gut loading for crested geckos, including what foods to use, how to gut load effectively, and the benefits of this process.

So, whether you’re a new or experienced gecko owner, keep reading to learn how to keep your pet healthy and happy with proper gut loading.

What Is Gut Loading?

Gut loading is a process of feeding nutrient-rich foods to the insects or other prey items that you plan to feed to your pet reptile or amphibian.

The goal of gut loading is to enhance the nutritional value of the prey item, which will in turn improve the nutritional intake of the animal that eats it.

For example, if you plan to feed crickets to your crested gecko, you might feed those crickets a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains before feeding them to your gecko.

This way, the crickets will have a higher nutrient content, and when your gecko eats them, it will also receive those nutrients.

Gut loading is particularly important for captive reptiles and amphibians because their diets can be limited and may not provide all of the necessary nutrients for optimal health.

In addition to improving the nutritional content of the prey item, gut loading can also help ensure that the prey item is well hydrated, which is essential for the health of your pet.

Overall, gut loading is a simple and effective way to improve the nutritional value of the prey items you feed to your pet reptiles and amphibians.

Benefits Of Gut Loading

Here are ten benefits of gut loading for reptiles and amphibians:

1. Improved Nutritional Value: Gut loading increases the nutritional value of the prey item, which ensures that your pet receives all of the essential nutrients they need for optimal health.
2. Better Hydration: Gut loading can help ensure that the prey item is well-hydrated, which is important for the health of your pet.
3. Higher Calcium Content: By gut loading with calcium-rich foods, you can increase the calcium content of the prey item, which is essential for the development and maintenance of strong bones and muscles.
4. Healthier Digestive System: A well-fed prey item can improve the digestive health of your pet, leading to better nutrient absorption and fewer digestive issues.
5. Reduced Risk of Malnutrition: Gut loading can help prevent malnutrition in captive reptiles and amphibians, which is a common problem due to their limited diets.
6. Improved Immune System: A nutrient-rich prey item can boost the immune system of your pet, making them more resistant to diseases and infections.
7. Enhanced Growth and Development: Proper nutrition from gut-loaded prey items can help promote healthy growth and development in young reptiles and amphibians.
8. Increased Appetite: Gut loading can make prey items more appealing to your pet, which can increase their appetite and encourage them to eat more.
9. Better Reproductive Health: Proper nutrition from gut-loaded prey items can help promote healthy reproductive health in both male and female reptiles and amphibians.
10. Cost-Effective: While it may require some effort and planning, gut loading can be a cost-effective way to improve the health of your pet, as it reduces the need for expensive supplements and veterinary care down the line.

Which Insects Are Best for Gut Loading?

Crested geckos are primarily insectivores, and their diet in the wild consists mainly of insects, fruit, and nectar.

Here are some insects and foods that are suitable for gut loading for crested geckos:

1. Crickets: Crickets are a popular staple food for crested geckos, and they are also suitable for gut loading. Offer your crickets a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and collard greens.
2. Dubia Roaches: Dubia roaches are another great staple food for crested geckos, and they are also suitable for gut loading. Feed your roaches a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, apples, and kale.
3. Mealworms: Mealworms are high in protein and fat, but low in calcium. They can be fed to crested geckos in moderation, and they are also suitable for gut loading. Offer your mealworms a mix of fresh vegetables and grains, such as oats and wheat bran.
4. Superworms: Superworms are a larger and more nutritious alternative to mealworms, and they are also suitable for gut loading. Feed your super worms a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, apples, and spinach.

Remember to vary the diet of your crested gecko and rotate the gut-loading foods to ensure a well-rounded diet.

Also, always research the specific nutritional needs of your pet and select gut-loading foods accordingly.

How To Gut Load For Crested Geckos?

Gut-loading insects for crested geckos is a simple process, and it can be done in a few easy steps:

1. Choose your gut-loading foods: Select a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potato, and collard greens, and mix them in a container.
2. Add a source of calcium: Add a calcium supplement to the gut loading mix to increase the calcium content of the prey item.
3. Add water: Add a small amount of water to the gut loading mix to help keep the insects hydrated.
4. Place the insects in the container: Place your insects in the gut-loading container and leave them for at least 24 hours to feed.
5. Feed the gut-loaded insects to your crested gecko: After 24 hours, remove the insects from the gut-loading container and feed them to your crested gecko.

It’s important to remember that gut loading is only effective if the insects are fed to your crested gecko within 24 hours. After this time, the insects will have already started to digest the nutrients in the gut-loading mix.

Additionally, it’s important to vary the diet of your crested gecko and not rely solely on gut-loaded insects.

Offer a variety of fruits, vegetables, and commercial diets to ensure a well-rounded diet.

How Many Times to Gut Load?

The frequency of gut loading for crested geckos depends on the age, size, and activity level of your pet.

In general, it’s recommended to gut load insects every time you feed them to your crested gecko.

For younger crested geckos, it’s recommended to feed them every day, while adults can be fed every other day or 2-3 times a week.

This means you should gut load your insects every time you plan to feed them to your pet.

However, it’s important to note that overfeeding your crested gecko can lead to obesity and health problems.

Make sure to monitor your pet’s weight and adjust the feeding frequency accordingly.

Summary

By feeding nutritious foods to the insects that your crested gecko eats, you can provide a source of important nutrients and minerals that your pet needs to thrive.

Some of the benefits of gut loading include improving the nutritional value of insects, providing a balanced diet for your pet, and preventing nutritional deficiencies.

To achieve these benefits, it’s important to select the right gut-loading foods, feed insects to your crested gecko within 24 hours of gut-loading, and vary your pet’s diet.